Guidance

Adult social care: market shaping

How to create personalised, high quality, sustainable care solutions using a range of care providers and support organisations.

• From: Department of Health and Social Care
• Published: 11 November 2016
• Last updated: 7 October 2024
  Show all updates

  1. 7 October 2024

     Updated the 'Workforce aspects of the care market' section to include the latest links.

  2. 14 February 2017

     Added link to 'Working with care providers to understand costs' in 'Resources for commissioners' section.

  3. 11 November 2016

     First published.

Documents

Adult social care market shaping

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Details

This information is aimed at:

• people who buy social care services
• local authority and clinical commissioning group commissioners
• personal budget holders
• people who fund their own care
• care service providers
• potential investors in the care sector

The adult social care market refers to independent care sector providers and support organisations that provide Care Quality Commission regulated services.

This includes care and home care as well as unregulated care, such as:

• personal assistants
• volunteers
• communities and informal family carers
• wider support services