Blog

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’.

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. 

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 […]

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.

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 […]

Steve Crocker, an ADASS Research Committee member, explores different research approaches in adult social care.

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.

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.

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. 

Phil Holmes' powerful first speech as ADASS President at the ADASS Spring Seminar 2026.