Agenda item

To consider a report in relation to the ongoing refresh of the Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (SBC) Adult Social Care Strategy.

The Committee was presented with a report in relation to the ongoing refresh of the Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (SBC) Adult Social Care Strategy.

The existing strategy covered the 2021-2025 period, and to inform the development of the new version, SBC had asked the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi) to complete an engagement exercise with local communities (at no charge to the Council) to identify what was important to consider in relation to future provision.  Led by the SBC Strategic Development Manager (Adults & Health) and supported by the SBC Interim Director of Adult Social Care, feedback was summarised via the report and accompanying presentation slides, the key elements of which included:

·       The creation of the Making It Real Board (MIRB) had initiated a different focus around engagement, with the Council recognising the importance for it to be open to public views / judgements about existing provision.  This NDTi exercise (completed between February and March 2025, with a report presenting the findings completed in May 2025 and shared with the MIRB in June 2025) gave an early and unfiltered assessment of how local people were feeling about the current social care market.

·       There were 177 responses in total – 81 conversations with people in community settings (who were not necessarily already using adult social care services), 76 from a survey, and a further 20 responses from providers.

·       The report showed that most people who took part in the engagement felt that the Borough’s adult social care services were average in helping people to live their best lives, and likewise with feeling that people were getting the early intervention and prevention they needed.

·       There was a just-above average rating for how safe people felt where they lived (a measure which was not only about services, but tied into wider feelings around safety), and a below average rating about the availability of housing for people with support needs or disabilities (an issue which the Council was already trying to address).

·       A summary of the findings highlighted several areas requiring development.  To improve care and support, services should be personalised and flexible, older adults needed help to stay in their homes, individuals with learning disabilities wanted more independence, and carers required adaptable support.  Peer support was also valuable for connection and sharing information, and reducing delays and increasing awareness of available services (facilitated by the availability of information in different formats) would make a big difference.  The need for clearer communication between health, social care and housing to create a more connected and effective system was also noted.

·       In terms of next steps, the plan was to work in partnership with the MIRB to co-produce a new Adult Social Care Strategy for 2026-2030 by November 2025.

Responding to the information provided, the Committee drew attention to the significant rise in the number of people using adult social care services since the last (and current) strategy was produced and felt this should be reflected in the new version.  Other observations included the need to look after staff working within these vital services, that the MIRB was a small group which did not necessarily reflect the full community, and the importance of organisations working together to share good practice.

Whilst recognising that good communication between system partners and with the public was crucial, the Committee also highlighted the need for continuing focus on the experiences of people contacting the Council, many of whom preferred to see a face / hear a voice as opposed to utilising digital mediums (which were becoming the default communication tool).  From a staffing perspective, Members urged the supply of information on training availability and uptake in order to ascertain whether this was adequate enough.

Concern was expressed by Members on the spelling errors within the accompanying NDTi presentation slides (particularly those relating to place names) – SBC officers stated that this had been fed back to NDTi.

Looking ahead, clarity was sought on the steps leading up to the publication of the new strategy in November 2025 and whether the Committee would have any further opportunities for input.  SBC officers commented that future consultation with communities was anticipated (including with those groups who had already engaged via the NDTi-related exercise), and that another update could be brought back to the Committee prior to final publication if required.

AGREED that the ‘New Adult Social Care Strategy – Feedback report from National Development Team for Inclusion and Next Steps’ document and the accompanying presentation slides be noted.