The Executive Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health Decision Day and the Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing Decision Day of Hampshire County Council are scheduled to meet on Friday, 26 September 2025. The meeting will cover a range of topics, including authorising expenditure for older adult day services, the Hampshire Equipment Service, and a public health physical activity grant. The meeting will be held remotely and broadcast live via the Hampshire County Council website.

Hampshire Equipment Service

The Executive Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health will be asked to approve expenditure of up to £30 million to provide a community equipment service for residents of Hampshire. This would cover an initial three-year period from 1 April 2026, with the option to extend for a further two years.

The Public reports pack states that for the past 12 years, Hampshire County Council has provided the Hampshire Equipment Service (HES) to meet the health and social care needs of adults and children living in Hampshire. The service for Adults Health and Care has been provided through a shared budget, under a Section 75 NHS Act 2006¹ arrangement which has been in place since 2013.

The Executive Lead Member will also be asked to agree to issue a formal 12-month notice letter to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight and Frimley Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to end the partnership arrangement for providing community equipment to adults.

According to the report pack, demand for the equipment service has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. At the start of 2025, an evaluation of future options for the service identified that the internal HES service provided the best value for money and outcomes for Hampshire residents.

The report pack notes that the NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB and NHS Frimley ICB have decided to transition to new arrangements for the provision of community equipment to adults, and that Hampshire County Council has agreed to work in partnership with the NHS to enable a smooth transition.

The Public reports pack states that:

Going forward, the Council will remain responsible for the ordering, supply, delivery and collection of equipment for adults that meets eligible social care needs. This includes responsibility for relevant minor adaptations to residents' homes. The supply for children's equipment that meets health and social care needs will continue, in line with the terms of the S256 agreement.

Older Adult's Day Services

Councillor Liz Fairhurst, Executive Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, will be asked to approve expenditure of up to £12.1 million over eight years to support the delivery of older adult's day services at Newman Court in Basingstoke and Chesil Lodge in Winchester.

The Public reports pack states that the purpose of the report is to seek permission to spend, enabling the transfer of, and future spend for individuals using the Day Services at Chesil Lodge Resource Centre and Newman Court Resource Centre. This is in line with the Cabinet decision, taken on the 8 August 2025, to:

• seek an alternative provider to deliver and develop these services to benefit a wider range of needs within the local population from April 2026.
• increase charges for both Chesil Lodge Resource Centre and Newman Court Resource Centre from 1st January 2026.

The report pack notes that during a consultation, there was a strong opinion from those that attend the day services, and their families, that the services are essential for supporting older adults, and that the services are held in high regard, both in respect to the care delivered, but also regarding the support received around social interaction and avoiding isolation, and carer support and respite. The most supported alternative was to find another provider to continue running the service.

Public Health Physical Activity Grant

Councillor Russell Oppenheimer, Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing, will be asked to approve a total spend of up to £100,000 over two years to fund the Water Wellbeing project, and for the grant to be awarded to Energise Me, the Active Partnership for Hampshire.

The Public reports pack states that the grant will be distributed to swimming pool providers in Hampshire to achieve Swim England's Water Wellbeing accreditation and increase provision of 'personalised delivery options' that will make aquatic activity more inclusive and accessible.

The report pack notes that improving healthy life expectancy and reducing health inequalities are key priorities for Hampshire Public Health, as defined in the Public Health Strategy 2023-2026, as well as in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight 'We Can Be Active' Physical Activity Strategy 2021.

The report pack states that across Hampshire there are at least 34 swimming pools, and that currently, 11 of these pools have already achieved water wellbeing accreditation. The aim of this grant is to support more pools to achieve the accreditation and increase provision of the 'personalised delivery' options.

Swimming pool providers will be encouraged to bid for funding based on identified local needs and priorities for their community. The funding is expected to be used for equipment such as pool hoists, Good Boost tablets, staff training and other start-up costs that may be required to launch a new service.