Agenda item

Report from the Executive Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health.

Recommendations:

That Cabinet:

1. Note the progress update in relation to the current Rotherham Adult Social Care Strategy 2024-2027.

2. Approve a formal consultation period to inform development of a Refreshed Adult Social Care Strategy 2027-2032.
   
   
3. Note that the outcomes of the consultation and the final Strategy will be presented to Cabinet in March 2027.

Consideration was given to the report which provided an update on the Rotherham Adult Social Care Strategy (2024 to 2027). It also sought formal approval to undertake a 90-day public consultation to inform the development of the new Adult Social Care Strategy, setting out how the consultation would be undertaken and providing an overview of the early engagement activity already completed. This timeline reflected that the existing Strategy ran until 2027 and that development of the new Strategy needed to begin now to ensure there was no gap without a strategy in place.

The 2024 priorities were:

-       Provide information and advice to support making informed choices. (Complete)

-       Prevent, reduce or delay a person’s care needs. (Complete)

-       Strengthen the voice of the person. (Complete)

-       Adopt new ways of meeting people’s needs. (In progress)

The 2025 priorities were:

-       Support young people with care and support needs to prepare for adulthood. (Complete)

-       Create more opportunities to work with partners to deliver positive outcomes for people. (Complete)

The 2026 priorities were:

-       Provide more opportunities for care and support closer to home. (In progress)

-       Work with the local care market to provide flexible services that meet people’s needs. (In progress)

Between January and March 2026, a working group was established with staff representation from all service areas who had input throughout this process and would continue to do so up to publication. Alongside this, the Council had been consistently engaging with the Adult Social Care Co-production Board, RASCAL. Those two groups helped to identify and connect with lived-experience groups across each service area. From April to June 2026, early engagement activity was undertaken, and was still being undertaken, to capture initial views and insights to inform and shape the public consultation. This had been done so that from the earliest stages, the contents and direction of the Strategy were influenced by the voices and priorities of the community and lived experience as well as being grounded in the experience of staff in both leadership and practitioner positions. This would provide the best opportunity to create a strategy that best met expectations and was achievable. Findings from engagement sessions to date had been grouped into five key themes as set out in section 4 of the report:

-       Clearer communication about Adult Social Care (what it is and what it offers).

-       Joined-up services (especially for complex needs).

-       Person-centred care and listening to lived experience.

-       Faster access and earlier support.

-       Community presence, relationships and prevention.

A 90-day public consultation would be conducted between August and October 2026. From November 2026 to March 2027, the Strategy would be developed and progressed through the relevant governance and approval processes, with a final Cabinet decision on the Strategy scheduled for 15 March 2027.

Councillor Allen sought assurance that work would continue on the priorities despite them being completed. Councillor Baker-Rogers confirmed that actions undertaken to complete the priorities were now considered normal working practice.

Resolved:

That Cabinet:

1.    Note the progress update in relation to the current Rotherham Adult Social Care Strategy 2024-2027.

2.    Approve a formal consultation period to inform development of a Refreshed Adult Social Care Strategy 2027-2032.

3.    Note that the outcomes of the consultation and the final Strategy will be presented to Cabinet in March 2027.