Welcome to our Research and Report Briefings page, which contains short summaries of recently published research findings and other reports useful for practitioners working with adults. These briefings help you easily access key information about current topics with a link to the full published report. They are listed under headings of the main relevant discipline or practice area.
March 2025 – Proposed Legal Changes to Reporting Child Abuse
This month’s briefing, Proposed Legal Changes to Reporting Child Abuse, outlines proposed changes in legislation which will make reporting of child sexual abuse mandatory for practitioners.
Discipline / Practice Areas:
Local Authority Information Return and Self Assessment – March 2024
An overview of the Information Return and Self Assessment which form part of the CQC Assessment of Local Authority Duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014.
Assessment of local authority adult services – April 2023
Single Assessment Framework – October 2022
This briefing looks at the the CQC Single Assessment Framework – What we know so far. Drawing together information from recent CQC publications and presentations, we summarise how the new the single assessment process will work, including the way evidence will be collected and assessed.
Working Definition of Trauma Informed Practice – February 2023
This briefing, Trauma Informed Practice: A Working Definition, is a summary of guidance published by the Department of Health and Social Care in November 2022. The definition is for use by practitioners in health and social care services, when working to reduce the negative impact of trauma experiences and support mental and physical health outcomes. A summary of the key principles of trauma-informed practice is also provided.
Heatwave Plan for England – July 2022
There are two versions of the briefing about the Heatwave Plan for England, published by the UK Health Security Agency, the NHS, the Local Government Association and the Met Office in July 2022. We have written these for frontline practitioners: Heatwave Plan for England for Providers of Health and Social Care and Heatwave Plan for England for the Community and Voluntary Sector.
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism – January 2023
The Health and Care Act 2022 introduced a requirement for regulated service providers to ensure that their staff receive training on learning disability and autism which is appropriate to their role. The Oliver McGowan mandatory training on learning disability and autism is the government’s preferred and recommended training for staff to undertake
We have produced a briefing on The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism to provide information on the background to the training, what it aims to achieve and how it will be rolled out during 2023.
Right Care, Right Person: Changes to the Police Response to People with Mental Health Needs – July 2023
Right Care, Right Person: Changes to the Police Response to People with Mental Health Needs is a summary of the National Partnership Agreement: Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) policy paper, published by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Home Office in July 2023.
Second National Analysis of Safeguarding Adult Reviews – August 2024
Pressure Ulcers and Adult Safeguarding – February 2024
Pressure Ulcers – Safeguarding Adults Protocol summarises the updated protocol on pressure ulcers and safeguarding adults published by the Department for Health and Social Care. The protocol describes the process to be followed when it is identified that an adult has a pressure ulcer, including how to assess if a safeguarding concern should be raised with the local authority. The protocol makes it clear that – in most cases – the appropriate response to pressure ulcers will be led by health practitioners and will not involve adult safeguarding processes
Safeguarding Adults Activity – January 2022
This briefing, COVID-19 Adult Safeguarding Insight Project – Third Report is a summary of the report published by the LGA regarding safeguarding adults activity during the pandemic.
Proposed Legal Changes to Reporting Child Abuse – March 2025
This briefing, Proposed Legal Changes to Reporting Child Abuse, outlines proposed changes in legislation which will make reporting of child sexual abuse mandatory for practitioners.
Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care – July 2024
Summary of the Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care in England published by Skills for Care. The Strategy, which was developed in conjunction with the adult social care sector and reflects the input of thousands of stakeholders – including people who access care and support services, sets out where adult social care is now, why change is needed and recommendations for the future.
Decaffeinated Drinks and Falls Prevention – May 2024
Decaffeinated Drinks and Falls Prevention, summarises research findings from Care England and Stow Healthcare (April 2024) of the impact of changing to decaffeinated drinks on the rate of falls in eight care home settings.
Adult Social Care Outcomes – January 2024
This briefings a summary of information included in the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework Handbook of Definitions, published by the Department of Health and Social Care in December 2023.
Carers – November 2023
This month’s briefing Identifying and Supporting Unpaid Carers, summarises recently published information from the Care Quality Commission and Local Government Association.
Modern slavery – November 2023
This briefing summarises Who Cares? A Review of Reports of Exploitation in the Care Sector, published by Unseen in October 2023. The report focuses on the substantial increase in number of cases in the care sector which indicated labour abuse and forced labour; many of those involved foreign nationals.
Proportional Assessment Approaches – September 2023
This briefing summarises a guide to proportional assessment approaches published by the Chief Social Worker for Adults and principal social workers in August 2023. The guide is a supplement to the Care and Support Statutory Guidance, and looks at ways in which professionals conducting adult social care (ASC) needs assessments should:
Learning from the COVID-19 Pandemic – June 2023
This month’s briefing is a summary of Building a Resilient Social Care System in England: What Lessons can be Learnt from the First Wave of Covid-19? published by the Nuffield Trust in May 2023.
Heatwave Plan for England – July 2022
This month there are two versions of the Heatwave Plan for England briefing, published by the UK Health Security Agency, the NHS, the Local Government Association and the Met Office in July 2022. We have written these for frontline practitioners: Heatwave Plan for England for Providers of Health and Social Care and Heatwave Plan for England for the Community and Voluntary Sector.
