Adult social care and safeguarding during COVID-19: a large-scale mixed methods study

While there has been a drive to ensure health care providers are adequately equipped to deal with the effects of COVID-19, there has been limited research into the pandemic in the context of adult social care or adult safeguarding. A survey by the British Association of Social Workers found that many local authorities were underprepared and struggled to meet their legal obligations during the first wave of the pandemic. Moreover, the Coronavirus Act 2020 included scope for widespread suspension of key duties under adult social care legislation, which has resulted in concerns that adults who require care and support were not having their needs met. This project is the first in-depth research into the relationship between COVID-19 and adult social care and safeguarding. It will focus on services across local authorities and Safeguarding Adults Boards in England and Wales. Research methods will include a literature review, Freedom of Information requests, surveys and stakeholder interviews. The research will provide a better understanding of what changes are happening to the legal obligations and practice of adult social care and adult safeguarding as a result of COVID-19. The findings will also be used as evidence as to how best to support the delivery of social care, social work and safeguarding in the future, for the duration of the pandemic and beyond. The results will be disseminated through both social care and academic channels, and will involve a white paper, a webinar, practitioner-orientated blogs, briefings, reports and two peer-reviewed journal papers.