People Scrutiny Committee

8 October 2025

 

Report of Michael Melvin - Director, Safeguarding Adults

 

Adult Social Care Strategy

Summary

1.           This report outlines the approach taken to develop a new Adult Social Care Strategy for 2025-2028.

2.           This report is for information not a decision.

 

3.           The Adult Social Care vision supports the wider City of York Council Plan commitments, and it also supports two of the four Council Plan commitments, some examples of these are:

Council Plan

Adult Social Care Strategy

Our vision of a healthier, fairer, more affordable, more sustainable and more accessible city where everyone feels valued.

·        Use our resources fairly and wisely

·        Value carers

Health Inequalities

·        Prevent reduce and delay the need for care and support

·        Make sure homes support independence

·        Work with health services to improve care

·        Promote wellbeing at every stage of life

·        Support people to live well at home and in their community

·        Work together for better care and support

·        Provide high quality and flexible support

Equalities and Human Rights

·        Use evidence and insight to make the best decisions to understand what is working well and where gaps or inequalities remain.

Background

4.           The purpose of the strategy is to provide a clear, coherent statement of vision, priorities, and planned activity for adult social care in York. The strategy is aligned with existing local plans and commitments while ensuring it is accessible, easy to understand, and consistent with the language and tone of other CYC strategic documents.

 

5.           The strategy aims to create a strong foundation for future planning and delivery, supporting a shared understanding of direction and purpose across the system.

 

6.           It is designed to:

·                Reflect what matters most to people who draw on care and support, and those who support and work alongside them.

·                Ensure alignment with wider strategic documents, including the Council Plan, Health and Wellbeing Strategy, and Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.

·                Provide a focused, high-level framework to guide future decision-making, commissioning, and service development.

·                Clearly communicate the city’s vision and priorities for adult social care.

7.           The work undertaken to develop the strategy consisted of:-

 

·                Meetings and information gathering from senior staff

·                Grey literature review

·                Consultation & engagement

8.           A grey literature review was undertaken to ensure that the draft document aligns with and reflects the strategic direction set out across a range of key local and regional plans. This review aimed to identify and incorporate relevant links to the Adult Social Care Strategy, ensuring coherence in vision, priorities, approaches and commitments across connected strategies and frameworks. The documents reviewed included:

 

a.        Joint Strategic Needs Assessment

b.        Health and Wellbeing Strategy

c.        Council Plan

d.        York Health & Care Prospectus

e.        Adult Social Care Workforce Strategy (Vision)

f.          Market Position Statement

g.        Commissioning Strategy

h.        Workforce Strategy

i.          CYC ASC Service Plan

j.          CYC CQC Self-Assessment

k.        Carers Strategy

l.          Mental Health Strategy

m.      Learning Disabilities Strategy

 

9.           A draft strategy was prepared based on this fundamental set of information as a basis for review, refinement and further additions. This approach avoided starting a consultation and engagement process with a blank sheet but rather set out a starting position that reflected our statutory duties and areas already identified as requiring improvement.

 

Consultation

10.        We undertook consultation and engagement to ensure the strategy was shaped by a wide range of perspectives and reflected the shared ambitions of people with lived experience, frontline staff, and key partners across the health, care, and community sectors.

 

11.        The consultation was undertaken between December 2024 and March 2025 and consistent of 2 elements.

 

a.        An online survey (including accessible easy read and BSL instructional video)

b.        Face to face sessions with identified groups.

12.        The consultation questionnaire received responses from a broad  range of individuals, including:

 

·               People with lived experience, such as older adults, individuals with care and support needs (including those not currently receiving services), and people supported by unpaid carers.

·               Local residents, including many identifying simply as residents or citizens of York, some of whom expressed future concerns about accessing care.

·               Carers and informal supporters, including neighbours and family members helping others.

·               Health and social care professionals, including current practitioners, former council employees, and independent advocates.

·               Voluntary, community and provider representatives, including charity volunteers, peer support groups such as Minds and Voices, and representatives from housing associations and care organisations.

·               Civic stakeholders, such as taxpayers and individuals engaging with the council in a professional or community capacity.

