The Health and Adults Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Panel were scheduled to meet to discuss the progress of social care in Doncaster, the Doncaster Carers Journey, and the Overview and Scrutiny Work Plan.

Social Care in Doncaster: 2025 Progress to date

The panel was scheduled to discuss a report updating on the progress against the twelve priorities in Your Care and Support 2025 , Doncaster's local account for adult social care. The report summarised performance over the last year, and described priorities for the following year.

The report noted that councils in England are expected to publish an annual local account on adult social care. Doncaster's 2025 local account was approved by the cabinet in January. Each year, the account is co-produced with residents, drawing on their feedback and lived experiences. The 2026 version was shortly to be in development.

The report was organised under six national 'Making It Real' themes, taken from the national Making it Real framework developed by Think Local Act Personal (TLAP):

• Wellbeing and independence
• Information and advice
• Active and supportive communities
• Flexible and integrated care and support
• When things need to change
• Workforce

Under each theme, I statements set out what people should expect, and We statements set out what services must do. The focus is on practical outcomes that matter most to the people who receive adult social care services and support: better information, stronger community connections, timely support, and staying in control of one's own life.

The report stated that this approach is consistent with expectations set by The Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England. Councils are assessed based on the I and We statements to ensure services are safe, effective, compassionate and high quality, and that people's rights and dignity are respected.

Your Care and Support is developed and overseen by the Making It Real Board, co-chaired by Helen Stirland, a local resident, and Councillor David Nevett, the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care.

The twelve priorities of Your Care and Support were listed as:

1. Work with even more people with lived experience of care and support to make good changes happen in Adult Social Care.
2. Develop and support the wellbeing of people working in Adult Social Care so they can support people in Doncaster to live their best lives.
3. Make things fairer and more equal for people in Doncaster.
4. Information about rights, advocacy and care and support is easy for people to find and understand.
5. Continue to improve what happens when people first ask for some support from Adult Social Care. We want to make sure we listen to people and understand what matters most to them.
6. More disabled people can get the right job for them.
7. People have more choice and control about care and support at home.
8. Develop care and support in the communities you live in.
9. Help more people to leave hospital and have more freedom.
10. Improve the way we work with young people who need care and support, to make sure they get the right help when they become adults.
11. Improve the care and support for people who have nowhere to live or sleep outside.
12. Improve the support and information available to carers.

The report included a table setting out how Doncaster compared nationally in relation to how people feel about adult social care in each council area.

Doncaster Carers Journey 2025 Progress Report

The panel was scheduled to discuss a report setting out key progress made towards the priorities identified in Doncaster's Carers Journey 2025 , a co-produced plan for improving support for unpaid carers.

The Doncaster's Carers Journey 2025 sets out a vision for Doncaster to be a place where unpaid carers are recognised, valued and supported as partners in care. The Doncaster's Carers Journey 2025 sets out priorities agreed by carers and key public services, developed through partnership with the Carers Action Group and Carers Strategic Oversight Board.

The 2025 Journey includes 43 priorities structured around six consistent themes:

• Identification
• Recognition
• Information and Advice
• Rights
• Connection
• Independence and Wellbeing

The report stated that recent feedback from carers and partners has highlighted the need to focus on a smaller number of shared, partnership priorities that are meaningful and measurable, rather than attempting to monitor all 43 in detail.

Overview and Scrutiny Work Plan and the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions

The panel were scheduled to review the Overview and Scrutiny Work Plan for 2025/26¹ and the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions².