Social care is entering an important new chapter, one where data finally starts to work with providers, not against them. At the heart of this shift is the Minimum Operational Data Standard (MODS), introduced as part of the Digitising Social Care Records (DSCR) programme.
The purpose of MODS is simple but powerful:
to define a baseline set of data that all CQC-registered adult social care providers must collect, in a consistent way, so that in the future information can be shared, understood, and used across the wider health and social care system. While also supporting the delivery of quality care.
What are MODS, really?
MODS set out which data should be collected and how it should be structured within any adult social care digital care record. This applies across all care settings — care homes, supported living, home care- any CQC-regulated service.
When data is collected consistently, it becomes interoperable meaning it can be safely and meaningfully shared between systems, services, and professionals (with the right consent and access in place). The data that’s needed to provide safe and quality care isn’t customisable, it’s a necessity.
In short: MODS are about joining up care to provide transparency and quality.
Why this matters: learning from health
We’ve seen the benefits of standardised data before. Initiatives like GP Connect and Shared Care Records work because data in more digitised parts of health and care system is collected in a consistent, agreed format. That consistency allows information entered in one place to be viewed and used elsewhere without duplication, copy and pasting, or paper trails.
MODS represent the first time social care is being brought into this joined-up ecosystem in a meaningful way.
This is exciting because once data is standardised it enables:
- Information entered by a care provider can be accessed by other professionals involved in someone’s care
- Digital solutions to integrate more easily with one another
- Providers to move between DSCR-approved systems without losing or reworking their data (Hopefully great for when you move to us, if you’re not already a customer!)
- More consistent care delivery across teams and settings, with shared standards reducing variation and ensuring everyone is working from the same, reliable information
- Service user profiles and core personal information
- Care planning and daily records
- Referrals, procedures, and discharge summaries
- How are users actually working in this part of the product today?
- Can we improve existing workflows while meeting the standard?
- Is there an opportunity to introduce new capabilities that add real value?
Better data, better care
The biggest beneficiaries of MODS are the people receiving care.
When information about care, medication, risks, and outcomes is recorded in a way that can be shared, professionals across different settings can make better, faster, and safer decisions. It reduces reliance on printed documents, handwritten notes, or repeated conversations and it ensures critical information is available when and where it’s needed.
This is essential for delivering high-quality, person-focused care.
Why MODS are a big piece of work
Because the DSCR programme and DSCR-approved software is still relatively new, MODS represent the next major step: standardising the data itself.
The scope is broad by design. MODS touches almost every aspect of care delivery, from:
For us, this means hundreds of requirements and significant changes across our care management platform. It’s a substantial piece of work and one we take extremely seriously.
Our approach: compliance and care, not one or the other
While MODS are a regulatory requirement, our approach goes beyond simply “ticking the box”.
Yes, we are fully committed to meeting MODS requirements, but we are doing so with our users front of mind.
For every MODS requirement, we’re asking:
By combining MODS compliance with deep user understanding, we’re ensuring that standardisation doesn’t mean complexity and that interoperability doesn’t come at the cost of usability.
Looking ahead
MODS are about creating a foundation: a future where social care data is consistent, accessible, and genuinely useful across the wider system. Interoperability is the aim but better workflows, clearer records, and improved care delivery are the outcome.
By bringing together national standards and real-world care delivery, we’re confident that MODS will not only help social care connect with health but help providers focus on what matters most: delivering great care.
