News & campaigns
Shaping the adult social care research agenda – building on the ADASS Spring Seminar 2026
Chris Lehmann, ADASS Research Committee Chair, and Professor Catherine Needham, Professor of Public Policy and Public Management at the University of Birmingham, report back from an exciting research workshop at our recent Spring Seminar conference.
26 May 2026
Press Releases
ADASS and CQC refresh joint working protocol
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) have updated our Joint Working Protocol (JWP) agreement that sets out how we work together to share information and promote quality and safety.
22 May 2026
ADASS responds to the Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standards report
Our response to the 2025-26 report on the Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standards (SC-WRES).
21 May 2026
Blog
‘Big R – small r’: developing a more inclusive way to talk about research
Steve Crocker, an ADASS Research Committee member, explores different research approaches in adult social care.
19 May 2026
Blog
Forty years in adult social care: lessons, laughter and listening to what matters
Freshly retired, Mel Lock reflects on the people, partnerships and principles that shaped her career - from championing lived experience and rural communities to navigating funding pressures and reform. As she steps away from full-time leadership, she shares the lessons, humour and humanity that have kept her committed to ensuring people live lives shaped by choice, dignity and connection, not services.
11 May 2026
Blog
Adult social care’s contribution to the Neighbourhood Health Service in England
Professor Oonagh Smyth CBE and Sir David Pearson, share insights from the position statement on adult social care’s contribution to the Neighbourhood Health Service from the Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care in England’s Oversight Executive Group; highlighting the actions required to enable adult social care and its workforce to play a full role in the Neighbourhood Health Service and where they are working successfully in neighbourhoods.
5 May 2026
Blog
From our President: if my Presidency over the next year stands for one thing, it will be social justice
ADASS President Phil Holmes stresses that social justice must sit at the heart of adult social care. In a time of rising division and prejudice, he calls for leadership that moves beyond words and into meaningful action.
30 April 2026
Statements / Blog
ADASS’s new President Phil Holmes inaugural speech
Phil Holmes' powerful first speech as ADASS President at the ADASS Spring Seminar 2026.
28 April 2026
Statements
ADASS Past President Melanie Williams invited to join expert panel on children moving into adulthood
We’re delighted a new independent expert panel will investigate the important issue of young people transitioning from childhood to adulthood, and those needing care and support moving from children’s to adults’ services in our local authorities. Our members tell us young people don’t always get the support they need and have called for more focus […]
15 April 2026
Statements
Local government reorganisation must not come at expense of people who rely on care
Our response to the Government's announcement on local government reorganisation.
26 March 2026
Blog
Supported Housing: the missing link in social care reform
Neil Revely makes the case that supported housing is not a peripheral concern for adult social care but the foundation upon which good care depends. Without stable, appropriate housing, effective adult social care simply cannot be delivered. He sets out the key policy actions needed to put supported housing where it belongs: at the heart of policy, planning and investment decisions.
17 March 2026
Blog
Upholding Human Rights: promoting the vote for adults with learning disabilities
Bradford Council’s Adults with Disabilities Team share insights on their Promote the Vote campaign which sees social workers support care homes and supported living providers with guidance to ensure that adults with learning disabilities understand their right to vote in local or national elections and are supported with the process.
12 March 2026
Statements
ADASS responds to Casey’s speech at Nuffield Trust Summit 2026
Our response to today’s speech by Dame Louise Casey at the Nuffield Trust Summit 2026.
5 March 2026
Blog
Richard Webb: a DASS perspective leading adult social care
Richard Webb looks back over his role as DASS as he prepares to step into the role of Chief Executive with a local authority.
3 March 2026
Blog
Looking ahead: supporting social care through change
Kathryn Marsden OBE reflects on her time as the Chief Executive at the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) as she prepares to step down from her role.
2 March 2026
Blog
Why storytelling matters in adult social care: insights from North West ADASS
North West ADASS reflect on the branch’s exploration of storytelling.
27 February 2026
Blog
Why I became an ADASS Trustee, and why you should consider it too
By Caroline Baria, ADASS Trustee and Director of Adults and Health at Leeds City Council.
24 February 2026
Blog
Our Life Stories
At the heart of the complex disability history of the last decades are real people, each with a story to share. Our Life Stories is a first of its kind peer research project, co-produced by people with learning disabilities and autistic people, intended to document these stories authentically and preserve them for future generations.
19 February 2026
Statements
ADASS responds to DHSC’s announcement on working age adults
Our response to DHSC's announcement on above inflation increases for working age people
17 February 2026
Blog
Stepping forward: Becoming an ADASS Trustee bolstered my leadership skills, and it could do the same for you
By Melanie Williams, ADASS Immediate Past President and Executive Director – People Services at West Northamptonshire Council. As I approach the end of my year as Immediate Past President of ADASS, and prepare to step down from the Board of Trustees, it feels like the right moment to reflect on my journey with ADASS which began when I took on […]
13 February 2026
Blog
Care where we live
James Bullion, Assistant Director of Policy for the Casey Review at the Local Government Association (LGA), sets out why adult social care needs more than funding alone, and why councils must play a central role in shaping sustainable reform through the LGA’s new ‘Care where we live’ engagement series.
10 February 2026
Statements
ADASS policy statement: vision rehabilitation
This statement by the ADASS Physical and Sensory Impairment Network puts blind and partially sighted people at the centre to ensure that they receive the outcomes they need to lead independent lives.
10 February 2026
Blog
Ending homelessness: a crucial year ahead
The new national plan to end homelessness and rough sleeping is an important first step, but it fails to address some important issues for local authorities, writes Liz Zacharias, Director of Campbell Tickell.
9 February 2026
Blog
Beyond adaptations: why social care needs to unlock the full potential of occupational therapy
As adult social care looks to shift from crisis to prevention, occupational therapists have a vital role to play. Dr Anita Mottram, Principal Occupational Therapist for Kirklees Council, discusses why unlocking that potential requires not just funding, but time, trust and investment in the OT workforce.
28 January 2026
