New adult social care plan revealed in Hertfordshire to tackle loneliness

In February, the council approved its £1.2 billion budget for front-line services in the 2026-27 financial year that starts on April 1, with almost half of it (£563 million) earmarked for adult care services. The latest adult care services plan was formed with input from carers and service users, with a focus on support for unpaid carers and better integration of services to provide a “seamless” transition for users.

The plan has a new focus on tackling loneliness and social isolation, “which can have a harmful effect on individuals’ physical and mental health” as well as piling pressure on health and social care services.

The new strategy reveals that over the last year, 78,333 requests for support were made on behalf of 40,671 adults in the county – 72% of them for over-65s – a figure expected to rise as the older population grows. It adds: “Older adults report challenges around loneliness, access to information and timely support.”

Around 38,000 adults are supported by HCC’s adult care services each year, helped by over 43,000 unpaid carers. Around 32,000 people work across the social care workforce in the county. The proposed plan was discussed at a meeting of the council’s adult care services cabinet panel on Thursday, March 5.

Helen Maneuf, interim director for adult care services, said: “This is an important document for us in adult care which links us back into the corporate plan and the new priorities that have recently been set for us.

“It links into the work the heads of service in adult care will now take forward to set their service plans for the year ahead. So that forms our golden thread. It’s very much a public-facing plan and has been produced through good engagement with stakeholders.”

Cllr Tony Kingsbury (Con, Welwyn) said: “I think it’s an update on what we had before, isn’t it? It’s a small update on some of it but there’s a bit more in about loneliness and things, which I think is really important.”

He asked about the separate action plan required to deliver the strategy and was told this was still being worked through.

Cllr Sally Symington (Lib Dem, Tring), chair of the panel and HCC’s executive member for adult care services, said: “Obviously it does follow on from the previous plan. I think it’s fair to say that it had a bit of a robust challenge from [deputy executive member] Cllr Calvin Horner (Lib Dem, Bishop’s Stortford East) and me when it went through, for which there’s been quite a strong defence, I have to say.

“One of my challenges was surely we should be putting the delivery of adult care front and foremost? Actually, there was a big pushback on that. I totally accept the importance of the front door… what we were hearing from residents was the importance of communications and the sign-posting. That very much has remained our key priority.”

Kristy Thakur, deputy head of community wellbeing, said: “As Cllr Symington said, we did have quite a few conversations about this. But it was quite clear from the focus groups, especially the people who use our services and carers, that for them the main theme was about getting that correct information and advice.

“There’s that statutory duty that we have in adult care services but it’s more than that and it’s preventative services, the importance of reaching people as soon as they need that information. It’s really complicated and I think that came out through the focus groups.”