Devon County Council is set to appoint a strategic transformation partner, Newton Consulting Ltd, to help reshape its adult social care services amid rising demand and financial pressures.
The move, outlined in a report to our Cabinet today (Wednesday 12 November), comes as the council grapples with increasing costs and a growing number of people needing support, particularly those transitioning from children’s services and those with complex mental health needs.
Councillors were asked to approve the procurement of an external partner to support a major transformation programme aimed at making adult social care more sustainable, person-centred, and focused on promoting independence.
The transformation will focus on four key areas:
- Improving outcomes for people through social work and personalised care
- Reducing reliance on residential care by expanding housing options and community support
- Boosting workforce capacity in a sector struggling with recruitment and retention
- Delivering better value for money in a system where demand continues to outstrip budget capacity
Councillors were warned that without significant change, the council risks being unable to meet its statutory duties.
It highlights that six out of 13 service areas are currently rated as high risk, although this is down from over 10 earlier in the year thanks to ongoing management efforts.
Councillor Richard Keeling, Cabinet Member with responsibility for adult social care, said:
“We are entering a new phase of service improvement and transformation in integrated adult social care, focused on designing care that is sustainable, person-centred, and responsive to people’s needs.
“To support this work, we want to partner with Newton Consulting – an organisation with a strong track record in health and care transformation.
“As our strategic transformation partner, Newton will be expected to work alongside us to co-design and implement changes over the next two years to improve outcomes for people and identify opportunities to deliver financial savings.
“We are committed to working collaboratively with providers, local authorities, and system partners to ensure that improvements are meaningful, achievable, and aligned with our shared goals.
“It is important to us that any transformation partner we work with is also committed to this approach.”
The Cabinet’s greenlight today will allow the procurement process to begin.