GUIDANCE- Adult social care outcomes framework: handbook of definitions Sets out the technical detail of each adult social care outcomes framework (ASCOF) measure.
Understanding the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework (ASCOF)
The Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework (ASCOF) is a national tool used to measure how well care and support services improve people’s lives. Rather than focusing purely on processes, it looks at the outcomes that matter most to people who use services and their carers.
The accompanying handbook of definitions provides the technical detail behind each measure, ensuring that councils and organisations collect and interpret data consistently. It includes clear definitions and examples to reduce confusion and improve reliability in reporting.
At its heart, ASCOF is built around six key objectives that reflect what good adult social care should achieve:
Improving quality of life
Supporting independence
Giving people choice and control through good information
Ensuring safety
Maintaining social connections
Delivering effective, high-quality care systems
The framework is used at local, regional, and national levels. For councils, it provides data to track performance, identify areas for improvement, and support outcome-based commissioning. It also increases transparency and accountability, helping local communities understand how well services are performing.
Nationally, ASCOF gives an overview of how the adult social care system is performing overall and supports government oversight and policy development.
In summary, the ASCOF handbook is not just a technical document, it underpins a system-wide approach to improving adult social care by focusing on meaningful outcomes, consistent measurement, and accountability at every level.
Read the guidance here