Ambitious strategy will take adult social care to the next level

Article date: 14 June 2024

There are currently 38,500 older adults in St Helens Borough who are supported by the local authority - whether it's to live independently, or with dementia and long-term needs care - with the vast majority of the council's overall budget spent on social care every year.

With input from more than 300 people across the borough, including service users, carers, staff and general members of the public, Enabling People to Live Healthier, Happier Lives (Adult Social Care Strategy 2024 - 2027) outlines big and ambitious key pledges proposed by the council to take the highly in demand service forward, as well as the new practice models to form a strength-based approach.

Priorities developed for St Helens Borough Council to build an outstanding adult social care offer include:

-          Continuing to build relationships between adult social care and individuals so they feel supported

-          Working together to empower individuals to make their own decisions about care and support

-          Co-produce assessments and care plans so individuals are in control of decisions made around care and support

-          Ensuring information is easier to access and understand working with communities on how materials can be further revised

-          Continuing to be creative and ambitious for the future involving people using services, carers and residents

-          Ensuring staff are well informed and there is consistency of practice through the new practice model

-          Everyday experiences feel fair and right

 The strategy also compliments the council's vision for the whole of the borough through the wider St Helens Borough Strategy 2021-2030, in which 'promoting good health, independence and care across communities' is among the key priorities.

Jamaila Hussain, St Helens Borough Council's Director of Adult Social Care, said:

"I would like to say thank you to all those who have been involved in the development and co-production of this strategy - a key document outlining our approach to the delivery of adult social care over the next three years.

"All prioritises within the strategy are what people using services, their families and carers have said is important to them and how they would like adult social care to interact, support and enable them to remain as independent as possible within their own communities. Through the implementation of our new social care model the emphasis is on individuals, their life experiences and what they feel would enable them to live a happy and fulfilled life."

Enabling People to Live Healthier, Happier Lives (Adult Social Care Strategy 2024 - 2027) will be presented to cabinet at its next meeting in St Helens Town Hall on Wednesday 19 June.