Unlocking the Hidden Value: What Directors of Adult Social Services and Section 151 Officers Need to Know About Data

In a recent episode of The Truth About Local Government, we had the pleasure of speaking with Alexander Mileman, the founder of the Social Care Value Index project a bold initiative aiming to transform how councils use data in adult social care. Our conversation tackled one of the most pressing challenges facing local government today: how to deliver high-quality adult social care services in the face of rising demand and tightening budgets. We explored how councils are sitting on vast, underutilised datasets that, if harnessed effectively, could unlock significant efficiencies, improve outcomes for residents, and support more informed, strategic financial decisions. This blog captures the key insights from that discussion, offering practical takeaways for Directors of Adult Social Services and Section 151 Officers who are serious about rethinking how value is measured and delivered in social care.

1. The Problem: Spiralling Costs and Fragmented Data

Adult social care is facing a perfect storm. Demand is rising due to an ageing population, increasing complexity of need, and growing expectations from service users and carers. At the same time, local government budgets are under sustained pressure, with adult social care often consuming the largest share of council spending. In this context, the drive for efficiencies is not just desirable it’s essential.

Yet, as Alexander Mileman highlighted in our conversation, the sector’s ability to make informed, strategic decisions is being hampered by a fundamental issue: a lack of coherent, connected data. “We can’t fix the problem unless we understand it,” he said, “and we can’t understand it without data.”

Local authorities are not short of data. In fact, they are collecting vast amounts from finance returns and outcomes frameworks to workforce statistics and service user feedback. But this data is often siloed across different systems, departments, and formats. Finance teams may be looking at one set of figures, operational leads at another, and commissioners at yet another with little ability to connect the dots.

Key Insight: Local authorities are sitting on a goldmine of data but it’s buried in disconnected systems such as case management platforms, finance software, and provider portals. Without integration and a shared analytical framework, this data remains underutilised, making it difficult to identify what’s working, where inefficiencies lie, and how to target investment for maximum impact.

2. What’s Being Collected and What’s Missing

Local authorities are not short on data in fact, they are collecting more than ever before. From statutory returns to national surveys, the volume of information available is vast. Key datasets include:

• ASCFR (Adult Social Care Finance Return): A comprehensive financial dataset that captures how much councils are spending on adult social care services, broken down by service type and client group.

• ASCOF (Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework): A national framework that tracks 21 outcome measures, including service user satisfaction, quality of life, and reablement success.

• Carers and Service User Surveys: These provide valuable qualitative and quantitative insights into the lived experiences of people receiving care and their carers, including satisfaction levels and perceived quality of support.

• Skills for Care Workforce Data: A detailed dataset covering the adult social care workforce, including staffing levels, recruitment and retention trends, qualifications, and training.

Despite this wealth of information, the sector struggles to translate data into actionable intelligence. The problem isn’t the absence of data it’s the absence of integration and coherence.

Source: Official Statistics, Adult social care finance report, England: 2024 to 2025

What’s missing?

• Integration across datasets: Data is often held in silos finance in one system, case management in another, and workforce data elsewhere. Without a unified view, it’s nearly impossible to understand the full picture of how spending, staffing, and outcomes interact.

• Client-level data to track individual journeys: Most data is aggregated, making it difficult to follow a person’s journey through the system. This limits the ability to assess the long-term impact of interventions or understand cause and effect at an individual level.

• Outcome-focused metrics: Much of the current data focuses on inputs and outputs how many hours of care were delivered, how many people received a service rather than the actual outcomes achieved. This makes it hard to evaluate value for money or the effectiveness of preventative approaches.

Bottom line: The sector is data-rich but insight-poor. To truly optimise adult social care delivery, councils must move beyond counting activity and start measuring what matters the difference services make to people’s lives.

3. Why Data Isn’t Being Used Effectively

Despite the abundance of data available to local authorities, it often fails to inform decision-making in a meaningful or timely way. Alexander Mileman identified several interlinked barriers that explain why this is the case and why unlocking the full potential of data in adult social care remains such a challenge.

