Engagement

Working closely with our partners, we will place people and communities at the heart of our decision making, raise aspirations and create career opportunities to ensure we have a thriving workforce, establish and deliver quality and effectiveness in the services that we provide, and we will continue to provide joined-up care and support that meet the needs of the people of Wakefield.

Prevention & Independence

Shift commissioning towards prevention and early intervention
Expand Independence at Home and reablement
Embed TEC‑first within commissioned pathways/ Least restrictive – reducing residential, 2-1/1-1
Reduce reliance on long‑term care
Develop our offer for Direct Payments and individual service funds

Integrated, Place‑Based Support

Commission a stronger community and VCSE offer
Commission integrated health, care and housing pathways
Prioritise carers and dementia prevention

Sustainable Market & Workforce

Shape a sustainable, outcome‑focused care market
Transform care sourcing and brokerage including for specialist/complex referrals
Embed workforce wellbeing and trauma‑informed practice
Develop market for Mental Health provision

Contact was made with care providers, those located within Wakefield, working within the area but based outside the district, or potentially interested in developing in the area. Opportunity was made through a Market Engagement exercise on YORtender, through the Registered Managers’ Networks and Care Association.

The following priorities were identified:

Stabilise the workforce, improving the offer of working in the care sector and increase retention of people within the sector through career progression opportunities.
Understanding of the increase in demand for complex care, including the support to providers to know what is expected of them and ensure consistency in approach.
Improve communication across the health and care system, between care providers, local authority and the integrated care board.
Clearer direction of growth and gaps in the market, with increased opportunity for contracts and frameworks that allow space for providers to develop their quality and plan for future demand.

Within Wakefield, we have a commitment to co-production with people with lived experience, below are comments provided through the Citizen Panel and Making it Real Board, from the questions around adult social care and the care market.

“We would like a standard of training for care workers delivering ‘hands on support’, with the preference that training is done in person, not online. With this to be monitored to ensure care providers are following the standards.”

“We want improved and efficient monitoring of the quality of care provided. Ensuring accountability and proactive responses to concerns and issues in quality.”

“We want investment into the awareness of care values, and for increased vocational opportunities to develop the next generation of social care workforce.”

“We want better signposting, and support, to self-service access to information about social care within Wakefield.”

“We want better communication on what is available and 'what is going on' within Wakefield, as opportunities to access support or information days.”