Adults’ services chiefs take on housing, crime prevention and wellbeing, survey by Association of Directors of Adult Social Services finds

Adult social care directors are taking on more responsibilities such as housing, crime prevention and wellbeing agendas, according to the first survey by the newly formed Association of Directors of Adult Social Services out today.

Anne Williams, president of the association, said the survey of 65 directors showed they were taking on a “far wider and more comprehensive set of duties aimed at influencing prevention services and contributing to the overall health and wellbeing of adults in their local communities.”

More than half are responsible for overseeing housing services in addition to their core tasks of providing social services to disabled people, people with mental health problems and vulnerable older people.
 
Some 46 per cent of directors also have responsibilities in relation to crime prevention, regeneration and safer communities, while large numbers also have the task of running libraries, adult learning centres and museums as part of adult social, health and wellbeing agendas, ADASS found.

Williams also emphasised the “vital importance” of the close working relationships between the new adults’ and children’s services departments. “We have to remember that children with special needs become adults with special needs, and that domestic violence can harm people in families whatever their age.”