Earlier this month, Care Campaign for the Vulnerable (CCFTV) received a formal response from the Minister for Social Care, Stephen Kinnock MP, via our local MP Joy Morrissey. It followed our continued calls for clearer national guidance around the use of safety monitoring (CCTV) in care homes—particularly in dementia care settings.
While the Minister’s letter acknowledged our “continuing concern for the safety of residents and staff in dementia-care settings” and rightly reiterated the responsibilities of care providers under Section 42 of the Care Act, what it did not do is reflect the urgency and clarity this issue now demands.
At its core, the government’s reply feels like yet another iteration of the same template response campaigners have received for years—one that leans heavily on general safeguarding duties, without addressing the real-world challenges families and providers are now facing when trying to implement proactive safety measures.
Our campaign is not about surveillance. It is not about undermining staff or disempowering providers. It is about choice-led safety monitoring, introduced with appropriate consent, to protect residents and care teams alike. And it is about enabling providers to meet rising expectations of transparency and accountability—without fear of regulatory contradiction or reputational risk.
For over a decade, Care Campaign for the Vulnerable (CCFTV) has advocated for the right of families and providers to adopt safety monitoring when it is wanted, needed, and appropriate. Across our work with hundreds of families every year, we hear the same message:
“If we had the choice, we would want it.”
And increasingly, providers are telling us:
“We want to implement this, but we’re not getting consistent guidance.”
The current situation is fragmented. Some local authorities encourage safety monitoring; others deter it. Some CQC inspectors praise it when used appropriately; others raise concerns. This inconsistency is not only confusing—it’s disempowering. Providers are left to interpret the rules, often at significant legal cost. Families are left in the dark. And regulators, too often, are left silent.
We must stop treating this as a fringe issue.
In today’s care landscape – especially within dementia care – families are becoming more aware, more involved, and more vocal. They want to trust the care system, not fight it. And providers, many of whom are delivering outstanding care, want to be transparent and proactive. They should be supported in doing so.
That is why our campaign continues to push for the following:
- Clear national guidance on how safety monitoring can be implemented lawfully, ethically and sensitively, with consent.
- Support for providers, so they are not penalised or left to navigate conflicting advice.
- Open dialogue with regulators, to ensure safety monitoring is seen not as a risk, but as a potential safeguard.
- And recognition of lived experience – from families, care staff, and managers – who know the difference this technology can make.
The sector is listening. Families are watching by and the appetite for change is growing. But platitudes won’t deliver it.
CCFTV urge Minister Kinnock and the Department of Health and Social Care to go beyond restating the Care Act. To meet with us. To listen to the people living this reality. And to work with advocates , providers and families who are united in wanting safer, more transparent care environments for all.
Because safety in care should not depend on your postcode. Or your provider’s confidence. Or a regulator’s interpretation. It should be a right – backed by policy, driven by compassion, and protected by clarity.
The time to act is now.
By Jayne Connery, Founder and Director, Care Campaign for the Vulnerable (CCFTV)
