ADASS Autumn Survey 2024

The ADASS Autumn Survey 2024 highlights the growing and urgent challenges facing councils as they work to enable people to have access to vital care and support to people with disabilities, long-term health conditions and their carers amidst unprecedented financial pressures.

The Survey is an annual survey conducted by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) which is sent to every Director of Adult Social Services (referred to as Directors in this report) in the 153 English councils with social care responsibilities. This year we had a response rate of 86%.  It was conducted between 12^th September and 9^th October.

Budgets – Adult social care budgets are under severe strain. Currently, 81% of councils expect to overspend their adult social care budgets this year—up from 72% in 2023/24—with an estimated total overspend of £564 million.

Savings – The report also indicates that a significant number of councils are being required to make further in-year savings—35%, compared to 19% in 2022. These savings come on top of the highest level of planned reductions in eight years, with a projected increase to £1.4 billion in required savings by 2025/26. This severely constrains councils’ ability to invest in essential areas such as workforce development, preventive services, and support for unpaid carers.

ADASS is committed to supporting the Government’s vision of shifting health and social care from sickness to prevention, hospital to community and analogue to digital.  Our survey examined these challenges.

Treatment of Prevention – Directors have positive evidence of what works in terms of prevention across a range of interventions, including what delivers a positive Return on Investment.  But they want to know more in order to go further and faster.  At the moment, operational priorities and financial pressures prevent them from doing more.  The next policy cycle of the Better Care Fund is an opportunity to reorient the fund toward prevention, enabling health and social care partners to deliver the right care at the right time and place.

Hospital to Community – The social care workforce is fundamental to the success of community-based health and social care. This report underscores the importance of investing in the workforce, from local social care professionals to allied health roles such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists, which are essential to easing pressures on health and care systems alike.

Analogue to Digital – Finally, access to joined-up health and social care data is transformative in understanding people’s needs and making informed, effective policy decisions. While Client Level Data is making strides, further collaboration is needed to unlock the potential of integrated data across health, housing, welfare, and social care—empowering people with more choice and control over their care and informing sound policy and financial decisions.