Blog

Blog

Adult social care in 2025: What changed, what didn’t and what it means for the year ahead

While 2025 was a challenging year for adult social care, it was also a pivotal one. This article reflects on key moments from the past year and what they mean for adult social care in 2026.
6 January 2026
Blog

The only way to deliver better care is for the NHS and local authorities to work together more closely – here are seven steps to make it happen in 2026

Jess McGregor, President of ADASS, and Matthew Taylor, CEO of NHS Confederation, discuss the seven steps to deliver better care with the NHS and local authorities working together.
18 December 2025
Blog

Peterborough City Council’s digital transformation journey: empowering its workforce and delivering better outcomes for people 

Tina Hornsby shares how digital innovation at Peterborough City Council, including its use of AI is improving outcomes for social care practitioners and people who draw on care and support. 
15 December 2025
Blog

Introducing Rashpal Bishop, ADASS’ incoming Vice President in 2026 

Rashpal Bishop is due to take up the post of ADASS Vice President and Trustee in 2026. In her first blog for the Association, she introduces herself and tells us a bit about her dual passion for digital and carers, and why she was inspired to stand as ADASS Vice President. 
12 December 2025
Blog

Reframing the conversation: Reflections on a year of narrative change training

Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of delivering our How to Talk About Social Care training to ADASS members across England, writes ADASS Engagement Officer Phoebe Kerr. This work is funded thanks to the generous support of the Rayne Foundation and is linked to our partnership with the Local Government Association (LGA), Think […]
9 December 2025
Statements / Blog

ADASS President’s NCASC 2025 speech

ADASS President, Jess McGregor, opens the National Children and Adult Services Conference (NCASC) 2025.
26 November 2025
Blog

We can all agree social care is complex. But does that help?

Professor Catherine Needham, Professor of Public Policy and Public Management at the University of Birmingham and Associate Director of SSCR, reflects on the complexity of social care and why it must be approached as an interconnected ecosystem.
24 November 2025
Blog

Strengthening support for unpaid carers: practical guidance for adult social services

To mark Carers Rights Day 2025, this blog brings together a set of key resources designed to help Directors of adult social services, local authorities, and partner organisations strengthen support for unpaid carers. These tools offer practical guidance, examples of good practice, and insights from across the sector to inform local improvement work. Below, we […]
20 November 2025
Blog

What I took from a Casey Commission evidence session — and why people must be at the heart of reform

Jess McGregor, ADASS President and Director of Adult Social Care at Camden Council, reflects on an early roundtable for Baroness Louise Casey’s Independent Commission on Adult Social Care.
18 November 2025
Blog

From deprivation of liberty to liberty protection – why we need a different approach to safeguarding liberty

Part 1: From Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards to Liberty Protection Safeguards Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) are the current legal protections for people who lack capacity and are deprived of their liberty in residential care or hospital settings. Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) are the new system the Government plans to start implementing later in this […]
17 November 2025