On 14 July, ADASS published its annual Spring Survey of adult social care services in England. Responses were received from 147 local authorities (97% response rate). Analysis was undertaken by Cordis Bright, in partnership with ADASS Resources Leads.

Our analysis highlighted the following key trends:

• Under investment means that more people are in need of social care and support but fewer are getting it and many are getting less.
  
• Delays to assessments and reviews are having a detrimental impact on people's lives.
• Government funding through the Adult Social Care Precept and Social Care Grant is insufficient to fund the costs of demographic pressures and the National Living Wage.
• Local authorities are increasingly reliant on local taxation and short-term and unsustainable funding sources.
• We must prioritise funding for care and support for working age adults as well as for older people.
• There is a growing disconnect between increasing adult social care need and the financial ability and confidence of Directors (on behalf of local authorities) to meet that need.
• Directors want to prioritise investment in earlier intervention and prevention and new ways of working, but do not have adequate resources to do so.
• Much of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector is at risk over the next year.
• Care markets have been further hit by the pandemic.
• There is an impending crisis in the retention of social care staff. We must reward as well as recognise the role that staff in adult social care play.
• We will only enable the NHS to recover post-Covid by prioritising adult social care.
• This is about people, not numbers.

For further details visit the ADASS website.