The Adult Social Care and Public Health Cabinet Committee met on Wednesday, 6 May 2026, to discuss a range of important issues affecting residents. Key decisions and discussions included the relaunch of the Health and Wellbeing Board, the development of a Neighbourhood Health Plan, an update on the Blue Badge scheme, and progress on adult safeguarding and social care campaigns.

Health and Wellbeing Board Relaunch and Neighbourhood Health Plan

The committee discussed the relaunch of the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) as the primary strategic partnership for health and wellbeing matters across Kent. This relaunch is prompted by national changes, including the abolishment of the Integrated Care Partnership, and aims to provide a more local focus. Councillor Stuart Jeffery, Leader of Maidstone Borough Council, raised concerns that the new HWB might become another large, non-local body, and questioned the timing given upcoming local government reorganisation. However, Professor Anjan Ghosh, Director of Public Health, assured members that the HWB would become more neighbourhood-focused and locally driven, with meetings potentially held in local areas.

A significant focus of the discussion was the development of a Neighbourhood Health Plan (NHP), which is a national NHS priority to be implemented from April 2027. The NHP will aim to improve health outcomes, reduce health inequalities, and support people to stay well at home. It will involve integrating services around individuals, improving access to primary care, and shifting resources from hospitals to community settings. Councillor Alex Ricketts questioned the scale of NHS neighbourhoods, initially misunderstanding them to be 350,000 people, but was clarified that they are intended to be between 30,000 and 50,000. There was also discussion about the lack of current data on GP waiting times, with the NHS expected to begin collecting this information.

Adult Social Care Performance and Safeguarding

The committee reviewed the Adult Social Care Performance Dashboard for Quarter 4 of 2025/2026. Councillor Diane Morton, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, highlighted positive trends, including no red-rated Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), increased demand managed by the Adult Social Care Connect service, and improvements in long-term admissions to residential and nursing care. However, concerns were raised about the average cost of new support packages, with Councillor Matthew Fraser Moat noting a potential 15% drop over six months. Helen Groombridge, Adult Social Care and Health Performance Manager, explained that this specific metric was subject to change and was being reviewed for removal from future reports.

An update on Adult Safeguarding was presented, emphasizing its importance as a core statutory function. The report highlighted a national increase in safeguarding concerns, with Kent seeing a 76% rise between 2016/17 and 2024/25. Councillor Trevor Shonk inquired about public engagement with safeguarding concerns and the availability of contact numbers, while Councillor Rob Yates requested more localised data for Thanet, which is the most deprived district in Kent. Catherine Collins, Interim Strategic Safeguarding Lead, confirmed that a public-facing online form on the Kent.gov website was available and accessible.

Blue Badge Scheme Update

An update on the Blue Badge scheme was provided, noting that Kent County Council is the largest Blue Badge Authority in England, receiving over 48,000 applications in 2025. Councillor Morton highlighted the vital service provided to support residents' independence. Michael Thomas-Sam, Director of Operations (Short Term Support), explained that eligibility is based on functional mobility rather than diagnosis. Councillor Connie Nolan raised concerns about the potential for national criteria changes regarding badge duration and the inclusion of a wider range of conditions, particularly for those with debilitating conditions who may not be nearing end of life.

Adult Social Care Campaigns

Two key campaigns were presented: Someone's Listening for working family carers and the Know How to Start campaign for preventative services. Lisa Clinton, Strategic Involvement and Information Lead, detailed how the Someone's Listening campaign aims to support carers juggling work and caring responsibilities, with resources for both carers and employers. Councillor Rob Yates asked for more information on the uptake of carers' allowance, and a written response was promised. The Know How to Start campaign, led by Gina Walton, Assistant Director, Commissioning and Partnerships, aims to direct people towards preventative services earlier by providing streamlined information and signposting through a new section on the Kent.gov.uk website.

Other Business

The committee also noted the Work Programme for 2025-2026. The meeting concluded with the noting of the Adult Social Care Performance Dashboard, the Adult Safeguarding Update, the Health and Wellbeing Board report, the Neighbourhood Health Plan, the Blue Badge Update, and the Adult Social Care Campaigns update.