The role of the DASS is evolving. The future of adult social care will demand not only resilience and delivery—but foresight, courage and hope.
You are not just managing a service. You are leading change, shaping place, and stewarding the values of care in an uncertain world. Climate change, AI, demographic shifts, and inequality will all test our systems and our leadership.
As DASS, your job is to:
- Think long-term, even while managing the short-term.
- Build adaptive, resilient, and learning organisations.
- Create space for innovation, co-production, and new ideas.
- Lead with humility, transparency and purpose.
Invest in leadership development—for yourself and your team. Stay connected to the wider system. Learn from other places, sectors, and voices.
Use your influence to shift the narrative. Talk about care as infrastructure. About relationships as assets. About prevention as investment. Reframe the role of adult social care in building fairer, healthier, more connected communities.
There will be no single model of success. But there will be shared values: inclusion, dignity, rights, and kindness.
Hold onto those. And keep leading with care.