Direct Payments have been part of Adult Social Care for almost 30 years. Yet councils across the country continue to face many of the same challenges: inconsistent uptake, variable practitioner confidence, operational complexity and growing pressure on services.

So what are councils doing differently? What challenges are emerging? And what does good look like in practice?

To explore these questions, we brought together Adult Social Care leaders, practitioners, commissioners, and transformation teams from councils across England as part of our Community Practice Network.

This report captures the themes, tensions, and opportunities that emerged from those discussions.

Inside the paper

You'll discover:

• Why practitioner confidence remains one of the biggest barriers to Direct Payments uptake

• How councils are balancing flexibility with governance and defensible decision-making

• What is helping teams move beyond "time and task" approaches to support planning

• How Direct Payments are becoming part of wider transformation and prevention strategies

• What emerging sector data may be telling us about the future of community support

• Why visibility, benchmarking and outcomes insight are becoming increasingly important

Why download?

This is a practical snapshot of what councils across England are experiencing right now - including real challenges, emerging approaches, and lessons from peers facing similar pressures.

Whether you're responsible for Direct Payments, commissioning, practice improvement, transformation, or service delivery, you'll come away with fresh perspectives and actionable ideas.