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.

Co-production


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.

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Latest News

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Latest Resources

Care Market shaping and sustainability guidance March 2026

Sustainable market shaping in adult social care requires a data‑driven, collaborative, and future‑focused workforce strategy. Building on discussions within the WMADASS Workforce Network, organisational learning, and evidence across local authorities, this guidance outlines the conditions required to stabilise and grow the adult social care workforce.

EDI Network Social Cohesion Report March 2026

This is the 4th update of this report, it includes insights from the WMADASS Post-Riots Britain lessons learned work, the ongoing work of the WMADASS EDI Network and the UK Social Cohesion Strategy, highlighting implications for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) leadership and the activities of the EDI network post-riots sub‑group, across adult social care. It identifies areas of alignment, gaps, and opportunities to strengthen system-wide cohesion, psychological safety, and inclusive leadership.

Modern slavery toolkit for practitioners

The toolkit is about recognising and understanding modern slavery so that we can work together to end modern day slavery, trafficking and exploitation

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The AI Playbook

This playbook presents artificial intelligence (AI) not as something futuristic, but as a feature already embedded in people's daily lives. The Playbook provides real stories, practical guidance, and clear values, to help everyone who draws on social care or supports someone who does.

Access the AI Playbook from this link