Issue - meetings

ORDERED that Executive approve the Adult Social Care & Integration Vision and Strategy 2025–2035, along with the 2026/7 delivery plan.

The Executive Member for Adult Social Care submitted a report for Executive consideration. The purpose of the report was to seek approval for the Adult Social Care and Integration Vision and Strategy.

The Executive Member stated that current service models within Adult Social Care were coming under increasing pressure and were unsustainable due to rising demand for adult social care.

Middlesbrough experienced high levels of deprivation and persistent health inequalities with some of the highest levels of health inequality and poverty nationally. This impacted on life expectancy and wellbeing as well as contributing to higher levels and crime and poverty.

As such there was a need to assess issues facing service users to maintain their dignity and independence. This required a shift to prevention and early intervention to provide better outcomes for residents, which included providing care within people’s own homes.

At this point in the meeting the Executive Members for Development and Finance, respectively, arrived at the meeting.

The Executive Member for Adult Social Care continued by stating Adult Social Care services were fragmented. Existing systems lacked full integration across health, housing, and voluntary sectors, limiting efficiency and outcomes for residents.

There was also a need to modernise and innovate, as technology had progressed significantly in recent years. As such the strategy introduced digital technology, Artificial Intelligence, and community-based solutions to improve independence and reduce reliance on costly long-term care.

The Vision included alignment with statutory duties and national policy such as the Care Act 2014 and the national integration agenda, which required councils to adopt person-centred, strength-based approaches, making the strategy essential for compliance and transformation.

A Member queried if the introduction of Artificial Intelligence would replace jobs in the service. It was clarified that the use of Artificial Intelligence would not replace staff, it would instead enhance service provision.

The Mayor commented that he welcomed the Vision and stated that it was right to focus on people living their best life rather than what others think it should be.

OPTIONS

Two options were submitted as part of the report:

·         Maintain the status quo: This was not recommended due to the expected demand pressures during the lifetime of this strategy.

·         Short-term plan only: This would lack strategic direction and sustainability and would offer no long term framework for the workforce.

ORDERED that Executive approve the Adult Social Care & Integration Vision and Strategy 2025–2035, along with the 2026/7 delivery plan.

REASONS

In some aspects of Adult Social care the current service models were unsustainable; the strategy introduced prevention, digital innovation, and co-production.

The strategy aligned with the delivery of Middlesbrough Council’s statutory duties under The Care Act 2014, and national policy. It was an essential component in setting our strategic direction for the purposes of the CQC Inspection framework.

The strategy outlined the direction of travel to support financial resilience and improved outcomes.