How to talk about social care

At ADASS, we know that the way we talk about adult social care shapes how people understand it, value it, and ultimately support the transformation we need to see in it. We also know that currently, public awareness of and interest in adult social care is exceptionally low.

That’s why changing the existing narrative – that is so much about a sector in crisis and a story of deficit – is essential if we are to engage the public. We need to raise awareness, convert that awareness to support, and create the conditions for the public and politicians to want to tackle social care in terms of reform and investment.

Over the past year, ADASS has been working in partnership with the LGA (Local Government Association), #SocialCareFuture and Think Local Act Personal, supported by Frameworks UK, to explore how we can communicate more engagingly about care and support. We are now pleased to share the first outcome of this work, including Frameworks UK’s new research report How to talk about social care. The report starts to look at some of the things we can do to tell a new story. Alongside it, is a practical ‘quick start guide’ summarising the findings, to help our members put these insights into action.

This new research builds on foundational work led by of #SocialCareFuture to ‘change the narrative’ around adult social care. The new research highlights clear opportunities to strengthen that narrative by:

• Placing greater emphasis on fairness across incomes and places, and our interconnectedness as communities 

• Providing simple, step-by-step explanations of what social care is and how it works when it is at its best 

• Centring solutions and real examples of high-quality care supporting people to live the lives they want – as exemplified in our Care Can’t Wait campaign  

• Using the metaphor of social care as “glue” that connects the things that help us live well. 

The research report is here.

The quick start guide is here.

Both are launched today, Wednesday 26 November, at a session on how to tell more and better stories at the National Children and Adult Services Conference –  NCASC 2025. Each organisation will be following this up with more detailed guidance, tips and tools, as well as learning opportunities, over coming months.  
 
As part of this work, ADASS is already supporting our members to put these insights into practice. Our narrative and communications training, delivered regionally across England, draws on the Frameworks research and equips members with clear, consistent language to talk about social care in an engaging way. It is intended that by combining this with local data, realities and case studies, it will help to tell a compelling story about social care locally, allowing us to paint a national picture from the ground up.  
 
This programme is helping members communicate with greater confidence about the purpose and value of adult social care, and to speak with a united voice across local and national platforms. If you are an ADASS member who is interested in taking part of the training – which is free, thanks to a generous grant from the Rayne Foundation – then please contact Phoebe Kerr, ADASS Engagement Officer: phoebe.kerr@adass.org.uk