News & campaigns
Blog
Rethinking Prevention: Are We Making a Costly Mistake?
Richard Keyse, founder and CEO of 2iC-Care, discusses how proactive and preventive intervention in adult social care leads to better outcomes for people and delivers long-term cost savings for councils.
30 September 2024
Blog
ADASS President’s reflections on social care at Labour Party Conference 24
ADASS President Melanie Williams reflects on this year's Labour Party Conference.
27 September 2024
Blog
The future for employed unpaid carers – what are the next steps?
Beverley Tarka, former President of ADASS and current DASS in Haringey, reflects on the Carers UK campaign for a statutory right to paid Carer’s leave and how this could provide the vital support they need.
24 September 2024
Blog
Celebrating the Essential Work of our Social Care Workforce
In celebration of Professional Care Workers' Week 2024, we caught up with Carolyn Nice, Director of Adults, Health and Wellbeing at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council as she discusses how she got into social care work, the importance of the Skills for Care Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care in England and how she thinks the work of social workers and carers can be valued.
19 September 2024
Blog
Hope, Challenge and Change in Adult Social Care
ADASS President Melanie Williams reflects on the relationship between social care and the NHS at the King's Fund Annual Conference 2024.
16 September 2024
Blog
Lord Darzi’s NHS report provides hope for social care
Jess McGregor, Director of Adult Social Services at Camden Council and Vice President of ADASS, shares her thoughts following Lord Darzi's NHS report.
12 September 2024
Statements
ADASS Responds to Lord Darzi’s Report
In response to Lord Darzi’s report, Melanie Williams, President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services said: “We support Lord Darzi’s recommendation to shift focus and funding from hospitals, towards community and mental health services. “But social care must be at the heart of any plans to create a ‘neighbourhood NHS’, otherwise we’re […]
12 September 2024
Statements
ADASS/BASW Joint Statement: The role of the DASS and social workers in disaster recovery
ADASS and BASW England are committed to highlighting the integral role of system leaders and social workers as key workers during disaster and emergency response and recovery.
19 August 2024
Statements
Statement of Understanding: Planned Returns to the UK in Cases Involving Vulnerable Adults
This statement of understanding updates and replaces an understanding agreed between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) in 2019.
15 August 2024
Press Releases
ADASS responds to UK riots
A statement by ADASS President, Melanie Williams, in response to the violent riots happening across the UK.
6 August 2024
Press Releases
ADASS welcomes Sally Burlington as new CEO
ADASS is delighted to announce the appointment of Sally Burlington as our new CEO, starting in early November 2024.
6 August 2024
Blog
Boosting digital skills and confidence in adult social care: a critical need for the future
Opinion piece by Alyson Scurfield, CEO of TSA, the national advisory body for technology enabled care (TEC), looks at the barriers Directors of Adult Social Services face to make digital technology mainstream in social care.
5 August 2024
Statements
ADASS responds to the Government scrapping adult social care charging reforms
Our response to the Government's announcement that it will not proceed with adult social care charging reforms.
30 July 2024
Statements
ADASS responds to Skills for Care’s ‘Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care in England’
Our response to the launch of Skills for Care's new Social Care Workforce Strategy
23 July 2024
Statements
ADASS responds to ‘Missing Millions: Exploring hidden and unmet social care need for disabled people’
Our response to a new report by Healthwatch England focusing on hidden demand for social care.
23 July 2024
Blog
Optimism for a time to act from a survey of risk and gloom
Our President, Melanie Williams, shares her thoughts following the launch of this year's annual survey of Directors of Adult Social Services.
22 July 2024
Blog
Valuing our social care workforce – on the brink of action?
Our President, Melanie Williams, shares her thoughts on the importance of the new adult social care workforce strategy and what it means for those working in and drawing on care and support.
18 July 2024
Blog
Metrics of misery..and a message of hope?
Opinion piece by Richard Humphries, ADASS Associate Trustee, following the launch of the ADASS Spring Survey 2024
16 July 2024
Press Releases
People needing more intense care and support, pushing councils to overspend, says ADASS survey
People needing more intense care and support after hospital, pushing local councils to overspend, according to a new survey. People are needing more complex care and support due to illness and disability, but local councils are struggling financially to meet people’s higher-level needs says the latest annual survey from the Association of Directors of Adult […]
16 July 2024
Statements / Press Releases
ADASS welcomes new Government
The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) congratulates the Labour Party for their victory in the General Election. Anna Hemmings, ADASS CEO, said: “We look forward to the opportunity to work with Keir Starmer and his team to improve social care and ensure it enables people to live their best lives. “We […]
5 July 2024
Blog
Co-production: the European perspective
As National Co-Production Week 2024 gets underway, it was also the focus for the European Social Services Conference, writes David Brindle The annual European Social Services Conference is always a great opportunity to take stock of how the English and other UK care systems are performing compared to others. This year’s focus was co-production – […]
2 July 2024
Press Releases
Time to act to save social care in England
With waiting lists spiralling leaving many of us who are older or disabled without the care we need, carers burnt out and staff leaving, social care leaders warn “we’ve run out of road” to carry on like this as they publish a roadmap to transform adult social care in England. Time to act: a roadmap […]
30 June 2024
Press Releases
Prevention is the best cure to ease winter pressures, says new report by ADASS
Improving care at home, more sheltered, extra care and dementia focussed housing, investment in crisis resolution intermediate care and better information and advice for older and disabled people would prevent many from needing hospital or residential care, reducing pressures across health and social care every winter, says a new report from ADASS (the Association of […]
30 June 2024
Press Releases
ADASS Appoints New Joint Chief Executive
Today ADASS (the Association for Directors of Adult Social Services) announces that Anna Hemmings has been appointed as its new Joint Chief Executive alongside Cathie Williams and will be taking up the post early in the New Year. Anna joins the charity at a critical time for the organisation, as it works to build a […]
30 June 2024