13.        Of those who answered the equality monitoring questions:

 

·               Most were aged 40 or over; the biggest proportion of respondents were aged 65 and over (33%)

·               67% were female

·               92% were White – English / Welsh / Scottish / Northern Irish / British

·               19% considered themselves disabled

·               44% were unpaid carers

14.        There were 112 responses to the questionnaire and 14 organisations were represented in the responses. A breakdown of the people who responded is as follows:

 

Please tell us who is completing this questionnaire

% of people that responded

(highest to lowest)

Number of people

Other (mainly York residents)

27%

26

A City of York Council employee

18%

17

An unpaid carer for someone with care and support needs

16%

15

A person who uses adult social care services

13%

12

A family member of someone with care and support needs

13%

12

A charity, voluntary or community sector organisation

11%

10

An independent care sector provider

2%

2

A health professional

1%

1

15.    Responses to each of the three sections in the strategy were as follows:

 

Commitment

Agree or strongly agree

Disagree or strongly disagree

Joined up care and support*

81%

9%

Valuing carers

81%

7%

Helping people stay at home*

78%

7%

Keeping people safe*

78%

7%

Wellbeing for all*

77%

9%

Supporting our workforce

74%

4%

Making best use of our resources*

71%

10%

Taking a strength-based approach*

65%

10%

* Wording now changed in new strategy
 

Approach

Agree or strongly agree

Disagree or strongly disagree

Ensuring safe and fair services**

86%

2%

A skilled and valued workforce**

84%

4%

Being person-centred and outcomes-focused**

82%

5%

Delivering high-quality and flexible support*

81%

4%

Strong partnerships*

79%

7%

Managing our resources well**

75%

9%

Using our data for the best decisions*

68%

7%

A focus on co-production*

65%

7%

* Wording now changed in new strategy

**Removed from new strategy due to duplication

Out of the approaches, the four people said were most important to them were:    

·               Being person-centred and outcomes-focused (70%)

·               Delivering high-quality and flexible support (63%)

·               A skilled and valued workforce (55%)

·               Ensuring safe and fair services (45%)

Priority

Agree or strongly agree

Disagree or strongly disagree

Work with health services to improve care

87%

0%

Make sure our services are high-quality**

85%

0%

Work together with other local authorities to share resources and ideas*

85%

2%

Involve more people in planning their care and in the design of services**

81%

6%

Make sure homes support independence

77%

2%

Help people get from hospital to home quickly*

77%

6%

Use technology to improve care and support

74%

0%

Get the best from a strength-based approach**

73%

2%

Improve the data used in commissioning decisions

72%

0%

Ensure we meet our “best value duty” in delivering and commissioning services*

67%

2%

Reduce the need for care and support*

52%

11%

* Wording now changed in new strategy

**Removed from new strategy due to duplication

 

Out of the priorities, the four people said were most important to them were:    

·               Make sure our services are high-quality (63%)

·               Work with health services to improve care (53%)

·               Involve more people in planning their care and in the design of services (39%)

·               Help people get from hospital to home quickly (37%)

 

 

16.        Face to face sessions were held with 5 organisations, staff sessions were held, and partners were also offered 121 discussions.

 

17.        The feedback from the consultation shows strong overall support for the vision, priorities, commitments and approaches in the draft strategy. Many respondents agreed with the direction being set and appreciated the inclusive tone, person-centred values, and ambition to improve quality, choice, and integration.

 

18.        The overall vision was described as “clear” and “positive”, though aspirational.

 

19.        Respondents also highlighted several important areas where the strategy could be strengthened, clarified, or more clearly actioned. These included:

 

a.        A desire for clear implementation plans and sufficient funding and resources to deliver the strategy.

b.        Better support for both the workforce and unpaid carers.

c.        Improved links and focus on human rights, equality, diversity and inclusion

d.        Stronger emphasis on prevention and early intervention

e.        More inclusive, accessible and clear language and the streamlining of core elements to remove duplication in the strategy.

f.          Stronger partnership and joined up working across teams, services and sectors.

g.        Ongoing support and funding for voluntary, community and social enterprise partners.

h.        Consideration of the impact of housing and other environmental factors on wellbeing.

i.          Better information and communication between services and with people.

j.          Improved engagement and co-production with people and communities.

 

20.        A report on the full results of the consultation can be found annex C.

 

 

21.        Next Steps, we will:

 

·               Publish and launch the Adult Social Care Strategy along with a detailed delivery plan that includes clear and measurable actions (By November 2025).

·               Reach out to people who expressed an interest in being included in discussions about the strategy. We will invite them to form a working group to take elements of the Adult Social Care work forward (By November 2025).

·               Use the consultation feedback to inform our strategy delivery and service improvement plans, taking into account specific issues people raised (By November 2025).

·               Share feedback with wider teams and partner organisations to be considered for their own improvement plans (By October 2025).

