Blog

Blog

Why the future of social care depends on relationships and community strength

Stuart Cowley, Director of Adult Social Care and Health at Wigan Council, explores why the future of adult social care reform depends on empowering communities, neighbourhoods and local systems to shape solutions that reflect local needs, rather than pursuing a single national model. He shares Wigan Council's relational approach to reform, showing how collaboration and strong relationships can create lasting change and improve outcomes for people and communities.
20 July 2026
Blog

Becoming an ADASS Associate: Mentorship and staying connected to adult social care 

Helen Jones explores how being an ADASS Associate helps her stay connected to the adult social care sector, reflects on the rewards of mentoring through the ADASS Associates programme, and encourages fellow Associates to become mentors to share their wisdom as former Directors of Adult Social Services. 
14 July 2026
Blog

Less abstract, more actionable: why place now sits at the heart of our social care data catalogue

This blog from the Catalogue of Social Care Data (CASCID) team, by Edmund Stubbs, Raphael Wittenberg and Derek King, explores how a new place-based approach is helping turn social care data into practical insights for local decision-making. It highlights why understanding communities and local context is essential to tackling inequalities, planning services and improving outcomes […]
7 July 2026
Blog

How we co-produced our ‘care closer to home’ policy 

ADASS Senior Policy Officer Paul Buddery and experts share their reflections on co-producing our Care Closer to Home policy statement and the importance of the question, ‘so, what next?’.
6 July 2026
Blog

How co-production can drive real change in care equity

David Cole lives in Dorset and draws on adult social care. He is a Quality Assurance Lived Experience Adviser at the council and shares his reflections for Co-production Week’s 2026 theme ‘Care Equity’.
3 July 2026
Blog

Research as an added extra? Why every social care organisation needs a research culture 

Dr Laura Tucker explores why establishing a culture of research empowers staff, strengthens practice and improves outcomes for people who draw on care and support. She shares best practice for supporting research across adult social care organisations. 
24 June 2026
Blog

Loneliness is everyone’s business – and adult social care has a vital role to play

Drawing on insights from his President’s Day and discussions with parliamentarians and partners, ADASS President Phil Holmes argues that tackling loneliness is one of the defining challenges of our time and should be a central goal of adult social care reform. Last week I chaired an event about Adult Social Care’s role in tackling loneliness […]
18 June 2026
Blog

Understanding and addressing barriers to sharing of high-level data on unpaid carers between system partners 

Jude Boyle from Derbyshire County Council and Michael Rose from Derby City Council share insights project in Derbyshire examining the barriers to sharing high-level carer data across the local care and health system.
11 June 2026
Blog

How community equipment services can support people to live more independently – and should be valued as core infrastructure 

Mark Rance explores how the Kirklees Integrated Community Equipment Services model is reducing costs and tackling inequity, while delivering better outcomes for people who draw on care and support, their families and carers.  Building on what we now know  In ‘Innovating to support independence: The Kirklees approach to Community Equipment Services,’ I set out the rationale for redesigning community equipment services (CES) in Kirklees and […]
5 June 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