One of the most important responsibilities we have as a council is ensuring that older residents and those who rely on social care can live with dignity, choice, and independence. Independence means having control over your life, your home, and your future.

Too often, the conversation about care focuses on what people can’t do. We want to flip that: we want the conversation to be about what people can do and how we help people to do more.

This means supporting people to do more for themselves, with the right help, when they need it. That means investing in preventative services, making homes safer and more accessible, and ensuring care is tailored to the individual—not a one-size-fits-all system.

We’ve already seen success. Our falls prevention programme is helping residents stay safe and confident at home, reducing hospital admissions. Through direct payments, we give people the freedom to choose the care that works best for them. Our reablement service supports recovery after illness or injury, helping people regain independence quickly. And we’re ensuring that people return home from hospital stays sooner, with the right support in place.

Independence is not a privilege — it’s a right. And, as demand for care grows, we will continue to champion that right for every resident because we are on your side.

Our council values all our residents and are starting point will always people helping people to live the lives they want to live. For people who need support to be more independent, we are delivering.