The Adult Social Care and Public Health Cabinet Committee of Kent County Council met on Wednesday, 6 May 2026, to discuss a range of important issues concerning the provision of adult social care and public health services across the county. Key decisions and discussions included the recommissioning of suicide prevention services, the extension of the Every Day Life Activities contract, and updates on adult safeguarding, performance dashboards, and public health campaigns. The committee also reviewed the future role of the Health and Wellbeing Board, the development of a Neighbourhood Health Plan, and the ongoing administration of the Blue Badge scheme.

Verbal Updates by Cabinet Members, Director of Public Health and Corporate Director

Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Georgia Foster, provided an update on her initial weeks in the role, highlighting visits to services such as Cliftonville Library and Westview Integrated Care Centre, and acknowledging the dedication of staff. She also drew attention to recent awareness campaigns, including Carers Week and Learning Disability Week. Jamie Henderson, Cabinet Member for Environment, Coastal Regeneration and Public Health, discussed public health messaging regarding extreme heat, visits to drug and alcohol recovery services, and the upcoming meningitis B vaccination programme. Dr Anjan Ghosh, Director of Public Health, reinforced advice on hot weather, provided an update on the Health and Wellbeing Board refresh, and mentioned progress on a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) inspection. Helen Woodland, Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Health, spoke about her first days in the role, progress made in Adult Social Care since a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection, and ongoing work to improve hospital discharge pathways and strengthen integrated working.

The committee noted these verbal updates.

Adult Social Care Performance Dashboard

Victoria Tovey, Assistant Director of Integrated Commissioning, presented the Adult Social Care Performance Dashboard for Quarter 4 of the 2025/2026 financial year. The report indicated a generally positive performance despite ongoing transformation activity. Of the fourteen Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), four were rated green, six amber, and one red. Discussions covered the proportion of first-time sexual health patients receiving a full screen, the impact of provider transitions on the One You Kent service, and the rationale for using text message invitations for NHS Health Checks.

The committee noted the performance of adult social care services in Quarter 4 2025/2026 and the new suite of indicators for 2026/2027.

Adult Safeguarding Update

The committee received an update on adult safeguarding, highlighting its importance as a core statutory function of the local authority. The report detailed the national context, including concerns raised by Baroness Casey regarding adult safeguarding failures and the increasing number of safeguarding concerns nationally and locally. It outlined the process for raising safeguarding concerns, the role of the Kent and Medway Safeguarding Adults Board (KMSAB), and provided data analysis on concerns received. The update also covered key safeguarding activities, partnership working, and progress made in response to the CQC Improvement Plan.

The committee noted and commented on the content of the report.

Health and Wellbeing Board

Dr Anjan Ghosh, Director of Public Health, introduced the paper on the development of the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board. He explained that the board, a statutory committee of Kent County Council, was being reimagined to become the main strategic partnership for health and well-being across Kent, following the dissolution of the Integrated Care Partnership. The review, led by the Local Government Association, identified challenges such as stark health inequalities and the need for a more functional and impactful board. Opportunities included leveraging the Marmot Coastal Region initiative and developing a Neighbourhood Health Plan. Proposed changes to membership and working methods were discussed, aiming for more informal, discussion-based meetings held in local areas.

The committee noted the report and commented on the outlined approach.

Neighbourhood Health Plan

Dr Mike Gogarty, Strategic Lead and Public Health Consultant, presented the Neighbourhood Health Framework and the proposed approach to developing a Neighbourhood Health Plan for Kent. The framework, driven by the NHS, aims to improve health outcomes, reduce hospital admissions, and enhance access to primary care. The plan, to be developed over the coming year and implemented from April 2027, will align local priorities with national NHS objectives and will be led by the Health and Wellbeing Board. Discussions covered the definition of neighbourhood, the potential for resource shifts from hospitals to community settings, and the need for robust data and partnership working.

The committee noted the report and commented on the outlined approach.

Blue Badge Update

The committee received an update on the Blue Badge Service, highlighting its role in providing parking concessions for individuals with severe mobility issues. KCC, as the largest Blue Badge Authority in England, handles a significant volume of applications. The report detailed the tiered assessment model, key statistics on demand and demographics, and achievements such as improved assessment efficiencies and robust decision-making processes. Challenges included the increasing demand and areas outside of KCC's control, such as badge fee and duration, which are set nationally by the Department for Transport.

The committee noted the content of the report.

Update on Adult Social Care Campaigns

Lisa Clinton, Strategic Involvement and Information Lead, provided an update on two key campaigns: Someone's Listening for working carers and the Know How to Start campaign. The Someone's Listening campaign aims to support carers balancing paid work and caring responsibilities, and to inform employers about carers' rights. The Know How to Start campaign focuses on encouraging people to engage with preventative services earlier by providing streamlined information and signposting to local groups, activities, and services. Both campaigns were developed in co-production with individuals with lived experience.

The committee noted the content of the presentation.

Work Programme

The committee noted the Work Programme for the upcoming period.