CARE
PICTURE: VIBIN MATHAI
Winner – Madi Arshad, left, receives her Safeguarding Champion trophy at the Moonrise Awards 2026.
Founder – Moonrise MD Jessica Gwaringa.
INNOVATION THROUGH
Innovation doesn’ t always mean
CARE technology, says Moonrise
PICTURE: CAL CAREY
When people think about innovation, their minds often jump to artificial intelligence, robotics, automation or the latest software platform. Across almost every industry, technology has become synonymous with progress.
While digital tools undoubtedly have an important role to play, innovation isn’ t always about developing something new. Sometimes it’ s about thinking differently, challenging assumptions and finding better ways to solve long-standing problems.
Nowhere is this more evident than in social care.
As demand for care continues to grow and the needs of those accessing services become increasingly complex, providers face a question familiar to businesses across every sector: how do we improve quality, develop our workforce and deliver better outcomes?
For Jessica Gwaringa, founder and managing director of Moonrise, the answer starts with people.
She said:“ Innovation isn’ t always about technology. It’ s about creating services that respond to the real needs of individuals, supporting our teams to keep developing and never becoming comfortable with‘ how we’ ve always done it’.”
This philosophy has shaped Moonrise’ s growth over the past decade and reflects a wider shift across the care sector.
Businesses invest heavily in understanding their customers and social care is no different. The people receiving support today have increasingly diverse experiences, aspirations and challenges. A standardised approach may offer consistency, but it rarely delivers the best outcomes. True innovation begins by listening. Rather than designing services around organisational processes, providers like Moonrise build support around the individual. This means understanding how someone communicates, what matters most to them and what helps them feel safe, confident and independent.
“ Sometimes the most innovative thing we can do is ask better questions,”
Jessica says.“ When we genuinely understand someone’ s goals, we can design support that helps them achieve those goals rather than simply completing tasks.”
This shift has transformed care from something delivered for people into something delivered with them.
Innovation also means recognising that one model of care cannot meet every person’ s needs.
Flexible domiciliary care, specialist supported living, community outreach and integrated support are all examples of services designed around changing demand rather than traditional structures. Increasingly, providers are creating pathways that enable people to move smoothly between different types of support as their circumstances change, helping individuals maintain their independence.
The principle is one every business understands: successful organisations evolve alongside the needs of their customers.
Perhaps the greatest innovation in care
66 | Tees Business