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What is targeted proactive prevention?
There are many different forms of prevention, from broad-scale public health campaigns to highly targeted interventions for specific groups. Preventative interventions can also be offered at different stages in a person’s journey. While all forms of prevention are valuable, this programme focuses on targeted, proactive prevention for older people - where there is a clear opportunity to demonstrably and measurably improve individual outcomes in the short to medium term while reducing system pressures.
Understanding proactive prevention
Unlike general prevention efforts aimed at the wider population, targeted, proactive prevention is about identifying individuals at risk of crisis and intervening early with tailored support. This approach moves beyond reactive responses to deliver the right support, at the right time, in the right way - before needs escalate.
This focus is crucial given the challenges facing adult social care:
People in these cohorts are at risk of crisis – data allows local authorities to proactively identify those who would benefit most from early intervention.
It enables the rapid development of an evidence base for prevention – demonstrating impact strengthens the case for long-term investment.
By responding to today’s pressures, capacity is freed up for further prevention – preventing crisis reduces demand for urgent, costly interventions, creating space for more proactive support.
The benefits of this approach go beyond adult social care. Taking a more targeted approach to identifying individuals who would best benefit from preventative services not only improves outcomes for those individuals but also provides a holistic view of people at the highest risk who will be drawing on multiple services and who therefore might require additional focus and support. In doing so, this approach also has the potential to highlight opportunities for public services to interact with residents in a different way so that they benefit from a more holistic approach, preventing future crises in all aspects of their lives rather than reactively respond to individual moments of crisis.
