Public Accounts Committee
This report looks at adult social care in England and finds understaffing, rising waiting lists and patchwork funding that places sustained financial pressure on local authorities. It calls for stronger leadership, long-term financial support, and a clear workforce strategy to address key shortfalls in the sector.
LGA – March 2024
The aim of this document is to provide a briefing for commissioners of social care services for people with a learning disability and autistic people, on the recognition of restrictive practices and the requirements for social care providers to work towards reducing their use of restrictive practices. It also explains the Care Quality Commission (CQC) requirements that when arranging training on the use of, and reduction in, restrictive practices, social care providers must use accredited trainers, and explains what this involves. It is relevant for services for all ages, where they are registered and inspected by CQC.
Read the report – Reducing restrictive practice: Essentials for commissioners of social care support for people with a learning disability and autistic people
Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE); 2024.
This repository includes a range of knowledge about older LGBTQ+ people – about their lives, needs and their experiences with social care. This is a constantly evolving field of knowledge with some gaps, but this compendium will direct you to the key knowledge currently available in the UK.
Department of Health and Social Care – Published 20 December 2023
This guidance outlines priorities for how social care data is collected, shared and used, and how the quality and availability of adult social care data is improved, at both national and local levels.
Read the Guidance – Care data matters: a roadmap for better adult social care data
County Councils Network
In this survey, almost two-thirds (63%) of social care leaders say that community-based care and support is not widely available in their local area. Just under half (49%) of adult social care directors indicated that in their area there is only limited availability of preventive services focused on reducing the number of avoidable admissions to hospital and residential care. It concludes that improving care at home, more sheltered, extra care and dementia-focused 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.
Finding a way home: how health and social care can optimise hospital flow and discharge this winter
Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) – November 2023
In this survey, almost two-thirds (63%) of social care leaders say that community-based care and support is not widely available in their local area. Just under half (49%) of adult social care directors indicated that in their area there is only limited availability of preventive services focused on reducing the number of avoidable admissions to hospital and residential care. It concludes that improving care at home, more sheltered, extra care and dementia-focused 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.
Social care, housing, health and winter: autumn survey report 2023
NAO – 10 Nov 2023
This report looks at how DHSC is responding to the challenges facing adult social care in England, and its progress with delivering the reforms set out in the 2021 white paper. This report examines:
CQC – 20th October 2023
State of Care is our annual assessment of health care and social care in England.
The report looks at the trends, shares examples of good and outstanding care, and highlights where care needs to improve.
Read the Report – State of Care 2022/23 – CQC
Future Social Care Coalition (FSSC) – September 2023
This report from a cross-party coalition including former health and care ministers, employers and unions, makes the economic case for investing in social care, setting out the benefits this investment would have to the wider economy. Drawing on a wide range of evidence, this report emphasises the substantial return on investment that social care could deliver. Potential benefits include improving employment chances for disabled people, reducing pressure on the NHS, reducing costs for employers, levelling up for poorer areas, and building a more purposeful economy
Read the Report – Carenomics: unlocking the economic power of care
Care England – September 2023
This document from Care England (a registered charity and a representative body for small, medium and large providers of adult social care in England) sets out the sector’s priorities across three key themes – workforce, funding and integration. The roadmap issues a series of policy recommendations for the next government to implement within 100 days, two years and five years of entering office. The plan is backed by major representative groups from across the sector.
Read the document – Care for our future: the roadmap to a sustainable future for adult social care
Public Health News 