Adult Social Care Law and Policy : Lessons from the Pandemic

Abstract

Adult social care in England has been under sustained pressure for decades. The sector has long functioned in crisis mode due to cuts and chronic under-resourcing but, since early 2020, those using and providing adult social care and support services have experienced a period of unprecedented turbulence. The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare fault-lines and exacerbated existing problems in the system. The book critically examines the legal basis of adult social care law, policy, and provision in England. Having mapped out the historical and sociopolitical context, it views the pandemic as flashpoint during which many pre-existing issues came into the public awareness. It explores the impact of the Coronavirus Act 2020 and related emergency legislation on the delivery of social care services. Taking the West Midlands as a case study, it draws on empirical research with local decision-makers and practitioners to examine in detail the tensions between policy and practice, the increased and multifarious stresses on those who use social care services and on the workforce, and the broader practical and ethical considerations for the sector as it learns to ‘live with COVID’.