Personal Social Services: Adult Social Care Survey England - information and guidance for the 2024 - 2025 survey year

This document sets out the guidelines for conducting the Personal Social Services Adult Social Care Survey (ASCS). Councils with Adult Social Services Responsibilities (CASSRs) in England are required to conduct this annual postal survey of those to whom they provide services. The Care Act 2014 consolidates past legislation and regulation but continues to strive for greater personalisation along with improved transparency and accountability (see Appendix A). ASCS asks users about their quality of life, the impact of services on their quality of life, and their general health and well- being.

The data collected are sent to NHS England and are used as the basis of analyses that are included in national level Official Statistics reports. Data are also used to populate several measures in the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework (ASCOF); see Appendix B for further details. These data will be used to inform and support policy and decision making at both the local and national level; to improve care, services and outcomes for local populations.

The survey was developed in conjunction with the Social Services User Survey Group (SSUSG). For more information see Appendix C.

If you are conducting the survey, then you must read the main body of this document in full before commencing work. More general information about the survey is included in the appendices.

It is vital that councils adhere to this guidance as closely as possible to ensure that the survey results from different CASSRs and regions are genuinely comparable. Also, the research design and materials have been approved by the Social Care Research Ethics Committee (SCREC) and any deviation may lead councils to fall outside its remit.

For the avoidance of doubt, it is confirmed that the national data opt-out will not apply to the 2024-25 Adult Social Care Survey. Further work is underway with local authorities to support the implementation of national data opt-out across health and care. Further information and updates are provided on the national data opt-out webpages.

You may believe that you are faced with exceptional circumstances which makes it necessary to deviate from this guidance, for example if questionnaires cannot be distributed and returned in the given fieldwork period. In such instances NHS England must be contacted and approval sought before any action can be taken.

If NHS England believes that councils have changed materials or practices in a manner which has compromised the robustness or comparability of the survey results, then it may be necessary to note these incidences in the data quality section of the survey report. This will enable anyone who uses the data to understand its strengths and weaknesses and to assess its usefulness for themselves.

If you have any criticisms or suggestions for improvements, or if you are unclear about what to do then please contact us.

You can reach the adult social care user survey team at NHS England by email at [email protected] or by contacting the NHS England contact centre on 0300 303 5678 or email [email protected]. The preferred method of initial contact is via email.

The changes are highlighted in yellow in the pdf version of the guidance. A summary of key dates, changes and frequently asked questions will shortly be made available as an appendix within this guidance.