TLDR: At the Staffordshire event, we heard the same challenges again and again: paper rotas, platforms that don’t quite fit care, rotas eating up too much time, and worry about AI. JMS One was built for care homes to tackle exactly these issues, with tools that save time, reduce stress, and make workforce management easier.

A couple of weeks ago, we had the pleasure of attending the Staffordshire event and speaking with so many amazing people working in care. These conversations are always the best part of any event. You hear the real challenges, the frustrations, and the little wins that make the sector what it is. It gave us a clear reminder of just how different every care provider is, but also how many of the same themes keep coming up when it comes to managing staff.

Here are the big ones that stood out:

1. Still using paper rotas

You’d be surprised by how many homes are still relying on paper rotas. Handwritten notes stuck to a wall, endless crossing out when someone calls in sick, and managers spending hours with pens and highlighters instead of focusing on residents and staff. It’s familiar, but it’s far from efficient. Paper systems create unnecessary stress, slow down communication, and make it harder to plan ahead.

2. Platforms that don’t quite fit

We also heard from people who already use software, but the feedback was often the same: "It doesn’t really fit what we need". Many platforms weren’t designed with care in mind. They might work fine in retail or hospitality, but care is different. You’ve got compliance, training, ratios, agency staff, and more to factor in. If your system can’t flex to those needs, you end up battling against the very tool that’s supposed to make life easier.

3. The rota is taking too much time

This came up in nearly every conversation. Managers are spending far too long building rotas, tweaking shifts, filling last-minute gaps, and then repeating the whole thing week after week. That’s valuable time that could be spent supporting staff or improving the quality of care. When your rota is eating hours out of your week, something isn’t right.

4. Fear of AI, but also curiosity

We noticed a lot of curiosity around AI. People want to know what it can do, but there’s also a worry that it’s “too clever” or might take away control. The reality is the opposite. Our AI-powered rota isn’t about replacing managers, it’s about making life easier for them. It helps with shift swaps, notifies bank staff in seconds, and even lets you reach out to agencies with just one click. It spots the patterns, fills the gaps faster, and frees up your time so you can focus on people, not paperwork.

Our takeaway

What we learned in Staffordshire is simple: care providers want tools that actually work for them. No more clunky systems that aren’t built for the sector. No more wasting time on processes that could be automated. And definitely no more feeling like technology is something to fear.

That’s why JMS One was built with care at its heart. Every feature, from compliance to payroll to our AI rota, is shaped around the day-to-day challenges of running a care service. It’s not about changing the way you work, it’s about supporting it.

If you’re reading this and thinking, “that sounds familiar”, maybe it’s time to take a fresh look at how workforce management could work in your service.

Free Rota Optimisation Offer

We’re currently offering a free rota optimisation to show managers exactly where time and money can be saved by spotting hidden inefficiencies. There’s no risk, no catch, just a simple way to see how much difference the right tools could make.

👉 Interested? Get in touch today and let’s see what we can find in your rota.