Getting serious about lived experience

During 2024-25 we’re working to ensure that the voice of lived experience is embedded in our projects, guided by our Co-production Advisory Group and our Carers’ Network, our EDI work and our Learning, disability and autism (LD&A) programmes and reflected in projects like our Autism and Parental Blame research. We are aiming to have Co-production Advisory Group member representation on all of our key networks by the end of the year.


Jenny Wood, Chair, WM-ADASS Branch, and Director of Adult Social Care & Deputy Chief Executive, Solihull Council

Our Vision is for:

Promoting independence, social justice, and thriving communities in the West Midlands through sustainable social care and health systems, while ensuring an effective response to the new CQC assurance process. Our four key objectives are:

  1. Statutory duties, reform and assurance: Prepare for the CQC assurance process by implementing specific support offer to 14 councils within the first six months of 2024.
  2. Providing safe support: Ensure a sustainable care market and workforce, and effective relations with the NHS, by implementing specific initiatives and achieving measurable targets during 2024/25.
  3. Working with people: Promote social justice and support fair, thriving local communities and economies by implementing specific initiatives; achieving measurable outcomes within the next two years.
  4. Leadership and innovation: Implement specific digital, data, and research initiatives to drive innovation and achieve measurable improvements within the next three years.

Our vision is also underpinned by ongoing work we are undertaking to plan for the long-term future of adult social care using scenario-based planning.

Find out more

Latest News

WM-ADASS Local Authority Research Engagement Sessions in July

As part of our programme to build a research culture and infrastructure for adult social care in our region, we will be running a session for each of our 14 local authorities during July. Sessions will run for 1.5 hours online with the aim of starting conversations about promoting and developing practitioner research capacity. Find out more about

Read more about WM-ADASS Local Authority Research Engagement Sessions in July

Latest Resources

Slides from WM ADASS Carers Conference 16 July 24

The slide set includes presentations from Carers Trust; University Hospital Birmingham; West Midlands ADASS Carers network; TLAP; WM ADASS Co-production Advisory Group; Birmingham Carers Hub; and Paul Johnson (re Accelerating Care Fund)

The DASS Guide

A compendium of practical content on delivering effectively against the statutory requirements of the role of Director of Adult Social Services.

Read the DASS guide