Following an intensive three-day hearing covering all three government departments’ appeals, the cases have been adjourned. The First Tier Information Rights Tribunal has requested additional evidence from two government departments. The hearings will be relisted for further evidence which may happen from the New Year onwards. We remain keen to progress these cases to achieve greater transparency on the vital decision making processes that determine social care funding.

Bringing the social care community together to shape the future of data—refining our tools, grounding them in real experiences, and building trust across the sector.

Huge thanks and congratulations to Shu Shin Luh, Lizan Ghafoor, Silvia Nicolaou Garcia and Olivia Halse for their brilliant Need to Know: Community Care Law for Immigration Practitioners article in the latest edition of the Legal Action Group publication.

This year has been one of significant milestones and accelerated impact. As we celebrated our fifth birthday in December 2024, we transitioned from a passionate start-up to a maturing organisation, focused on building the infrastructure needed to sustain meaningful change at scale.

There are 2 sessions to choose from and both will be online events.

The sessions are intended for individuals who draw on social care services, or who support a friend or family member who does. It is not suitable for professionals working in the sector.

There is no cost to join. Choose between a FREE ticket a £10 general admission ticket or choose to make a donation.

We have been campaigning for government transparency in social care funding for 4 years now, which means there have been many stages to the journey! We now have a date for the latest hearing which will take place on the 17th, 18th and 19th November 2025.

We have summarised the legal steps that we have taken and how Government departments and the ICO have responded in this one page document. In addition we have compiled a timeline which documents every stage of the Freedom of Information requests to date. Please click on the links to download them.

In recent months, there has been a deeply troubling surge in hate crimes and hateful rhetoric, both online and in our communities. At Access Social Care (ASC), we've felt the impact of this firsthand. Our staff members have shared that they don't always feel safe in their own neighbourhoods, and we've even had instances where racist language was used by a client on a call and in the comments on our social media channels.

In his article, James Kirkup argues that the UK's traditional practice of maintaining secrecy around the budget process is a fundamental mistake.

Last week we enjoyed meeting people who draw on social care, who are supported by Croydon Mencap.  

We also welcomed James Mackie from the Casey Commission who was given the opportunity to meet people who are supported through social care and have direct experience of the current system.

Past Event

This free, lunchtime webinar looked at the processes and strategies for challenging decisions by the LAA, including the process, review stage, independent adjudicator stage; the time limits involved and the relevant regulations.

How the LAA responds and how to counter their position; how to prepare for the Independent Adjudicator and also possibly considering sending a Pre-action Protocol letters where appropriate.

In her latest article for the MJ our CEO, Kari Gerstheimer highlights ASC's radical approach to data.

As a constituent, your views and interests are a priority to your Member of Parliament. Writing to your MP is an important way to ensure that they are aware of your concerns and take action on Government Transparency on social care funding.

Southend Council is refunding £2.3 million after overcharging 586 people care due to a software error dating back to 2018. At Access Social Care, we welcome the refunds but urge councils to audit their systems and ensure people have access to independent advice to protect their benefits and rights.

The inaugural "Joining the Dots" event was made possible with support from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and provided an opportunity for data experts and interested groups to come together to explore the evolving landscape of social care data. The session was kicked off by Amit Kohli, Access Social care’s Head of Data Insight.

We want to work with people who draw on social care and their families to trial a new service. Our legal team will conduct thorough reviews and provide expert advice on how to protect your rights, along with helping you identify and address gaps in care, to ensure you or your family member receive the best possible support. We are offering 5 free audits as part of the trial.

Join us for the 2025 State of the Nation webinar 'From Promise to Practice: What advice sector data tells us about adult social care in Labour's first year of government'. Register here.

Join us online to hear from organisations working on different pieces of the social care data puzzle. From cataloguing datasets for easier discovery, building geographical products that demo data, to AI-boosted data portals that surface insights.

In April 2025 we asked the public to tell us what they thought about social care funding so we could show it to The Casey Commission into Adult Social Care.

The results are in, and it's clear you want greater Government Transparency in social care funding. So do we.

This final episode of the "State of Our Nation" podcast features a heartfelt conversation between co-hosts Kari Gerstheimer and Anna Severwright as they reflect on the series, and discuss the current challenging state of social care.

They double down on the onslaught of recent policy and financial decisions that seem to be negatively impacting people who rely on social care; discuss reactions to the newly launched Casey Commission and look forward to series 3.

This episode of the State of our Nation shines a light on the critical issue of health and social care inequalities faced by Black and other minority ethnic groups in the UK.

Our guest this time is Charles Kwaku-Odoi DL MFPH, Chief Executive of the Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN), a leading national Black health organisation at the forefront of reducing health inequalities and wider disparities.