Lack of Routine in Reviewing and Acting on Data

In many councils, there is no consistent rhythm or discipline around data use. Unlike other sectors where performance dashboards are reviewed daily, weekly, or monthly, adult social care often lacks a structured approach to data analysis. Without regular review cycles, it becomes difficult to spot trends, identify anomalies, or respond proactively to emerging issues. Data becomes something that is collected for compliance, not for learning or improvement.

Cultural Resistance

Social care is, at its heart, a people-centred profession. Many practitioners enter the field to make a difference in people’s lives not to crunch numbers. As a result, there can be a cultural disconnect between the human-centred ethos of care and the analytical mindset required to interpret data. This isn’t about blame it’s about recognising that data literacy and analytical thinking need to be embedded into the culture of adult social care, not seen as separate or secondary.

Capacity and Capability Gaps

Even where there is a willingness to use data, many local authorities lack the analytical capacity to do so effectively. Teams are stretched, and specialist skills in data science, business intelligence, and impact evaluation are often in short supply. This limits the ability to dig beneath the surface, follow the threads of insight, and translate data into actionable intelligence.

Fear of Exposure

Perhaps one of the most significant and least discussed barriers is fear. Data can reveal uncomfortable truths: underperformance, inefficiencies, or gaps in service provision. There is a natural reluctance to expose these issues, particularly when data accuracy is in question. Some councils worry about being unfairly judged or compared to others, especially when national benchmarking tools highlight outliers. This fear can lead to a preference for caution over transparency, stalling progress and innovation.

The Bottom Line: To move forward, local authorities must foster a culture where data is seen not as a threat, but as a tool for learning, improvement, and collaboration. This means investing in analytical capability, embedding data into everyday decision-making, and creating safe spaces for honest reflection and shared learning.

4. Real-World Impact: What Data Can Reveal

One of the most compelling parts of my conversation with Alexander Mileman was hearing how data, when used effectively, can uncover hidden truths and drive meaningful change. These aren’t abstract concepts they’re real-world insights that can shape policy, inform investment, and ultimately improve lives.

Take the example of unpaid carers. According to the most recent census, around 5 million people in England identify as having caring responsibilities. Yet, the data submitted by local authorities shows that only 310,000 carers are recorded as receiving support. That’s a staggering gap and it raises serious questions. Are councils under-identifying carers? Are support pathways too complex or inaccessible? Or is the data simply not being captured accurately? Whatever the cause, the data has exposed a systemic issue that might otherwise have remained hidden.

Another powerful example relates to carer satisfaction. National survey data shows that fewer than 40% of carers are satisfied with the support they receive from social services. But what’s even more telling is the 25% variation in satisfaction rates between different councils. This disparity suggests that some authorities are getting it right and others are falling short. By analysing this data, councils can benchmark their performance, learn from high performers, and identify areas for targeted improvement.

These examples highlight a critical point: data is not just about compliance or reporting it’s a tool for discovery. It can reveal blind spots, challenge assumptions, and provide the evidence needed to make the case for change. But this only happens when data is used proactively, not reactively. It requires curiosity, courage, and a commitment to continuous learning.

Takeaway: Data has the power to shine a light on the unseen from under-supported carers to inconsistent service quality. For Directors of Adult Social Services and Section 151 Officers, this means using data not just to monitor performance, but to ask better questions, test assumptions, and build robust, evidence-based business cases for investment and transformation.

5. What Needs to Change: Collaboration and Infrastructure

If local authorities are to unlock the full potential of their data, a fundamental shift is needed not just in systems and tools, but in mindset, culture, and collaboration. Data alone won’t drive transformation; it’s how people across the organisation engage with it that makes the difference.

Internal Collaboration is Essential

One of the most powerful ideas Alexander shared was the need for a shared, balanced scorecard a single, unified view of performance that brings together financial data, operational volumes, workforce metrics, and outcomes. Too often, these domains are reviewed in isolation: finance teams focus on cost, commissioners on contracts, and operational leads on delivery. This fragmented approach leads to misaligned decisions and missed opportunities. When all parties finance, commissioning, operations, and performance review the same data together, it creates the conditions for joined-up thinking and aligned action.

Shared Goals and Routines

Establishing a regular rhythm of data review is critical. Councils need to move from ad hoc analysis to structured routines weekly, monthly, or quarterly where the same metrics are reviewed by the same people in the same way. This builds familiarity, trust in the data, and the ability to spot trends over time. More importantly, it enables a shift from reactive firefighting to proactive planning. Shared goals, underpinned by shared data, allow leaders to balance cost control with quality improvement and workforce sustainability.

