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The 2025 Spring Survey from the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) delivers a sobering assessment of the current state of adult social care in England, describing a sector at a crossroads. With the Government’s Spending Review now in place and the Casey Commission on adult social care underway, the question posed by ADASS is clear: Can we finally shift the narrative on adult social care?
The survey underscores how adult social care, when functioning at its best, enables people to live independently, contribute to society, and care for others. Yet, as the Health and Social Care Committee warned in May 2025, “too many people aren’t getting the care they need, care workers are undervalued and far too much pressure is placed on unpaid carers.”
Among the report’s key themes:
Financial pressures have worsened since 2024, with investment in prevention at its lowest level since 2021/22.
Councils face increasing demand but lack the funding to meet all legal duties under the Care Act.
The ability of local authorities to deliver the Government’s vision—shifting care from hospital to community, from treatment to prevention, and from analogue to digital—is severely compromised.
Unpaid carers are carrying an increasing burden, often at the expense of their own health and wellbeing.
The ADASS report concludes that while major reform may remain out of reach in the short term, there are still opportunities for co-production, smaller-scale investments, and policy shifts to lay the groundwork for future change.
The National Care Forum (NCF), the leading association for not-for-profit care providers, has responded to the ADASS findings with urgency and resolve.
Vic Rayner, CEO of NCF, commented:
“The ADASS Spring Survey shines a light on the gaps in the delivery of a holistic care and support system that meets the obligations of the Care Act, with the results showing a worsening picture, as prevention continues to be squeezed—amounting to less than 6% of overall commissioned spend. This should ring alarm bells for a government committed to putting prevention back on the map through the development of a Neighbourhood Health Service.”
Rayner emphasised that not-for-profit providers are critical to rebuilding community-based, preventative care, and warned that failing to fund prevention would only deepen the crisis of rising complexity and unmet need.
“Adult social care is increasingly absorbing responsibilities previously delivered by health partners in the NHS—without the associated funding, training or strategic co-ordination,” she added.
NCF is calling for care and support providers to be included as strategic partners in the development of Neighbourhood Health Services to ensure:
Investment in prevention becomes a reality.
Commissioning becomes more integrated and person-centred.
Technological innovation is embedded and inclusive.
The NCF also welcomed the ADASS spotlight on the role of digital care, noting that 89% of respondents said more funding for preventative technology and digital skills was needed. Rayner highlighted NCF’s ongoing collaboration with the Liverpool City Region and University of Liverpool—a pioneering partnership to co-design and evaluate CareTech innovations in real-world care environments.
“The use of technology has to be explored in partnership with people who both deliver and draw on care and support,” she concluded.
Read and download the full ADASS survey report here
NCF is the membership organisation, and the leading voice, for not-for-profit social care and support providers. Read more on the NCF website here
NCF members collectively deliver more than £4.4 billion of social care support to over 216,607 people in 8,361 care and support settings. They employ more than 146,786 colleagues and 16,391 volunteers.
BCOP is a member of NCF.
Read the full response of the NCF to the ADASS 2025 survey here