In today’s fast-evolving social care sector, domiciliary care providers are under constant pressure to deliver high-quality, compliant, and person-centred care—while managing limited time and resources. The right care management software can make all the difference. But what exactly should you be looking for?
Here are the top 7 essential features every domiciliary care software should have in 2025.
1. Intelligent Care Planning
Gone are the days of paper-based care plans. A top-tier domiciliary care system should offer dynamic, customisable care plans that evolve with the needs of your service users. Look for software that:
- Integrates risk assessments directly into care planning
- Allows collaboration across teams
- Supports real-time updates and short-term plans (e.g. infections or incidents)
2. Staff Management and Rota Scheduling
Your care staff are your greatest asset. Effective software should allow you to:
- Build rotas with automated suggestions based on availability and skills
- Track qualifications and training status
- Handle annual leave and absences in real time
- Download staff profiles for CQC or internal reviews
3. Medication Management (e-MAR)
A robust e-MAR system is non-negotiable. Your software should:
- Schedule medication rounds with easy navigation
- Alert you to missed doses or low stock
- Track and manage medication inventory
- Provide downloadable MARs for inspections
4. Built-In Risk Assessments
Risk management is a legal and ethical responsibility. The best systems allow you to:
- Create tailored risk assessments for health, behaviour, and environment
- Set control measures with templates for common risks
- Monitor changes in real time and receive alerts
- Generate compliance reports for audits
5. Audits and Compliance Tracking
Maintaining CQC compliance is crucial. The software should:
- Offer a digital audit library (e.g., infection control, safeguarding, data protection)
- Automate audit scoring
- Send alerts for due or overdue audits
- Display a real-time compliance dashboard
6. Task Management with a Digital Diary
Care delivery is full of moving parts. A digital diary feature helps you:
- Assign tasks to staff with clarity and precision
- Track overdue or pending actions
- Log progress with time-stamped notes
- Generate reports for accountability and improvement
7. Seamless Shift Handover
Continuity of care depends on effective communication. Your system should:
- Auto-generate shift summaries
- Highlight critical updates with urgent flags
- Provide editable, archived handover records
- Enable real-time alerts across the care team
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right domiciliary care software is not just about ticking boxes—it’s about empowering your team to deliver safe, efficient, and person-centred care. The best systems will integrate all of the above into a single, user-friendly platform.
Looking for an all-in-one solution? PlanLog brings together all these features—and more—to help you stay compliant, organised, and focused on what really matters: delivering exceptional care.