Skills for Care have produced this report to provide a comprehensive overview of the size and structure of the adult social care sector and workforce in England as at 2019/20: “The size and structure of the adult social care sector and workforce in England, 2020”.

ADASS has released a guide with “Nine Statements to Help Shape Adult Reform”: Adult Social Care – Shaping a Better Future – Published July 2020.

NWADASS has produced a series of guides for managing worker wellbeing and safety in adult social care, which includes volunteers in the sector. This publication relates to managing the wellbeing of the workforce including mental health and provide a practical toolkit for managers: “Managing Workforce Wellbeing & Mental Health”. Released June 2020

Public Health England has released its latest guidance on PPE for domiciliary care workers where the risk of COVID-19 transmission is increased: “Personal protective equipment (PPE) – resource for care workers delivering homecare (domiciliary care) during sustained COVID-19 transmission in the UK.” First published April 2020. Revised 20 July 2020

The Department of Health and Social Care has published “COVID-19: Adult Social Care Risk Reduction Framework: Assessing and reducing the risk to your workforce” to help care providers assess risk around COVID-19. Released June 2020.

The Department of Health and Social Care has released “COVID-19: Our Action Plan for Adult Social Care” to outline its approach for all settings and contexts in which people receive adult social care. Released 15th April 2020.

In response to the COVID-19 epidemic,  Public Health England has released a guidance matrix for when to use personal protective equipment (PPE) and what type in this document: ‘Recommended PPE for primary, outpatient and community care by setting, NHS and independent sector.’

‘COVID-19 Hospital Discharge Service Requirements’ sets out the Hospital Discharge Service Requirements for all NHS trusts, community interest companies and private care providers of acute, community beds and community health services and social care staff in England, who must adhere to this from Thursday 19th March 2020. It also sets out requirements around discharge for health and social care commissioners (including Clinical Commissioning Groups and local authorities).

Wirral Health and Care Commissioning has just released a document outlining recommended courses of action to be taken with regard to safeguarding while caring for service users during the COVID-19 outbreak: ‘Guidance for Providers regarding safeguarding adults during the COVID 19 pandemic.’ Published March 2020.

Skills for Care have recently published their latest report on the Social Care Workforce, ‘The Size and Structure of the Adult Social Care Sector and Workforce in England, 2019 ’.

This latest publication from Skills for Care ‘The State of the Adult Social Care Sector & Workforce in England’ provides a comprehensive report of adult social care, which highlights just how fast growing the sector.  It still seems to faces the same historic problems of workforce retention, gender imbalance and sickness, but also sends a positive message about the strength of the sector.

NICE National Institute for Health & Care Excellence has recently published this document for Social Workers ‘Evidence for Strengths and Asset Based Outcomes – a quick guide for social workers ’ useful for any social care staff conducting assessments.

This review published by The Kings Fund in April 2019 ‘Social Care 360 ‘ draws together data relating to social care from a range of reliable sources. It takes a broad perspective from a range of indicators and in doing so provides the reader with a ‘360 degree’ view of the sector.

With demand for adult social care services increasing, particularly complex care this latest publication from the Liverpool 5G Testbed takes a look at how the digital revolution can support health and social care in order to improve and increase capacity, reduce risks and can prevent vulnerable citizens falling through the safety net social care provides when services are stretched to capacity.

Building sustainable health and social care services requires todays leaders to consider the many factors that interact to influence health and social care including the changes in the population, our environment, digital technology, policy etc. This publication by the Health Foundation ‘Shaping Health Futures’ looks at some of the long term issues shaping health and social care and what they mean for policy today and in the future.