Adult Social Care Insights, Governance & Quality Improvement

I'm on holiday in Greece, answering emails and taking calls, despite being my own boss! Why is switching off so difficult for care managers, even when nobody has actually asked us to stay available?

Some of the people who make the biggest difference in a care home are not always the ones delivering direct care. This blog reflects on the everyday relationships built by kitchen, domestic, maintenance, laundry and reception teams, and why those ordinary human connections matter so much.

This week’s Adult Social Care Briefing covers new dementia research investment, Skills for Care workforce training, developments in AI regulation, telecare safety guidance and CQC inspection findings, with practical implications for adult social care providers.

This week’s Adult Social Care Briefing covers the government’s plans for a National Care Service, new adult social care workforce measures, DHSC guidance on digital care and AI, delayed national data releases, and new MHRA clinical safety advice.

This week’s Adult Social Care Briefing covers the new MHRA hoist and sling safety alert, adult social care transformation funding, the 2026 workforce survey and the latest ADASS funding position, with practical actions for providers.

This week’s Adult Social Care Briefing covers the Health Bill’s move to the House of Lords, recent CQC inspection findings and the Government’s new AI Risk Management Toolkit, with practical actions for managers and senior leaders across older people’s services.

What happens when managing a difficult situation turns into treating someone badly? A look at suspension, isolation, workplace culture and the impact on staff, residents and families.

Saying sorry after something has gone wrong does not necessarily mean admitting fault. This article explores Duty of Candour, why apologies cause so much uncertainty, and how we can balance regulation, professional judgement and the very human need to acknowledge what someone has experienced.

Do your audits provide assurance, or simply reassurance? In the first episode of Beyond the Audit, Cheryl Baird explores the difference between governance and assurance, why completed audits don't always mean improved care, and the questions every leader should be asking to understand what's really happening within their organisation