Prevention and early help
- People can access early help consistently, before crisis, with timely, joined-up support at the right level.
- Communities, carers, partners and staff share a clear understanding of Somerset’s preventative offer and how to access it.
- Information, advice and signposting are simple and accessible through multiple routes, so no one is excluded.
- Strong, well-connected community preventative services are available, with sustainable local capacity.
- Key life events and transitions (e.g. diagnosis, hospital discharge, becoming a carer, transition to adulthood) trigger proactive support, including early carer identification, advocacy, safeguarding and clear guidance on costs.
Right support, right time, right place
- People can access timely, joined-up assessments and support, reducing delays and avoidable crisis.
- Services are easy to understand and navigate, with clear pathways so people don’t get passed between teams or have to repeat their story.
- Communication is consistent and transparent at every step, so people know what is happening, why decisions are made, and what will happen next.
- Support is person-centred and fair, adapting to people’s needs and circumstances (including complex needs) with clear ownership and accountability.
- Communities have accessible local support, including rural areas, with coordinated hospital discharge and consistent support for carers and families
A supported, skilled and flexible workforce
- People experience consistent, relationship-based support from a stable workforce, building trust, continuity and confidence in care.
- People get the right help at the right time because staff have manageable workloads, wellbeing support and capacity for preventative, reflective practice.
- People receive high-quality, proportionate support because staff are empowered to make timely decisions with less duplication and unnecessary bureaucracy.
- People’s needs are understood and responded to consistently, including trauma-informed practice and a strong understanding of neurodiversity, dementia, acquired brain injury and hidden disabilities.
- Carers and communities are treated as partners, with clear communication and follow-through, and with sustainable voluntary and micro-provider support available locally.
Future focussed
- People know what adult social care is, what it can (and can’t) do, and how to get help, so support is visible, accessible and easier to navigate.
- People receive clear, plain-English communication that feels human, respectful and easy to understand.
- People with lived experience and carers shape services through genuine co-production and can see the impact through strong “you said, we did” feedback loops.
- People experience joined-up, wellbeing-focused support across adult social care, health, housing and the voluntary/community sector, making best use of community assets and local organisations.
- People can trust the system because decisions are transparent and accountable, with honest conversations about resources and a shared focus on prevention (including access to suitable housing and accommodation).