Have your say on city social care
CITY people will have their say about a “bold and ambitious” new plan for care and support for older and disabled people.
Nottingham City Council has created a strategy – called Better Lives, Better Outcomes – for adult social care which will run over the next five years.
Now it is seeking feedback from the public.
The new plan will look at how communities and the council can work together to ensure people are supported.
It is looking at how loneliness and isolation in older people and disabled people can be avoided.
The scheme focuses on helping people to stay independent wherever possible.
Councillor Sam Webster, portfolio holder for adults and health, who is launching the consultation, said: “Nottingham needs a sustainable social care system to help people live better lives – but we need everyone to work together to help us shape this.
“We have a bold and ambitious strategy for improving lives, based on supporting people to do what they can for themselves; helping friends and families to provide the best possible support; and providing connections to others who can help from within Nottingham’s caring communities.”
The council says Nottingham faces double the impact of higher levels of deprivation, meaning more people rely on state support – alongside lower lev- els of funding raised through council tax.
Councillor Webster added: “Where people do need more support, that support will promote wellness and maximise independence. For those who can pay for and arrange their own services, we will signpost them where necessary.
“Our ambitious strategy sets out how we intend to better support adults in Nottingham. At the heart is the development of a financial strategy to enable a sustainable social care system. “We are calling our strategy Better Lives, Better Outcomes, which reflects our ambition for Nottingham to be one of the best cities for adults in need of support to live well.”
The council has set out how people can work with it in the new framework:
■ Prevention: promoting healthy lifestyles and intervening early when wellbeing is at risk to avoid crisis and loss of independence.
■ Community connections: ensuring people can connect to the support in their neighbourhoods, ensuring no one is socially isolated and lonely.
■ Independent lives: supporting personal and community resilience to reduce dependence on council-funded support.
■ Choice and control: putting people in the driving seat, shaping solutions around the outcomes that matter for individuals.
The consultation is open until September 30. Take part at /www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/engage-nottinghamhub/open-consultations/ adult-social-care-strategy/