Extreme Weather, Resilience and Adult Social Care: Key Insights from The Outstanding Society Webinar

Webinar Overview

The Outstanding Society hosted an insightful webinar on 20th August 2026, bringing together experts to explore Extreme Weather, Resilience and Adult Social Care. 

The webinar highlighted that rising temperatures and periods of extreme weather are no longer occasional challenges for adult social care. The evidence and expert insight shared during the session demonstrated that heat-related risks are already affecting the people we support, particularly older adults and those living with complex health needs.

The discussion focused on the importance of preparedness and the practical steps care providers can take to protect people during periods of hot weather. It also explored the vital role of leadership, workforce wellbeing and collaboration across the health and care system in building resilience for the future.

Key Themes

The webinar covered a range of important issues, including:

• The latest research on the impact of heat in adult social care
• Heat Health Alerts and UKHSA guidance for providers
• Practical approaches to hydration, cooling and monitoring
• Workforce wellbeing and resilience during periods of hot weather
• Medicines management and clinical governance considerations
• Regulatory, policy and system-wide perspectives
• Preparing services for increasingly frequent periods of high temperatures

Speakers and Panellists

The webinar featured expert speakers and panellists from The Outstanding Society, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Care Quality Commission (CQC), Skills for Care, University College London (UCL), the University of Leeds and Home Instead.

Their expertise and perspectives provided valuable insight into the challenges presented by extreme weather, as well as the practical actions organisations can take to strengthen preparedness and protect the people they support.

Recording and Presentation Slides

All webinar resources, including the recording and presentation slide decks, are available via the following blog:

https://theoutstandingsociety.co.uk/extreme-weather-resilience-and-adult-social-care/

Providers and care teams are encouraged to access and share these resources. They can support discussion within organisations and help inform preparedness, business continuity and resilience planning ahead of future periods of extreme weather.

Building Resilience Together

As extreme weather becomes an increasingly important consideration for adult social care, sharing knowledge and learning across the sector is essential.

By strengthening preparedness, sharing good practice and working collaboratively, the sector can continue to support people to live safer, healthier and more fulfilling lives, whatever challenges changing weather patterns may bring.

Join The Outstanding Society

Membership of The Outstanding Society is completely free and provides access to webinars, resources, sector updates, networking opportunities and examples of outstanding practice from across adult social care.

Join The Outstanding Society here: https://theoutstandingsociety.co.uk/membership/