Overview
Headquarters: Daresbury, United Kingdom
Categories: Supported Living and Home Care Management (Clinical and Non-Clinical Operations); Care and Nursing Home Management (Clinical and Non-Clinical Operations)
Core Product: Carebeans (cloud-based care planning and management platform)
Introduction
Carebeans is a contemporary, innovative care management software platform designed to simplify and digitise the full spectrum of care planning and operational management. Developed in close collaboration with care providers, Carebeans has been built with specific functionality that reflects the real-world needs of care homes, supported living services, and domiciliary care agencies.
The platform provides comprehensive tools for care planning, daily notes, medication management, rostering, HR, compliance, and auditing. Its ethos is to make care management intuitive and person-centred, reducing administrative burdens while ensuring providers remain compliant with CQC and other regulatory standards.
Carebeans is one of the first digital social care software providers to be added to the NHS Assured Solutions List for Digital Social Care Records (DSCRs) and is also an approved Professional Record Standards Body (PRSB) Partner. This recognition underscores its commitment to interoperability, compliance, and best practice in digital care.
User Feedback: Strengths and Weaknesses
Publicly available feedback for Carebeans comes from customer testimonials, case studies, and independent review platforms. Overall, user sentiment is strongly positive, though some caveats are noted.
Positive Feedback
Ease of use and adoption
Carebeans is frequently praised for its intuitive design. Staff with limited digital experience report adapting quickly, with many describing the system as “straightforward” and “user-friendly.”
Comprehensive functionality
Providers value the breadth of modules, which cover everything from care planning and medication management to rostering and HR. The ability to manage both care home and domiciliary operations in one system is seen as a major advantage.
Compliance and auditing
Managers highlight Carebeans’ compliance tools, including built-in CQC readiness, NICE guideline alignment, and mock inspection features. The integration with QCS (Quality Compliance Systems) for policies, audits, and training is particularly valued.
Customisation and flexibility
The optional Forms Builder allows providers to create tailored assessments, care plans, and audits. This flexibility is praised by services with complex or unique requirements.
Offline functionality
The Carebeans Carers App works offline, enabling carers to log visits and update records even in areas with poor connectivity. This feature is especially valued in rural settings.
Integration with NHS systems
Built-in GP Connect integration allows secure, real-time access to NHS patient records, improving continuity of care and reducing duplication.
Support and responsiveness
Testimonials frequently mention responsive support and a collaborative approach to product development. Providers note that Carebeans actively incorporates customer feedback into updates.
Negative Feedback and Caveats
Learning curve for advanced features
While the system is intuitive, some users report that advanced modules (e.g., finance, rostering, or custom forms) require additional training.
Pricing transparency
Carebeans does not publish standard pricing, instead offering tailored quotes. Some buyers note that this makes cost comparisons with competitors more difficult.
Integration breadth
Although Carebeans integrates with NHS systems and QCS, details on wider interoperability (e.g., pharmacy or finance systems) are less extensively documented than some competitors.
Feature requests
A minority of users suggest enhancements to reporting templates and rostering flexibility.
In summary, user sentiment is strongly positive around usability, comprehensiveness, and compliance. The main caveats lie in pricing transparency, training for advanced modules, and confirming integration scope.
Products and Capabilities
Carebeans (Cloud SaaS Platform)
Carebeans’ modular platform supports a wide range of care operations. Key features include:
Care planning and daily notes: Person-centred care plans, assessments, and daily notes aligned with CQC and NICE standards.
Medication management (eMAR): Digital medication records, alerts, and audit trails to improve safety and reduce errors.
Rostering and workforce management: Drag-and-drop scheduling, attendance tracking, and payroll integration.
HR and training: Staff records, training compliance, and recruitment management.
Billing and finance: Automated invoicing and resident fund management.
Compliance and auditing: Built-in compliance dashboards, QCS integration, and mock inspection tools.
Family and stakeholder access: Secure portals for families and professionals to view updates and records.
Carers App: Mobile app with offline functionality, ensuring carers can log visits and access care plans anywhere.
Forms Builder: Optional tool for creating custom assessments, audits, and workflows.
Interoperability and Standards
Carebeans is assured by NHS England as a supplier of Digital Social Care Records (DSCRs) and complies with all 14 DSCR standards. It is also a PRSB Partner, ensuring alignment with national record standards.
Key integrations include:
GP Connect: Secure access to NHS patient records.
QCS: Policies, audits, and training tools integrated directly into the platform.
APIs: Support for custom integrations with third-party systems.
Market Position
Carebeans operates primarily in the UK, serving care homes, supported living services, and domiciliary care providers. It differentiates itself through:
Comprehensive coverage: A full spectrum of clinical and non-clinical modules.
Regulatory assurance: NHS DSCR assurance and PRSB partnership.
Flexibility: Customisable forms and offline functionality.
Integration with compliance tools: Unique partnership with QCS for policies and audits.
Competitors include Nourish, Person Centred Software, Care Vision, and Birdie. Carebeans positions itself as the compliance-focused, flexible alternative with strong offline functionality and QCS integration.
Implementation and Support
Carebeans emphasises a consultative onboarding process, with training tailored to staff needs. Testimonials highlight smooth rollouts and responsive support.
The company provides ongoing updates and incorporates customer feedback into product development. Its partnership with QCS further enhances training and compliance support.
Security and Data Protection
Carebeans places strong emphasis on safeguarding sensitive information, holding Cyber Essentials certification and maintaining full GDPR compliance. Its platform incorporates audit trails and access controls to ensure accountability and restrict data visibility to authorised users only. Secure hosting and continuous monitoring further protect against threats, giving providers confidence in the resilience of the system.
During procurement, Carebeans advises buyers to request detailed information on its encryption standards, penetration testing practices, and hosting arrangements. This transparency enables organisations to fully assess the platform’s security posture and make informed decisions about its suitability for their care management needs.
Conclusion
Carebeans is a leading UK provider of digital care management software, offering a comprehensive, cloud-based platform that simplifies both clinical and non-clinical operations. Its strength lies in unifying care planning, medication management, rostering, HR, billing, and compliance into one system.
User feedback consistently highlights ease of use, comprehensiveness, and compliance, while challenges include pricing transparency, training for advanced modules, and confirming integration scope.
For care providers seeking a compliance-focused, flexible platform with strong offline functionality and integration with QCS, Carebeans represents a credible and innovative option. Its NHS assurance, PRSB partnership, and emphasis on person-centred care position it as a forward-looking solution for the future of care.
References
Carebeans Official Website – Care Management Software https://www.carebeans.co.uk/
QCS – Care Planning System https://www.qcs.co.uk/care-planning-system/
Digitising Social Care – Carebeans Care Software https://beta.digitisingsocialcare.co.uk/assured-solutions/carebeans-care-software
Carebeans – Care Planning System for Care Homes https://www.carebeans.co.uk/carebeans-products-and-services/care-planning-system-for-care-homes/
Carebeans – 10 Features You Might Not Know About https://www.carebeans.co.uk/carebeans-products-and-services/10-carebeans-care-management-system-features-you-might-not-know-about/
