As we bounce into this year's Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) Spring Seminar, I cannot help but reflect how different the challenges are from 2022.

Last year was a dramatically changing political and economic backdrop to a charged and intense period of change and delays.

Families and professionals have all been on a rollercoaster of care changes and the Government has delayed a number of key policies. We're all learning to live with the frustration and to pivot and keep momentum.

In the world of local authority service delivery, it has been great to see the focus from last year's National Children and Adult Services Conference continue with co-production at its heart. Working with key players in the adult social care and health sectors, ADASS has been supporting the sector with a continued focus on delivering better outcomes. This grows with importance as the interface between health and care strengthens through our new integrated care system relationships.

Against this backdrop of an ever-changing environment, we feel it's important not to pause and reach a point of paralysis of decision making, but to do the opposite and embrace the external uncertainty and deliver transformation. It's a brave approach but, with the right behavioural and culture change team dynamics, it is not impossible. As part of our philosophy of shared learning we at IMPOWER are delighted to welcome Becky Wilkinson, director of adult services at City of Wolverhampton Council, to co-host our workshop session at this year's ADASS seminar.

In the session Becky will explain how the council has used the experience of being a charging reform trailblazer as a springboard for transformation and Care Quality Commission assessment preparations, and share their key lessons learned and top tips for driving forward change when the national picture is unclear.

Becky will touch on some of the key aspects of their transformation programme, delivered with IMPOWER, including why they are focusing on early intervention and prevention and moving away from firefighting and crisis management.

For those lucky enough to attend this year's ADASS Spring Seminar, please do come along to our session and take the opportunity to ask questions and to discuss the theme of setting local ambition.

This article is sponsored content for The MJ