IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Homecare Association welcomes the publication of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) Autumn Survey 2025, which highlights the mounting pressures on adult social care services at a time of significant reform across the sector.
Dr Jane Townson OBE, Chief Executive of the Homecare Association, said:
“The ADASS Autumn Survey paints a deeply worrying picture of a system people can no longer rely on. Over 2,000 people receiving homecare have already lost their provider since April, leaving older and disabled people suddenly without the support they need to wash, eat or stay safe in their own homes
"Six in ten councils report providers closing or walking away from contracts. Behind every statistic is a frightened family or a person unable to stay independent at home. Providers are not walking away because they want to. They are walking away because they cannot continue delivering care at prices that fall below the legal cost of employing a careworker and meeting regulations for safe care.
"This mirrors the findings of our own Homecare Deficit 2025 report, which showed that the state often pays less than the legal cost of employing a careworker. When councils cannot meet the real cost of care, services collapse, and today’s data proves that is exactly what is happening. ADASS also warns that careworkers are being asked to take on delegated healthcare tasks without proper training or funding, with half of councils lacking any formal agreements at all. You cannot run safe, modern community services on hope and goodwill.
"Social care is the backbone of every community. It keeps people independent, protects families and prevents NHS pressures spiralling further. These findings are a clear warning: without urgent action from the government, fair funding, a national contract for homecare and proper recognition for the workforce, more people will lose the essential care that enables them to live well at home. We have the solutions. What we need now is political will.”
ENDS
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