Adult Social Care Briefing

Published: 16 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

This week has seen two significant national publications that provide valuable insight into the challenges facing adult social care.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published a report bringing together findings from its first national programme of local authority assessments, while the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) has published its Spring Survey 2026, reporting continuing financial and operational pressures across adult social care in England.

Taken together, these publications provide valuable context for providers, commissioners and leaders seeking to understand the wider pressures affecting adult social care and the environment in which services are delivered.

Local Authority Performance

What has changed?

The Care Quality Commission has published Local Authority Assessments 2023–2026: Emerging Themes and Findings, bringing together learning from its first national programme of local authority assessments under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014.

The report identifies recurring themes relating to leadership, safeguarding, prevention, commissioning, partnership working, support for unpaid carers, transitions from children's to adult services and how local authorities deliver their adult social care responsibilities.

Why it matters

Although the report focuses on local authorities rather than individual providers, it provides valuable insight into the wider system in which providers operate.

Many of the themes identified, including partnership working, safeguarding and commissioning, influence the environment in which care providers deliver services and support people.

Actions for providers

• Consider how local authority processes affect the people you support, particularly where assessments, reviews or funding decisions are delayed.

• Consider adding any risks arising from external organisations to your service risk management processes.

• Work proactively with commissioners and partner organisations to resolve issues that affect people's experience and continuity of care.

Pressures Across Adult Social Care

What has changed?

The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) has published its Spring Survey 2026, reporting continuing financial and operational pressures across adult social care.

The survey reports:

• Adult social care overspends of £715 million during 2025/26.

• More than 400,000 people waiting for an assessment, care and support, a direct payment or a review.

• Continuing financial pressures and increasing demand across adult social care.

Why it matters

The survey provides important context for providers. While many of these pressures sit outside the direct control of care providers, they influence the wider health and social care system in which services operate.

Understanding these wider pressures can help organisations plan proactively, assess organisational risks and prepare for future challenges.

Actions for providers

• Review organisational risks arising from wider system pressures.

• Ensure business continuity arrangements remain current.

• Consider how external pressures could affect future workforce planning, occupancy and service delivery.

Leadership Reflection

Reading this week's publications together, one thing stands out.

Much of what influences adult social care sits outside the direct control of providers. Commissioning decisions, increasing demand, pressures on local authorities and wider system challenges all shape the environment in which services operate.

That doesn't mean providers are powerless. It means effective leadership is about understanding those pressures, recognising where they may affect the people you support and responding in a way that continues to deliver safe and effective care.

Keeping an eye on the wider picture won't remove those challenges, but it can help organisations plan ahead, strengthen relationships with partners and make informed decisions if circumstances change.

Which of this week's developments is most likely to influence your organisation over the next 12 months, and how are you preparing for it?

Five Things I'd Be Thinking About This Week

• How might wider system pressures affect the people we support?

• Are we identifying external risks that could affect the quality of care we provide?

• Do we have effective working relationships with commissioners and partner organisations?

• Are we considering how changes outside our organisation may influence future planning?

• What can we do today to strengthen organisational resilience for the year ahead?

Sources

This briefing is based on information published by:

• Care Quality Commission (CQC) – Local Authority Assessments 2023–2026: Emerging Themes and Findings (published 14 July 2026).

• Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) – Spring Survey 2026 (published 15 July 2026).

  
  

Editorial Note

This briefing combines publicly available information from national organisations with my own professional commentary on the potential implications for adult social care providers.

It is intended to support governance, leadership and operational decision-making and should be read alongside the original publications.

Looking Ahead

Next week's briefing will continue to monitor developments across the wider adult social care sector, highlighting the issues most likely to affect providers.

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