Adult Social Care Briefing

Published: 2 July 2026

A weekly briefing highlighting the key developments affecting adult social care providers.

The Adult Social Care Briefing is published every Thursday and highlights significant developments affecting adult social care providers. Each edition explains what has changed, why it matters and the practical actions providers may wish to consider.

The aim is to provide a concise, practical update that supports governance, leadership and operational decision-making.

This Week’s Headline

The Department of Health and Social Care’s guidance following the UK Supreme Court judgment on deprivation of liberty remains an important development for adult social care providers, with organisations encouraged to review local policies and procedures in light of the updated legal position.

Deprivation of Liberty

What has changed?

On 15 June 2026, the Department of Health and Social Care published guidance following the UK Supreme Court judgment of 2 June 2026 on the definition of deprivation of liberty. The guidance confirms that the changes apply with immediate effect and extend across the UK. It sets out summary points from the judgment and the main implications for health and social care.

The Care Quality Commission has also published a statement recognising the judgment as a significant development in case law. CQC states that its assessments will continue to focus on whether providers consider, on a case-by-case basis, whether an authorisation to deprive a person of their liberty may be required; whether providers continue to provide person-centred care; and whether they meet the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Why it matters

This is a significant legal development for adult social care providers. Organisations should avoid introducing blanket changes and instead ensure that decisions remain person-centred, proportionate and clearly documented.

Providers should also review local policies, procedures and documentation to ensure they reflect the updated legal position and continue to support person-centred decision-making.

Actions for providers

• Review Mental Capacity Act and DoLS policies.

• Brief Registered Managers and clinical leaders on the DHSC guidance.

• Review care plans, consent documentation and restrictive practice records where appropriate.

• Continue documenting person-specific decision-making clearly.

Workforce Development

Skills for Care continues to develop workforce learning opportunities through initiatives including the Training Hub, which launched in June 2026 with the first eLearning courses available from June and further courses expected over the following months.

The Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS) also continues during 2026/27, enabling eligible adult social care employers in England to claim staff training costs for eligible courses and qualifications.

Why it matters

Training records demonstrate completion, but they do not always demonstrate competence. Providers should be able to evidence that staff have developed the knowledge, skills and confidence required to deliver safe, effective care.

Workforce development should be viewed as part of an organisation’s wider quality assurance and governance arrangements rather than simply a training requirement.

Actions for providers

• Review workforce development plans alongside organisational priorities.

• Check eligibility for Learning and Development Support Scheme funding.

• Ensure competency assessment is embedded alongside mandatory training.

• Review workforce development through governance and quality assurance processes.

Five Actions for Providers This Week

• Review Mental Capacity Act and DoLS policies in light of the latest DHSC guidance.

• Brief Registered Managers and clinical leaders on the implications of the Supreme Court judgment.

• Review care records and restrictive practice documentation where appropriate.

• Check eligibility for Learning and Development Support Scheme funding.

• Discuss these developments at your next governance or quality meeting and record any agreed actions.

Editorial Note

This briefing highlights developments that are likely to have practical implications for adult social care providers. It is intended to support governance, leadership and operational decision-making and should be read alongside the official guidance published by the relevant organisations.

Every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate at the time of publication. Where guidance continues to develop, future editions will provide updates as further information becomes available.

Sources

This briefing is based on information published by:

• Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) – Changes to the definition of deprivation of liberty and UK Supreme Court 2026 judgment on what constitutes a deprivation of liberty.

• Care Quality Commission (CQC) – CQC statement on the Supreme Court’s judgment on deprivation of liberty.

• Skills for Care – Skills for Care launches The Training Hub for adult social care providers.

• Skills for Care – Learning and development funding for adult social care.

About this Briefing

The Adult Social Care Briefing is published every Thursday by Cheryl Baird Consultancy to help adult social care providers stay informed about significant developments affecting governance, regulation, quality and clinical practice.

Each edition is structured around three simple questions:

• What has changed?

• Why does it matter?

• What should providers do next?

The aim is to provide a concise, practical briefing that supports informed decision-making while encouraging readers to refer to the original guidance published by national organisations.

Have a Topic You’d Like Covered?

If there’s a regulatory update, guidance document or sector issue you’d like featured in a future edition of the Adult Social Care Briefing, I’d be pleased to hear from you.