News & campaigns
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
Statements
ADASS responds to local government finance settlement
In response to the provisional local government finance settlement, Jess McGregor, President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, said: “While it is good to see a three-year funding settlement, which will help councils plan and deliver services more effectively, today’s announcement does not provide any additional funding for adult social care above […]
17 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
ADASS policy statement: Neighbourhood Health
This paper is intended to confirm the policy position ADASS takes around Neighbourhood Health as a central part of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England.
1 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
Press Releases
High-cost social care packages for young adults surge by almost a third in a single year
This year's Autumn Survey has revealed that high-cost social care packages for young people surge by almost a third in a single year.
25 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
Statements
ADASS responds to the local government finance policy statement
Our response to the local government finance policy statement
21 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
Safeguarding: the changing nature of harm and the role of senior leaders
For Safeguarding Adults Week 2025, Dr Adi Cooper discusses the key issues for senior leaders in adult social care in safeguarding adults.
19 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
Blog
A community OT shares how social prescribing can transform lives
To celebrate Occupational Therapy Week 2025, William Dyett, an Occupational Therapy Apprentice, looks at the role of social prescribing and why occupational therapists can make the case for prevention to improve positive outcomes for people and local authorities.
7 November 2025
Blog
“We’ve always cared”: black women’s experiences in the care sector
Every October, Black History Month in the UK invites us to reflect on the contributions, struggles, and triumphs of Black communities. For Black women in the care sector, this month is more than a celebration it’s a reminder of a legacy of labour, resilience and resistance that stretches back generations, writes Georgia Chimbani.
4 November 2025
Statements
ADASS policy statement: Preparation for Adulthood
This paper is intended to confirm the policy position ADASS takes around Preparation for Adulthood (PfA), which can then be used to inform sector led improvement, reform and development of regulation, and to drive specific policy and practice for this area.
3 November 2025
Blog
Unpaid caring – the hidden health inequality we can no longer ignore and why we must intervene to prevent ill-health in carers
Laura Greene, Head of Volunteering & Community Partnerships and Lead for Unpaid Carers at Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust, discusses the significant impact of caring and hospital discharge on carers’ health, provides insight on preventive health improvement programmes, and why adult social care directors are best placed to reframe caring as a determinant of health.
20 October 2025
Statements
ADASS responds to ‘The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England’ report 2025
Our response to Skills for Care's 'The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England' report for 2025
15 October 2025
Blog
Equality isn’t optional: anchoring our leadership in law and duty
Jess McGregor, ADASS President, and Nick Presmeg, ADASS Policy and Practice Trustee, reflect on how equality, equity and inclusion remain core to confident, lawful and values-led leadership in adult social care.
14 October 2025
Statements
ADASS responds to ‘Voices of Homecare: Workforce’ report
In response to the Homecare Association report ‘Voices of Homecare: Workforce’, ADASS President Jess McGregor said: “This report highlights the ongoing challenge of securing enough care staff for our population’s growing social care needs, including supporting people to live independently at home. We were pleased to see the Government recently announce the Fair Pay Agreement […]
10 October 2025
Statements
ADASS responds to CCN report on Local Government reorganisation
In response to the CCN report on Local Government reorganisation, ADASS President Jess McGregor said: “This report reinforces concerns we raised with Ministers in August about the risks local government reorganisation poses to hundreds of thousands of people who are older-aged, disabled or in vulnerable situations that draw on care and support. The findings highlight […]
10 October 2025
Blog
Reflections from Labour Party Conference – and a call for adult social care to take its rightful place in the national conversation
By Jess McGregor, ADASS President Earlier this week, I attended the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool. The energy and commitment to public service were palpable, but I left wanting to hear more about where adult social care sits in the Government’s agenda. At a Carers Trust roundtable, I was introduced to a young carer who, […]
3 October 2025
Statements
ADASS responds to the attack at the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur
We condemn the attack on worshippers at the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of those killed and harmed, and with the Jewish community and other communities in Manchester as they work together to cope with this tragedy. Antisemitism […]
3 October 2025