Consultation on further integration between Derbyshire County Council & Derbyshire Community Health Services

Message received from Derbyshire County Council:

Derbyshire County Council and Derbyshire Community Health Services have approved a proposal to hold a joint public consultation. This will help us understand whether there is support for entering a formal partnership underpinned by combining the budgets for assessment and reablement activities across both organisations. The public consultation starts on 5 December until 16 January 2025. If the proposals are approved - this would enable us to work jointly to deliver a range of assessment and reablement services aimed at helping people remain independently at home for as long as possible.

How to take part

We would like to hear your views on the proposals, and you can take part by providing your feedback in any of the following ways:

• By email – email your feedback to tell.adultcare@derbyshire.gov.uk

• Questionnaire - Online – standard format https://online1.snapsurveys.com/Sect75

• Questionnaire – Paper (available on request)

During a recent public consultation conducted by Derbyshire County Council around its directly provided services for older people, we heard from partners and stakeholders that there could be advantages from more closely aligning our assessment and reablement activities across Derbyshire Community Health Services and Derbyshire County Council adult care. We are already doing this informally using multi-professional assessments, by sharing skills, training and development. A formal partnership with combined budgets would allow us to take this further - this is known as a section 75 agreement.

We want the people of Derbyshire who leave hospital or who's health and care needs change at home, to be supported to regain as much independence as possible in either a community support setting or in their own home and we want them to have a clear, consistent and easy to navigate experience.

We want to understand from the public, those directly affected and stakeholders, what the implications of a formal partnership might be. We will work together openly and collaboratively across Derbyshire Community Health Services and Derbyshire County Council adult care to fully understand if, and how, our assessment and reablement activities could be improved. We are committed to sharing as much information as we can throughout the decision-making process.

Once the public consultation has closed, the feedback received will be carefully analysed. A recommendations paper will be considered by both organisations in early spring.