The Adult Social Care and Public Health Cabinet Committee of Kent County Council met on Wednesday, 11 March 2026, to discuss a range of important issues concerning the provision of adult social care and public health services. Key decisions included the approval of a new framework for all-age homecare services, a significant financial commitment to ensure the sustainability of these vital services. The committee also reviewed performance dashboards for both adult social care and public health, alongside a comprehensive risk management report highlighting potential challenges and mitigation strategies.

Verbal Updates from Cabinet Member and Directors

Diane Morton, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, provided an update on National No Smoking Day, encouraging residents to quit smoking. She also touched upon the rising demand for Blue Badges, noting that applications had increased significantly, and stressed the importance of detailed applications for quicker decision-making. Baroness Casey's findings and recommendations on adult social care safeguarding were discussed, with concerns raised about repeated failures and the call for a national safeguarding board. The significant shortcomings in the national response to dementia were also highlighted, with a call for it to be recognised as a clinical priority. Ms Morton also mentioned the upcoming Marmot launch in Dover, an initiative focused on public health and wider determinants of health.

Dr Anjan Ghosh, Director of Public Health, elaborated on the Marmot launch, emphasizing its strategic and operational importance. He discussed work on wider determinants of health and the built environment, and a Kent and Medway Summit on Employment, Skills and Health. A visit from the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Deanery led to the establishment of a programme to develop a centre of excellence for public health in Kent. Dr Ghosh also informed the committee about changes to the childhood immunisation schedule, including the introduction of a chickenpox vaccine, and the development of an alcohol licensing tool by the Kent Public Health Observatory. He also mentioned the creation of mental health indicators to support the age well and live a good later life initiative, and the launch of the Forever Active programme.

Sarah Hammond, Interim Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Health, provided an update on the Adult Social Care framework, noting the significant risks associated with market sustainability. She acknowledged the overspend peaked at £51 million but had been brought under control through strengthened spending controls. Ms Hammond also mentioned the refresh of the Adult Social Care and Public Health Performance Indicator Suite, which would be presented to members once finalised.

Adult Social Care Performance Dashboard

The committee received an update on the Adult Social Care Performance Dashboard for Quarter 3 (October to December 2025/2026). Helen Groombridge, Adult Social Care and Health Performance Manager, presented the data, highlighting a reduction in contacts and repeat contacts, and an improvement in the timeliness of assessments. While most Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were rated Green or Amber, one indicator, ASCH7 (percentage of people supported in a residential setting with a Good or Outstanding CQC rating), had moved from Amber to Red. This was attributed to a series of recent inspections resulting in an increased proportion of homes being rated as inadequate or awaiting inspection outcomes. The report noted that while demand for services remained high, particularly for Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards applications, and safeguarding concerns remained elevated, there were positive trends in areas such as reablement outcomes and the proportion of people receiving direct payments.

Public Health Performance Dashboard

Victoria Tovey, Assistant Director of Integrated Commissioning, presented the Public Health Performance Dashboard for Quarter 3 (October to December 2025/2026). Out of 14 KPIs, five were rated Green (met or exceeded target), and six were Amber (below target but above the floor standard). Four KPIs were not available at the time of reporting, relating to substance misuse and smoking cessation services. The report also proposed several changes to KPIs for 2026/2027 to focus attention on priority areas and drive continuous improvement. Notable updates included strong performance in health visiting, with Kent excelling in delivery rates for mandated reviews compared to other local authorities in the South East.

Risk Management: Adult Social Care and Public Health

Mark Scrivener, Head of Risk and Delivery Assurance, presented the risk management reports for both Adult Social Care and Public Health. For Adult Social Care, the highest risk identified was CRR0015, Sustainability of the social care market, rated as High, reflecting sustained structural pressures related to finances and workforce. Other high-rated risks included the failure to deliver effective Adult Social Care Services in line with statutory requirements (CRR0064) and the ASCH Recommissioning Programme (CRR0066). For Public Health, the highest risks were PH0005, Health Inequalities, and PH0102, Increased prevalence of mental health conditions and impact of wellbeing on mental health, both rated High. The committee discussed the implications of these risks and the mitigation strategies in place.

All Age Home Care Services Key Decision

Helen Gillivan, Interim Director of Adults and Integrated Commissioning, presented the report on the commissioning of an Open Framework All Age Home Care Service. The current contracts for homecare, care and support in prisons, and community support services for disabled children were due to expire in 2027, necessitating a new commissioning approach. The proposed solution was to reprocure a new All Age Home Care Service using external providers through a new Procurement Act 2023 compliant Open Framework. This approach aims to ensure high-quality, person-centred care, value for money, sustainable pricing, workforce stability, and market resilience. The estimated annual value of the new contract is approximately £89.7 million, with a lifetime value of around £807 million over eight years. The committee was asked to consider and endorse the proposed decision.

Work Programme

The committee noted the Work Programme for 2025/2026 and 2026/2027, which outlines upcoming agenda items and key decisions.

Other Discussions

During the verbal updates, members discussed the financial position of Adult Social Care, with Diane Morton confirming that while final figures were not yet available, the budget deficit had been stabilised. Jamie Henderson, Cabinet Member for Environment, Coastal Regeneration and Public Health, highlighted the importance of his role in addressing health inequalities and welcomed the refresh of the Health and Wellbeing Board. Dr Anjan Ghosh provided further details on the meningitis outbreak in Canterbury, confirming 21 cases and two deaths, and outlined ongoing work on public health transformation and new initiatives. Sarah Hammond reported on a period of stability within the Adult Social Care Directorate and ongoing work with NHS England to address high levels of safeguarding referrals.

The committee also discussed the Adult Social Care Performance Dashboard, with Helen Groombridge explaining the rationale behind certain indicators and Helen Gillivan and Sydney Hill providing further context on direct payments and provider engagement. Michael Thomas-Sam, Director of Operations (Short-Term Support), provided an update on adult safeguarding, highlighting rising demand and ongoing improvement work. Dr Anjan Ghosh and Dr Mark Gogarty presented the refreshed Health and Wellbeing Board and the Neighbourhood Health Plan, emphasizing the importance of local collaboration and preventative approaches. Finally, the Blue Badge scheme was discussed, with Mr Thomas-Sam confirming efforts to influence discussions for longer durations and Ms Hammond explaining the national eligibility criteria and financial pressures of administering the scheme.