Strengthening adult social care provider markets
Helping local authorities and care providers build stronger provider markets through research, market intelligence, provider development and commissioning readiness.
Adult social care faces increasing pressure
Over 418,000 people in England are waiting for care to begin. Demand continues to rise — driven by an ageing population, growing complexity of need and increasing pressure on hospital discharge pathways.Source: NHS England, Adult Social Care Activity and Finance Report, 2025
Meanwhile, local authorities face persistent workforce shortages, constrained budgets and provider markets that struggle to keep pace with changing commissioning requirements. Capable providers exist — but they are not always visible, assessed or connected to the opportunities where their capacity is needed most.Sources: Skills for Care, The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England, 2025; Odelia Group cross-authority MPS analysis, 2025–2026
This is not a supply problem. It is a visibility, readiness and alignment problem — and it recurs across regions, service types and provider categories.Source: Odelia Group analysis of 30+ local authority Market Position Statements, 2025–2026
418,000+
People waiting for care to begin in England
NHS England, 2025
30+
Local authority Market Position Statements reviewed
What is an MPS?
Systemic
Pattern of capable providers unable to access commissioning opportunities
How we identified this
Strong provider markets are essential to better outcomes
Odelia Group exists to strengthen the adult social care provider market — the network of organisations that deliver care and support to people in their homes, in residential settings and in their communities.
We believe that when provider markets function well, commissioners can make informed decisions, providers can demonstrate genuine capability and the people who need support receive it — reliably, consistently and at the right time.
Every piece of research we publish, every provider we assess and every insight we share serves one purpose: strengthening the provider market so it can meet the demands placed upon it.
We are not a care provider, recruitment agency or generic consultancy. We are a specialist organisation dedicated to provider market development — grounded in research, delivered with rigour.
Odelia Group strengthens provider markets through four interconnected capabilities
Research grounds everything we do — every recommendation, every assessment, every development pathway.
Provider Development
Structured assessment and evidence-based development pathways that move providers from regulatory compliance to commissioning readiness — grounded in what commissioners actually evaluate.
Commissioning Readiness
A research-backed framework for assessing and evidencing provider capability against the standards local authorities apply during procurement and framework evaluation.
Market Intelligence
Research-led analysis of local care markets. Systematic MPS review, commissioning strategy analysis and provider landscape mapping to identify gaps and opportunities.
Provider Market Development
Working with local authorities and providers to strengthen the overall provider market — improving visibility, alignment and sustainability at a systemic level.
Research that informs commissioning decisions
Consultancy-grade research on local authority provider markets, commissioning priorities, workforce pressures and market development. Each report draws on systematic MPS review and direct sector engagement.
6 reports available
Kent Adult Social Care Market Intelligence
Council-level analysis covering provider capacity, commissioning priorities, workforce challenges and strategic opportunities across one of England's largest care markets.
Medway Adult Social Care Intelligence
Focused intelligence for a compact unitary authority — provider distribution, commissioning priorities and capacity gaps identified through systematic MPS review.
Commissioning Priorities Across England
Cross-authority analysis identifying common commissioning patterns, shared workforce pressures and recurring market gaps drawn from 30+ Market Position Statements.
Commissioning Readiness: A Structured Guide
An evidence-based framework for providers. What commissioners evaluate, how to prepare, and the evidence portfolio that demonstrates genuine capability.
Adult Social Care Market Trends 2026
Synthesis of emerging trends — workforce sustainability, commissioning reform, demographic shifts and the evolving role of the independent sector.
Provider Market Development: Four-Category Analysis
Structured analysis of provider development needs across domiciliary care, residential care, supported living and complex care.
New intelligence briefings published quarterly.
View all researchConsultancy-grade intelligence for individual councils
Premium research reports covering adult social care markets for individual local authorities. Each report provides structured analysis across eight dimensions — from commissioning priorities and provider landscapes to workforce pressures and strategic recommendations.
Kent County Council
Adult Social Care Market Intelligence
Comprehensive review covering provider capacity, commissioning priorities, workforce challenges and strategic opportunities. One of England's largest care markets — 1.6m population, 850+ CQC locations. Sources: ONS mid-year population estimates, 2024; CQC active locations data, 2026.
Medway Council
Adult Social Care Intelligence
Focused intelligence for a compact unitary authority with a concentrated provider market. Covers commissioning priorities, cultural competence and integrated discharge pathways.
More local authorities
Coming soon
Our research programme is expanding to cover additional local authorities across the South East and beyond. Each report follows our standard 9-section methodology.
PDA for Social Care
Provider Development & Market Access — one of the structured methodologies Odelia Group delivers to bridge the gap between capable providers and the commissioning opportunities where their capacity is needed most.
Developed through research across 30+ local authorities and direct engagement with 20+ CQC-registered providers, PDA provides a structured five-step pathway from regulatory compliance to commissioning readiness.
Registration & Onboarding
Review of CQC registration, inspection history, service types and geographic coverage.
Readiness Assessment
Structured evaluation of operational capability against council commissioning standards.
Development Planning
Evidence-based gap analysis and a targeted action plan to strengthen commissioning readiness.
Opportunity Matching
Provider capability profiled and aligned to areas of identified local demand.
Evidence Portfolio
Building a structured body of evidence that demonstrates capability to commissioners.
For Local Authorities
Funded by provider subscription — no cost to councils.
Councils access market intelligence, provider assessment data and a pipeline of development-ready providers as a free resource. Funded by those who benefit — the providers.
Book a briefingFor Care Providers
Being registered allows you to operate. Being commissioning-ready helps you compete.
Many capable CQC-registered providers remain underutilised — not because they cannot deliver, but because they are not always visible, assessed or connected to the right opportunities. PDA provides the pathway.
Visit the Provider HubThought leadership and analysis
Evidence-based perspectives on the issues shaping adult social care provider markets — published regularly to support better decision making across the sector.
The Provider Readiness Gap
Between CQC registration and commissioning readiness lies a gap that many providers do not know how to bridge. Our analysis explains what commissioners actually evaluate — and how providers can prepare.
June 2026WorkforceWorkforce Sustainability in Adult Social Care
Workforce shortages remain the most reported challenge to provider market stability. Our latest research examines the data and identifies practical strategies for retention and development.
May 2026PolicyIntegrated Care Systems and the Provider Market
As ICSs mature, their relationship with the provider market is evolving. This analysis explores what integrated commissioning means for providers — and how to prepare.
April 2026Let's strengthen your provider market together
Whether you are a local authority looking to strengthen your provider market or a provider ready to demonstrate your commissioning readiness, we would like to hear from you.