Adult Social Care Finance Return (ASC-FR) 2024-25 guidance

This document gives the specifications for the Adult Social Care Finance Return (ASC-FR) data collection. The collection has taken account of a range of feedback and revisions made. It is therefore important to consider these materials even if you have looked at earlier versions in some detail.

The Adult Social Care - Finance Return (ASC-FR) collection has been running since 2014-15, and 2024-25 is the ninth year of the ASC-FR Collection. The Adult Social Care Data Dictionary replaces the Equalities and Classifications Framework (EQ-CL) and is intended for use alongside this guidance document.

The ASC-FR collection should only record income and expenditure which has been spent on adult social care. This is spending by local authorities which they define as adult social care plus spending of Income from NHS which is not directly related to health care. For example NHS-funded nursing care, Continuing Health Care and the NHS’s contribution to an integrated mental health team are classed as health care so must not be included either as expenditure or income.

The ASC-FR complies with the Service Reporting Code of Practice (SeRCOP). The link with the Revenue Outturn for Social Care (RO3) is maintained so that the total cost reported on both returns is the same.

The SeRCOP guidelines provide details of what should be included within each of the ASCFR reporting lines.

See further details regarding SeRCOP at Service Reporting Code Of Practice For Local Authorities 2024/25

The ASC-FR return is regularly reviewed and maintained via consultation with local authorities though the ASC-FR Working Group, as well as relevant national bodies.
All suggested changes to the collection are overseen and approved by the Adult Social Care Data and Outcomes Board, which is chaired by the Department of Health and Social Care.

There are no new reporting requirements for ASC-FR in 2024-25.

Mandatory change

None identified

Voluntary changes

None identified