ADASS

What ADASS does

ADASS — formally the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services — is a UK charity and membership organization that represents Directors of Adult Social Services (DASS) and their direct reports across 153 local councils in England, the country's full universe of upper-tier and unitary social-services authorities. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in London, ADASS exists to give the adult social care sector a collective, professional voice with central government, regulators, partner bodies, and the public. Its functions span policy influence, surveys and consultations (notably the annual budget survey), training and professional development, regional and national events (Spring Seminar, NCASC), and public-facing campaigns such as the long-running 'Care Can't Wait' initiative.

The organization does not operate as a technology or product company: it has no proprietary software, no API or SDK, no patents, and no commercial product line. Its 'platform' is reputational and relational — built on nearly three decades of sectoral authority, formal partnerships with the Local Government Association ('Partners in Care and Health'), the Care Quality Commission (joint working protocol), the NHS Confederation, and a network of supporting partnerships with bodies such as Civica, the Campaign to End Loneliness, and United Response. ADASS leadership is structured around an annually elected President (currently Phil Holmes, who took office in 2026), a Board of Trustees, and a small executive team led by Joint Chief Executive Anna Hemmings following the 2024 departure of long-serving joint CEO Cathie Williams.

ADASS's commercial model is membership-fee-based: each DASS employer's local authority pays recurring dues, supplemented by associate member subscriptions, principal social worker memberships (added in 2019), event income, and grant-funded projects (for example, National Lottery Heritage Fund support for the United Response 'Our Life Stories' programme). Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The member base is concentrated in a single sector (English local-government adult social care), which provides predictable, captive demand but also ties ADASS's revenue base directly to local authority budgets — a known pressure point for UK councils.

Name

ADASS

Legal name

The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services

Website

https://adass.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ADASS is the UK charity and membership organization representing Directors of Adult Social Services from all 153 English councils, advocating for adult social care policy, funding, and workforce reform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Membership & Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Rights & Accessibility Advocacy (BPAGAFAF)

Keywords

• Adult social care
• Membership organisation
• Social care policy
• Local authority services
• Professional association

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: ADASS generates revenue through membership fees from Directors of Adult Social Services employed by local authorities, associate members (past directors and their direct reports), and principal social workers.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ADASS is the UK membership body that represents Directors of Adult Social Services in 153 local authorities in England, plus equivalents in Northern Ireland, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It provides its members with collective policy representation, sector research, surveys, consultation responses, professional development events and advocacy campaigns.

Product overview

ADASS (Association of Directors of Adult Social Services) is a membership organisation and charity, not a product company. It provides advocacy, policy influence, reports, surveys, consultations, research support, events (including Spring Seminar and NCASC), campaigns (such as Care Can't Wait), and resources for directors of adult social care employed by local authorities. It does not offer commercial technology products, software, or platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ADASS Membership Institutional paid membership for the 153 Directors of Adult Social Services (DASSs) in English local authorities, with affiliate membership for equivalents in Northern Ireland, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Members receive collective policy representation, sector surveys, consultation responses and access to the ADASS leadership network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 in 5 people will need adult social care in their lifetime
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Campaign to End LonelinesssupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Partnership with Campaign to End Loneliness, hosted by Sheffield Hallam University, to run loneliness roadshow events across the UK. ADASS President Phil Holmes hosted a roadshow event in Doncaster focusing on tackling loneliness through adult social care.
• Care Quality Commission (CQC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Updated Joint Working Protocol agreement that sets out how ADASS and CQC work together to share information and promote quality and safety in adult social care. Includes renewed commitment to collaboration at local, regional and national levels, stronger emphasis on data sharing, wider scope for human rights and equality, and better coordination for emergencies.
• United ResponsesupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership supporting the 'Our Life Stories' project - a peer research project co-produced by people with learning disabilities and autistic people to record voices and preserve them for future generations, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
• NHS ConfederationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Joint report with NHS Confederation and RLDatix titled 'Caring Together: a joint vision for the future of co-operation between adult social care and the NHS.' Sets out practical steps for local authorities and ICBs to improve collaboration.
• Local Government Association (LGA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerADASS and LGA are Partners in Care and Health, supporting councils to improve the way they deliver adult social care and public health services, and helping Government understand the challenges faced by the sector.
• CivicasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Civica's OnDemand services to host roundtable events on financial resilience for adult social care, sharing experiences and best practices for building greater financial resilience in the sector.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Local Government Association: The LGA is the national membership body for English local authorities and ADASS's formal 'Partners in Care and Health' counterpart. It is directly comparable as a membership/advocacy organization representing the same set of councils on broader local government issues.
• Skills for Care: Skills for Care is the workforce development and membership organization for the adult social care sector in England. It is directly comparable as an England-focused adult social care membership/advocacy body, with a particular remit on workforce policy that complements ADASS.
• Care England: Care England is the leading representative body for independent adult social care providers in England. It is a directly comparable membership/advocacy organization focused on adult social care, addressing the provider side of the same sector ADASS covers from the commissioner side.
• UK Homecare Association: UKHCA is the membership association for domiciliary care providers in the UK. It is comparable to ADASS as a sector membership body focused on adult social care delivery, with similar advocacy, events, and policy influencing functions.
• National Care Forum: The National Care Forum is a membership body for not-for-profit adult social care providers. It is comparable to ADASS in representing the social care sector through membership-based advocacy, policy influence, and convening.
• Association of Directors of Public Health: ADPH is a closely analogous UK membership body representing Directors of Public Health in local authorities. Its structure, membership model, policy advocacy role, and conference-based engagement mirror ADASS almost exactly in the public health domain.

Broad incumbents

• NHS Confederation: NHS Confederation is the membership organization for NHS bodies and a formal ADASS partner (joint Caring Together report). It is a comparable UK health-and-care system membership/advocacy body operating at a broader healthcare scale.

Peers

• Care Quality Commission: The CQC is the independent regulator of adult social care in England and ADASS's formal partner via the Joint Working Protocol. While not a membership organization, it is closely comparable as a sector-defining institution that ADASS engages with daily on adult social care policy and practice.
• Social Care Institute for Excellence: SCIE is an improvement and knowledge-sharing body for social care in England, working closely with local authorities and ADASS members. It is comparable as a sector-wide organization that informs practice and policy in adult social care through evidence and guidance.
• Think Local Act Personal: TLAP is a national partnership programme for personalised social care in England, hosted within the sector with ADASS-aligned stakeholders. It is comparable as a sector-wide partnership body that shapes adult social care policy and practice.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/1ADASS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@adass3082
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-of-directors-of-adult-social-services-adass

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ADASS