News & campaigns
Blog
Forty years in adult social care: lessons, laughter and listening to what matters
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.
11 May 2026
Blog
Adult social care’s contribution to the Neighbourhood Health Service in England
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.
5 May 2026
Blog
From our President: if my Presidency over the next year stands for one thing, it will be social justice
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.
30 April 2026
Statements / Blog
ADASS’s new President Phil Holmes inaugural speech
Phil Holmes' powerful first speech as ADASS President at the ADASS Spring Seminar 2026.
28 April 2026
Blog
Supported Housing: the missing link in social care reform
Neil Revely makes the case that supported housing is not a peripheral concern for adult social care but the foundation upon which good care depends. Without stable, appropriate housing, effective adult social care simply cannot be delivered. He sets out the key policy actions needed to put supported housing where it belongs: at the heart of policy, planning and investment decisions.
17 March 2026
Blog
Upholding Human Rights: promoting the vote for adults with learning disabilities
Bradford Council’s Adults with Disabilities Team share insights on their Promote the Vote campaign which sees social workers support care homes and supported living providers with guidance to ensure that adults with learning disabilities understand their right to vote in local or national elections and are supported with the process.
12 March 2026
Blog
Richard Webb: a DASS perspective leading adult social care
Richard Webb looks back over his role as DASS as he prepares to step into the role of Chief Executive with a local authority.
3 March 2026
Blog
Looking ahead: supporting social care through change
Kathryn Marsden OBE reflects on her time as the Chief Executive at the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) as she prepares to step down from her role.
2 March 2026
Blog
Why storytelling matters in adult social care: insights from North West ADASS
North West ADASS reflect on the branch’s exploration of storytelling.
27 February 2026
Blog
Why I became an ADASS Trustee, and why you should consider it too
By Caroline Baria, ADASS Trustee and Director of Adults and Health at Leeds City Council.
24 February 2026
Blog
Our Life Stories
At the heart of the complex disability history of the last decades are real people, each with a story to share. Our Life Stories is a first of its kind peer research project, co-produced by people with learning disabilities and autistic people, intended to document these stories authentically and preserve them for future generations.
19 February 2026
Blog
Stepping forward: Becoming an ADASS Trustee bolstered my leadership skills, and it could do the same for you
By Melanie Williams, ADASS Immediate Past President and Executive Director – People Services at West Northamptonshire Council. As I approach the end of my year as Immediate Past President of ADASS, and prepare to step down from the Board of Trustees, it feels like the right moment to reflect on my journey with ADASS which began when I took on […]
13 February 2026
Blog
Care where we live
James Bullion, Assistant Director of Policy for the Casey Review at the Local Government Association (LGA), sets out why adult social care needs more than funding alone, and why councils must play a central role in shaping sustainable reform through the LGA’s new ‘Care where we live’ engagement series.
10 February 2026
Blog
Ending homelessness: a crucial year ahead
The new national plan to end homelessness and rough sleeping is an important first step, but it fails to address some important issues for local authorities, writes Liz Zacharias, Director of Campbell Tickell.
9 February 2026
Blog
Beyond adaptations: why social care needs to unlock the full potential of occupational therapy
As adult social care looks to shift from crisis to prevention, occupational therapists have a vital role to play. Dr Anita Mottram, Principal Occupational Therapist for Kirklees Council, discusses why unlocking that potential requires not just funding, but time, trust and investment in the OT workforce.
28 January 2026
Blog
Why social care professionals are leading the way in purposeful AI adoption and what it means for the future of care
Drawing on research with nearly 300 health and social care professionals, our partners at System C explore why social care is leading the way in purposeful AI adoption, and what this means for the future of person-centred care.
16 January 2026
Blog
Why keeping care homes open matters: lessons from Covid-19 for local authorities and care providers
COVID-19 changed how care homes operate. This blog sets out why keeping them open matters and what local authorities and providers can learn.
9 January 2026
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
Press Releases / Statements
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
