The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) reveals today in its annual budget survey of members how the failure of successive governments to address long-term funding for adult social care is negatively affecting the people who rely on these essential services, their families and those who work in the arranging and delivery of care.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Hunt, recently made his first speech about adult social care - ahead of the Green Paper - describing seven key principles for the sector. In this paper we provide an early response to those principles with what we in ADASS consider to be some of the key building blocks in relation to securing sustainable arrangements for all our futures.