Tech Partnerships Must Be Honest and Brave

Technology is a key enabler but only if it’s fit for purpose. Too many councils are locked into legacy systems that don’t meet their needs, yet continue to renew contracts because the risk of switching feels too high. As Alexander noted, changing systems in adult social care is like trying to land a plane mid-flight the stakes are high, and the margin for error is small. But continuing to invest in platforms that don’t deliver value is not a sustainable strategy. Councils must be brave enough to challenge underperforming suppliers and honest enough to walk away when systems aren’t working. Equally, tech partners must step up co-designing solutions with councils, embracing open standards, and investing in long-term, collaborative relationships.

The Bottom Line: Data transformation in adult social care isn’t just a technical challenge it’s a leadership one. It requires cross-functional collaboration, disciplined routines, and a willingness to rethink long-standing relationships with technology providers. When these elements come together, data becomes more than a reporting tool it becomes a catalyst for better decisions, better services, and better outcomes.

6. The Role of Standards and National Infrastructure

One of the most powerful enablers of transformation in adult social care is something deceptively simple: standardisation. As Alexander Mileman pointed out, the lack of common data standards across local authorities is a major barrier to progress. Every council has slightly different processes, naming conventions, and data structures which makes it incredibly difficult to compare performance, share learning, or build scalable digital solutions. To overcome this, the sector needs to move toward:

• Common data standards that define how information is recorded, structured, and shared across councils. This would allow for more meaningful benchmarking, easier collaboration, and more consistent service delivery.

• Shared platforms with interoperability systems that can talk to each other, integrate across departments, and evolve with the needs of the organisation. This is especially important for councils working in partnership across health, housing, and community services.

• A “single view of the customer” a unified record that tracks an individual’s journey across services. This would enable earlier intervention, better coordination, and more personalised support. It’s a concept already used in the private sector, and some councils (like Cornwall with its “Golden Halo” model) are beginning to show what’s possible.

Without these foundations, councils will continue to struggle with fragmented insights and duplicated effort. With them, the sector can begin to operate as a learning system one that continuously improves based on shared evidence and collective intelligence.

7. What Success Looks Like

So what does good look like? What would it mean for the Social Care Value Index and the wider data transformation agenda to succeed?

• Shared goals and metrics across councils: Success starts with alignment. If local authorities can agree on what they want to measure and why they can begin to build a shared language around value, outcomes, and impact. This creates the conditions for collaboration, not competition.

• A sector-owned platform built with and for local government: Rather than relying on off-the-shelf solutions that don’t reflect the complexity of adult social care, the sector needs tools that are co-designed with practitioners, finance leads, and people with lived experience. A platform built by the sector, for the sector, would ensure relevance, usability, and long-term sustainability.

• Reduced postcode lottery: Ultimately, success means that the quality of care someone receives is based on their needs not their location. By using data to identify and close gaps in provision, councils can move toward a more equitable system where everyone has access to the right support, at the right time, in the right way.

The Vision: A future where data is not a burden, but a bridge connecting people, services, and systems in ways that improve lives and make every pound count.

Final Thought

If you’re a Director of Adult Social Services or a Section 151 Officer, the message is clear: data is your most underused strategic asset. In a system under relentless financial pressure, where demand is rising and resources are stretched, the ability to make informed, evidence-led decisions is no longer a luxury it’s a necessity. Too often, councils are forced into reactive firefighting responding to crises, plugging gaps, and making short-term fixes. But the real opportunity lies in shifting from reaction to prevention, from guesswork to insight, from siloed decisions to system-wide strategy. That shift begins with data.

The Social Care Value Index offers a compelling blueprint for how the sector can move forward not by collecting more data, but by using what we already have more intelligently. It’s about creating a shared language of value, building trust in the numbers, and embedding data into the DNA of leadership and decision-making. But this won’t happen by accident. It will take leadership to champion the cause, collaboration to break down silos, and courage to confront uncomfortable truths. The prize? A more sustainable, equitable, and effective adult social care system one that delivers better outcomes for people and better value for the public purse.