ADASS have published results from their coronavirus survey which was completed by Directors of Adult Social Services. Cordis Bright provided analytical support and helped to identify the following key findings:

• Directors have seen significant changes in the way that people’s needs present to them since March 2020.
• Overall, the onset of the pandemic has led to an increase in the number of people presenting adult social care needs to local authorities and unmet need.
• There is a concerning decline in people approaching some local authorities for support for domestic abuse and safeguarding issues.
• Councils have rapidly adapted to changing circumstances.
• Directors see that coronavirus has made extremely fragile care markets even more susceptible to market failure at the detriment to those people accessing care and support services.
• Local authorities have been proactive in engaging with and taken a range of measures to support providers.
• Help is needed from government in relation to testing, additional funding, better access to PPE, testing and having more influence on NHSE decision making.
• Directors have significant concerns about the availability of testing for people receiving social care, unpaid carers and personal assistants.
• Additional funding is required from Government, above and beyond that already committed, to support the adult social care response to the pandemic.
• The focus on rapid discharge from hospital without taking account of the needs of the whole health and care system has had tragic consequences.
• An absence of testing for people leaving hospital during the period of Rapid Discharge could have accelerated the spread of Coronavirus in care settings.
• There is a concerning proportion of Directors who believe that there are insufficient primary and community services in their local areas to support local people’s needs.
• A significant proportion of people leaving hospital rapidly did not receive an assessment of their needs as part of discharge to assess.
• Concerningly, only 11% of Directors believe that every individual in their local authority area was discharged to the right place for them first time to best meet their needs.

You can download a full copy of the report below. Further information is also available on the ADASS website.