New Cambridgeshire strategy aims to boost health and independence

Cambridgeshire County Council has launched a new three-year strategy to improve health outcomes, reduce inequalities and help residents live safe, independent and fulfilling lives.

The Adults, Health and Commissioning Strategy, approved at the Adults and Health Committee meeting on Thursday (9 October), is built around the council’s seven strategic ambitions and reflects feedback from more than 300 residents, carers, providers, partners and staff who took part in surveys and workshops.

Centred on six key ‘ASPIRE’ ambitions — Access, Safety, Place-based support, Innovation, Reducing inequalities, and Enhanced carer support — the plan focuses on prevention, early intervention and tailoring support to local needs.

Among its priorities are better access to advice and care, stronger safeguarding, greater use of technology-enabled support, and an expanded focus on unpaid carers through the All-Age Carers Strategy. The council also aims to reduce health inequalities by learning from lived experiences and adopting trauma-informed approaches.

Each ambition will have a detailed delivery plan and outcome measures, supported by an evaluation framework using performance data, financial information and nationally recognised “Making it Real” statements to assess real-world impact.

The strategy also aligns with the recent Care Quality Commission assessment, which rated Cambridgeshire’s Adult Social Care services as “Good,” and complements the council’s medium-term financial plan.

Cllr Graham Wilson, Chair of the Adults and Health Committee, said:

“This strategy is about delivering the right support in the right place and time for our residents.
Its strength lies in the fact that it has been shaped by people who use our services and that it’s been built around clear and measurable outcomes.
Our goal is to deliver real and lasting change, to help people across Cambridgeshire live healthier, safer and more independent lives, and this will help us achieve that goal.”

The new strategy will guide how services are delivered across Cambridgeshire over the next three years, ensuring resources are targeted where they are needed most and reinforcing the council’s commitment to a fairer, more caring county.