Managing demand in adult social care: A dual approach to future-proofing services

With increasing demand, workforce shortages, and tightening budgets, local authorities across the UK are facing immense pressure to deliver high-quality care while managing resources effectively. To address these challenges, innovative solutions are essential. A dual approach that combines self-assessment and strengths-based working is proving to be a game-changer for councils, enabling them to better manage demand and improve outcomes for citizens.

The rising pressure on adult social care

As the aging population grows, more citizens require support from adult social care services, leading to overwhelming caseloads and long waiting lists for assessments. Traditional models, which rely heavily on face-to-face assessments, are no longer sustainable. Councils must find new ways to manage these demands efficiently while continuing to provide person-centred care. Digital tools like Imosphere’s self-assessment solution have emerged as critical components in this transformation.

Self-assessment: Reducing new requests and empowering citizens

Imosphere’s self-assessment tool allows citizens to take an active role in their care and support, reducing the burden on social care practitioners. Citizens can easily explain their situation, identify outcomes they want to achieve, and pinpoint resources in their community — all from the comfort of their own home.

By enabling citizens to self-assess, local authorities can reduce new requests for support by up to 25%. For an authority handling 10,000 new requests annually, this reduction could save up to 8,600 practitioner hours per year, amounting to an estimated £1.5 million saving over five years.

Imosphere’s self-assessment tool was designed with input from councils across the country, ensuring best practice and making the process simple and intuitive for citizens. As a result, social care professionals can focus on more complex cases, while citizens receive timely support without the need for face-to-face interactions.

Strengths-based working: Driving better outcomes

In addition to self-assessment, strengths-based working is helping councils transform the way they deliver care. Rather than focusing solely on deficits, this approach emphasises the strengths, capabilities, and community resources available to individuals, promoting independence and reducing reliance on long-term care.

One county council has seen remarkable success using Imosphere’s strengths-based toolkit. Over five years, the number of citizens requiring personal budgets has decreased by 5%, compared to the national trend of just a 2% reduction. The estimated savings for the council stand at an impressive £32.2 million during this period. These results highlight the transformative power of strengths-based working, particularly when combined with digital tools that streamline the process.

Download Imosphere’s self-assessment and strengths-based toolset product sheet for more information.

Stay tuned for the next installment in our series, where we’ll explore the critical role of unpaid carers in the adult social care system. We will dive into how councils can use data-driven tools to identify at-risk carers, prevent burnout, and provide essential support through early intervention, all while managing rising costs.