Responding to the ADASS Autumn Survey 2025 report, a VODG Spokesperson said:
“Social care is a vital component of our communities, often providing lifelong support or addressing needs arising from acquired inquiries or disabilities later in life.
“The ADASS Autumn Survey once again highlights the immense pressure facing councils and the care providers working on their behalf to meet the needs of disabled people, carers and their families - support they have a legal right to access.
“Repeated overspends and chronic underfunding serve as clear indicators of a system that is unable to keep pace with rising demand. This issue is not new as adult social care has suffered from decades of inadequate funding.
“While the Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector continues to do everything it possibly can to meet the needs of individuals, it cannot absorb and cannot shoulder any additional funding costs without a risk to service quality.
“Although the Casey Commission’s efforts are welcome and appreciated, they will not provide any respite in the short term. It is imperative that the Government address the very urgent challenges councils and the organisations they commission face right now.
“We urgently need the Government to provide fair funding that covers the true and full costs of care, including wage increases. We must also shift the national approach to commissioning, prioritising the social value and impact that VCSE organisations bring to individuals, communities, and families - values often overlooked in favour of profits by the private organisations funding shareholders and overseas investors.”
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VODG and Collaborate CIC published 'Reframing Commissioning' to provide provications for change when it comes to commissioning third sector organisations. ADASS, the Local Government Association, TLAP, NHS and third sector colleagues contributed to the recommendations and shifts, to bring about much needed change without additional resource.