Council and democracy

Introduction to the Adult Care Services Plan

The role of Adult Care Services
Hertfordshire County Council’s Adult Care Services department is responsible for assessing the social care needs of older people and adults who have learning disabilities, sensory loss or physical disabilities, or mental health difficulties. The department is also responsible for arranging, and in some instances providing, services for these groups.

Adult Care Services has statutory duties that it must carry out when working with people who may be at risk and the department’s primary focus is to support people, where at all possible, in their own homes and in the community.

Working in partnership
Although Adult Care Services has a specific role, it is increasingly important that this is done in partnership with other organisations for the benefit of the people using the services. These partners include family carers, community groups, health services, district councils, other county council services and voluntary and independent providers. In some areas of the department’s work, integrated services are already being delivered – such as the bringing together of health and social care services through a partnership with Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

The aim of the department is to provide integrated services to people who need help – and their carers – when they most need them, but also to encourage the widest access to provision in the community in order to help people remain healthy and independent.