 

Options    

22.        This report is for information only, not a decision

 

Analysis

 

23.        This report is for information only, not a decision.

 

 

Council Plan

 

24.        The Adult Social Care Strategy supports the delivery of the Council’s priorities, as set out in the Council’s Plan. The strategy promotes equality diversity and inclusion and the delivery of a social model of disability. Through the fair use of resources, the strategy aims to reduce health inequality. The emphasis on partnership between housing, social care, NHS and community colleagues is intended to enable people requiring support to continue live in their communities, in housing suited to their needs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Implications

25.         

·        Financial (Contact – Chief Finance Officer) -

While there are no direct financial implications to the development of the strategy, the commitments, approaches and priorities focus on promoting a strength-based approach, utilisation of technology, supporting independence for as long as possible, working with partners and providers to improve care, and a preventative and early intervention approach which all lead to ensuring best value for money.

 

The strategy will be implemented using existing resources and therefore no additional costs will be incurred. The commitment to using our resources fairly and wisely and the prioritisation of preventing the need for care, supporting people to maintain their independence etc will also contribute to the sustainability ASC budget.

 

·           Human Resources (HR) (Contact – Head of HR) – N/A

·           Equalities (Contact – Equalities Officer) –

A full EqIA is included at Annex A and shows some positive outcomes for several protected characteristics.

 

·           Legal (Contact – Head of Legal and Democratic Services) – N/A

·           Crime and Disorder (Contact - Senior Partnerships Support Officer, Community Planning & Partnerships) – N/A   

·           Information Technology (IT) (Contact – Head of IT) – N/A

·           Property (Contact – Property) – N/A

·           Economy (Contact – Head of City Development) –

The strategy sets out a clear approach to Adult Social Care following significant engagement which is welcomed. An effective approach to Adult Social Care is a critical component of any thriving economy, including key relationships to a workforce health and underlying socio-economic stability. The strategy is welcomed in these respects.

 

 

·           Communications (Contact: Head of Communications) –

We'll look at how best to use communications support to help the organisation deliver the strategy.  Being able to articulate a clear vision and clearly defined priorities will directly benefit our work with partners and service users.  Individual elements of the strategy may benefit from targeted support, in terms of people knowing about a particular element of the work or to encourage people to take a particular action.

 

·           Data Protection and Privacy

Data protection impact assessments (DPIAs) are an essential part of our accountability obligations and is a legal requirement for any type of processing under UK data protection and privacy legislation. Failure to carry out a DPIA when required may leave the council open to enforcement action, including monetary penalties or fines.

 

DPIAs helps us to assess and demonstrate how we comply with all our data protection obligations.  It does not have to eradicate all risks but should help to minimise and determine whether the level of risk is acceptable in the circumstances, considering the benefits of what the council wants to achieve.

 

The relevant data protection requirements were completed for the consultation referenced in the report. Whilst processing of personal and/or special categories of personal data to compile the anonymised information in the report was undertaken, it is not likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals and mitigations are in place to minimise these identified risks.

 

·        Affordability (Contact: Director of Customer and Communities) -

 

‘As noted in the EqIA at Annex B, the strategy’s vision intends to reduce inequalities in health and wellbeing, making support easier to access for those in low-income groups.

·           Health and Wellbeing (Contact: enquiries.publichealth@york.gov.uk) –

Public Health supports the recommendations of the report.  The approach and priorities explained within the Adult Social Care Strategy supports the York Health & Wellbeing Strategy 2022-2032 to make good health more equal across the city. 

Risk Management

 

26.      There are no known risks, consultation was across a wide range of users of Adult Social Care, partners and staff.

 

 

Recommendations

27.         Members are asked to: 

a.   Support the vision, commitments, approaches, and priorities outlined in the Strategy

Reason: To allow a shared understanding of direction and purpose of Adult Social Care across the system

b.   Allow publication of the Adult Social Care Strategy

Reason: Enable clear communication of the city’s vision and priorities for adult social care.

c.   Support the next actions

Reason: Enable clear accountability for implementation and delivery on the strategy and ensure continued involvement from interested parties.

 

 

 

Contact Details

 

Author:

 

Chief Officer Responsible for the report:

Michael Melvin

Director, Safeguarding Adults

Adult Social Care and Integration

 

 

Sara Storey

Corporate Director, Adult Social Care

Adult Social Care and integration

 

Report Approved

ü

Date

24 September 2025

 

 

 

Wards Affected:  List wards or tick box to indicate all

All

ü

 

 

 

For further information please contact the author of the report

 

Background Papers:

 

None.

 

Annexes

 

·                    Annex A: Adult Social Care Strategy

·                    Annex B: EqIA

·                    Annex C: Full Consultation Results: https://www.york.gov.uk/adult-social-care/adult-social-care-strategy-consultation