This Week in Adult Social Care
A short summary of the developments that caught my attention this week across adult social care, governance, quality, workforce and regulation. The aim is to help providers understand what is changing and what it may mean for their services
What Caught My Attention This Week – 18 June 2026
Funding, Reform and Sustainability
The biggest conversation this week was not CQC, inspections or technology. It was sustainability.
Providers continue to face increasing cost pressures while waiting for clarity on the future direction of adult social care reform. Discussions at the LaingBussion Social Care Summit focused heavily on funding, workforce pressures and what a future National Care Service could mean for the sector.
Questions to consider:
Do you understand your occupancy and dependency trends?
Are your workforce plans aligned to future demand?
Actions you can take this week:
✔ Review whether your governance reports highlight emerging financial risks.
✔ Ensure occupancy, dependency and staffing trends are reviewed monthly.
✔ Consider whether your current governance systems provide sufficient assurance to support difficult operational decisions.
Workforce Pressures Continue
Workforce challenges remain a significant concern across the sector. While recruitment continues to attract attention, the bigger challenge is often ensuring staff have the skills, confidence and support needed to deliver safe, effective care. Recent discussions have focused on workforce reform, retention, specialist roles and the long-term sustainability of the social care workforce.
Questions to consider:
Are vacancies creating risks to continuity of care?
Are competency assessments being used effectively?
Do staff feel supported and listened to?
Actions you can take this week:
✔ Review competency frameworks and ensure they remain up to date.
✔ Check that supervision and appraisal systems are being used effectively.
✔ Identify future leaders and invest in development before vacancies arise.
Governance Must Demonstrate Impact
One theme that repeatedly emerges when I review services is the difference between activity and assurance. Most organisations have audits, policies and action plans. The challenge is evidencing how those activities improve outcomes for people using services.
Questions to consider:
Can you evidence improvement from audit findings?
Are actions tracked through to completion?
Would your governance systems stand up to inspection scrutiny?
Actions you can take this week:
✔ Ask "What changed because of this audit?"
✔ Track actions through to completion and evidence outcomes.
✔ Use complaints, incidents, audits and feedback together to identify themes and learning.
🛡️ This Week's Governance Question
Would you be able to demonstrate to an inspector how feedback from residents, relatives and staff has improved care in the last three months?
Why I publish these updates
Each week I review developments across adult social care, governance, quality, workforce and regulation. These updates are not intended to be an exhaustive summary of everything happening across the sector. They are a selection of developments that I believe are particularly relevant to providers, managers and quality leaders
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