Adult Social Care: Where Councils Are Spending Their Biggest Contracts

Adult social care continues to dominate council spending priorities, with recent procurement data revealing substantial investments across England's local authorities. Analysis of major contracts shows councils are committing significant resources to adult social care services, with individual contract values consistently exceeding £2.4 million.

The Scale of Investment

The data reveals a remarkable consistency in contract values, with 30 major adult social care contracts ranging from £2.47 million to £2.50 million. This tight clustering suggests councils are operating within similar budget frameworks when procuring large-scale adult social care services.

Gosport Borough Council leads with the highest single contract value at £2.50 million paid to Sodexo Ltd, highlighting the substantial financial commitment required for comprehensive adult social care provision.

Who's Spending and Where

The geographic spread of these contracts demonstrates that adult social care investment is a nationwide priority, spanning from major metropolitan authorities to smaller district councils:

Supplier Diversity Reveals Sector Complexity

The range of suppliers securing these contracts illustrates the multifaceted nature of adult social care procurement. Traditional care providers like Sodexo Ltd and Virgin Care Ltd appear alongside major consultancies including Deloitte LLP and PwC LLP, infrastructure specialists such as Atkins Ltd and Jacobs Engineering, and facilities management companies like Mitie Group plc.

This diversity suggests councils are taking holistic approaches to adult social care, encompassing:

• Direct care provision and support services
• Technology infrastructure and digital transformation
• Strategic consulting and service redesign
• Facilities management and operational support
• Construction and capital projects

Notable Patterns in Procurement

Several suppliers appear multiple times in the dataset, indicating their significant presence in the adult social care market:

• Veolia ES UK Ltd secured contracts with three different councils
• Atkins Ltd and Mitie Group plc each won contracts with two authorities
• Wates Group and Faithful+Gould also secured multiple contracts

The involvement of major engineering and construction firms like Kier Group plc, Wates Group, and ENGIE Services suggests substantial capital investment in adult social care infrastructure, potentially including new care facilities or major refurbishments.

Regional Distribution

London boroughs feature prominently, with Brent, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Westminster all making significant investments. However, the data shows adult social care spending is distributed across England, from Newcastle in the north to Brighton & Hove on the south coast.

What This Means

These substantial contract values reflect the ongoing pressure on local authorities to maintain and improve adult social care services amid rising demand and costs. The £74.6 million total represented by these 30 contracts alone demonstrates the scale of public investment required.

For council finance teams, this data highlights the importance of strategic procurement in adult social care. The narrow range of contract values suggests market standardisation, potentially making benchmarking and value assessment more straightforward.

Developers and suppliers should note the sector's complexity, with opportunities spanning traditional care services, digital infrastructure, construction, and strategic consulting. The presence of major consultancies indicates councils are investing in transformation and efficiency programmes alongside direct service provision.

For citizens and service users, this investment demonstrates councils' commitment to adult social care, though the involvement of diverse supplier types suggests services may be delivered through complex partnership arrangements rather than traditional in-house provision.