As part of our ongoing work to support safe, ethical and person-centred use of digital technologies in care, we are exploring how cameras, CCTV, audio recording devices and sensor-based monitoring equipment are currently being used across services.

We know these technologies can offer real benefits, from improving safety to supporting people’s independence. However, we also hear that the legal and ethical landscape can feel unclear — particularly around data protection, consent, privacy, and what to do when families install monitoring devices in someone’s home.

To help us shape clear, practical and accessible national guidance, we are asking providers to take part in a short questionnaire about their experiences. We want to understand: 

• how confident you feel making decisions about surveillance and monitoring 
• which technologies you are seeing in practice 
• the challenges you face 
• what support or guidance would help you most.

Your insight will make a real difference. The experiences you share will ensure the guidance we develop reflects the realities of practice and supports providers in a way that is fair, practical and meaningful.

What do we mean by sensor‑based or monitoring technology?

For this questionnaire, sensor‑based or monitoring technology includes any digital device used to monitor a person or their environment. This may include:

• CCTV or video cameras (inside or outside the home)
• audio recording devices
• door, movement or activity sensors
• falls sensors or bed/chair sensors
• wearable devices (for example, GPS trackers or activity monitors)
• smart devices used for monitoring (for example, Alexa/Google devices with drop‑in features)
• video‑calling devices used as monitoring tools.