The ADASS Spring Survey findings will not come as a surprise to those who work in social care. Nonetheless, they are very alarming and serve a clear message to the new government: reform social care and do it now.  

The pressures experienced by directors of adult social care are not sustainable but are indicative of the complex and multi-faceted challenges facing the sector. The interconnectedness of social care and the NHS is a key theme in these findings and highlight an opportunity for the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to be bold and put social care at the forefront of his vision of reform.  

It is important to remember that people are at the heart of this survey: people who deserve the very best care, and staff who want so much to give it to them.  

We are calling for the new government to implement the Hewitt Review’s  recommendation for consolidated health and social care budgets and we share the ADASS view that we need improved terms and conditions for care staff, to recognise their important contributions in this complex environment.  

Ultimately the impact of the findings in this survey are felt most sharply by those who draw on social care, limiting their opportunity to live a good life within their own community. 

We urge the new government to read and engage with the findings of the ADASS Spring Survey and our More Than a Provider manifesto, and to make the changes needed to reform social care.