Understanding targeted prevention

All prevention opportunities are valuable (whether more upstream efforts focussed at the many, or targeted and proactive prevention focused on specific individuals most at risk). However, they require different strategies, approaches, and delivery models.

The Future of Prevention programme focuses specifically on targeted prevention for older people, since this provides clear opportunity to demonstrably and measurably improve individual outcomes in the short to medium term.

Effective and targeted proactive prevention enables people to live better, more fulfilling lives on their own terms. It prevents or delays individuals and families from reaching the point of crisis – whether that be avoiding a fall, carer breakdown, or social isolation.

The focussed scope of this programme recognises the reality facing adult social care: starting with groups of people most at risk of crisis in the short to medium term enables local authorities to show clear outcome improvements quickly whilst creating capacity for further upstream preventative work later on.