Corporate plan

• 752 children had a Child Protection Plan on 31 March 2022 (575 as at 31 March 2020).
• 23 children were adopted (2021/2022).
• 336 children are in foster care (March 2022The Council received 4394 applications for homelessness assistance in 2022 (January to December).
• The budget for adult social care has increased 58.6% since 2015.
• There were 59.6 crimes per 1,000 people (72.4 per 1,000 for Thames Valley) for the period April 2021 – March 2022, Safer Buckinghamshire Partnership Strategic Assessment 2023.
• 66% of adult social care clients were satisfied with the care and support they received - only 6% were unsatisfied.
• 76% of people using Adult Social Care services saying that they had either adequate or as much social contact as they would like (2021/2022).

While most people in Buckinghamshire live independent and healthy lives, some need extra support and protection. We know that the number of children and adults who need this extra help is increasing. There are also rising numbers of people with mental health difficulties, special educational needs, disabilities, and complex needs.

We want to give everyone the best chances in life, so that – together with their families and carers - they are resilient and can identify their own solutions. We will continue to work with our partners, social care providers and communities to innovate and improve our offer of support to vulnerable residents, including helping people recover from illness sooner, promoting fostering and adoption, and reducing social isolation and loneliness.

Our goal is to reduce inequalities and give everyone the support and skills they need to live independent, happy, and fulfilling lives.

We want:

• children, adults, and families to feel safe and supported to live independent lives
• our older, disabled, and vulnerable people to receive the right support at the right time

Working with partners we will:

• develop and deliver our offer of support for residents who need it most. This includes help with food, energy and essential household costs; support to stay warm; and coordination of community-based initiatives through our Helping Hand service
• work with the police, PCC and partners to help prevent crime, reduce the fear of crime and understand the issues around women’s safety and fear of violence and adopting a zero-tolerance approach to domestic abuse
• provide care for all those who are unable to help themselves, working with the NHS to give residents the choice and support to stay in their own home should they wish to
• make sure children and adults, particularly those that are vulnerable, are healthy, safe and protected from harm and continue to improve the services we provide, including delivering the Happier, Healthier Lives strategy
• work with residents, partners and stakeholders to virtually eliminate rough sleeping, and reduce homelessness, addressing the root causes of both
• work in partnership with the NHS and voluntary groups to reduce problems such as drug abuse, alcoholism, and unhealthy lifestyles. Aligning services with the NHS where this benefits residents
• work with our partners to understand and prepare implementation of the Government’s new social care reforms and the Health and Care Act, which sets out the Integrated Care System to ensure it best suits the needs of our residents
• encourage children in school to adopt healthy lifestyles and encourage them to exercise more, eat a healthy diet and spend more time with their friends and less on the internet
• work with schools to encourage more cycling and walking to schools through the implementation of school travel plans and through working with the community to put in place measures to aid journeys to school which are not made by private car