Why prevention matters

When prevention works well, it empowers people to continue living in the homes and places they love, surrounded by the people and things that give their lives meaning. It reduces the distress and disorientation that often comes with crises such as falls or emergency hospital admissions. It supports carers in their vital roles and helps preserve the family relationships that are so fundamental to wellbeing in later life.This human-centred approach to care aligns with what people themselves want – to remain independent, connected, and in control of their own lives for as long as possible.

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.

However, delivering effective prevention at scale remains a challenge in an adult social care sector which is facing rising need, unprecedented financial pressures, and significant workforce constraints. The need for a system-wide shift towards prevention has never been more necessary - without decisive action to fully embed a more preventative approach, outcomes for individuals will continue to be compromised and the sustainability of the adult social care system is at risk.

You can find out more about the financial imperative and the policy mandate for prevention the following pages.