Council and democracy

Social care and support for adults

The Adult Care Services works closely with health services, district councils, voluntary organisations and other agencies. We use our resources to arrange, develop and provide care and support in the community for older people and adults. People who have learning disabilities, physical disabilities, who are deaf, hard of hearing or are visually impaired.

The council also funds mental health services, which are now provided by Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

About 1 in 20 people ask for our help each year. Our aim is to help people to live as independently as possible and to do this we provide information, advice and support to people and their carers who are struggling to cope with everyday life. The help that we arrange for people varies according to our assessment of the person’s individual needs. In Hertfordshire, ‘social services’ is provided by two county council departments - Adult Care Services and Children, Schools & Families Service.

Our name – Adult Care Services – may still be new to some people but the county council’s commitment to providing quality social and community care remains unchanged. We continue to work very closely with our partner organisations to plan, commission and deliver prompt, effective social care services. About 80 per cent of all the services we arrange are purchased from the voluntary or independent sector. So making sure that the services others provide are up to standard is an important part of our work.