The People Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to meet to discuss the Adult Social Care and Public Health Joint Prevention Strategy, and review their work programme for the coming year. The meeting was also scheduled to include a period for public questions, and to confirm the minutes of their previous meeting.

Adult Social Care and Public Health Joint Prevention Strategy

The committee was scheduled to discuss the Derbyshire Adult Social Care and Public Health Joint Prevention Strategy 2025-27. The strategy was designed to align the approaches of Public Health and Adult Social Care, make the best use of combined resources and avoid duplication.

The strategy identifies four key areas of focus:

• Improving understanding of need to inform service design and commissioning
• Reducing social isolation and loneliness
• Proactive prevention and early intervention
• Recognising and strengthening community assets

The strategy also describes strategic enablers, which are the approaches and ways of working that will support the council to achieve success:

• Empowering communities
• Understanding and responding to need
• Co-production and shared decision making
• Asset and strengths-based practice
• Equal partnership with the Voluntary Community Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector
• Building community resilience
• System leadership and workforce development

The strategy complements several existing national and local plans and strategies including the NHS 10-year plan, Joined Up Care Derbyshire Integrated Care Strategy, Derbyshire Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Adult Social Care Strategy.

The report pack stated that there was no statutory requirement to consult in relation to the strategy, but that a core principle underpinning the development of the Strategy is that people in need of care and support, their families and carers are at the centre of everything the council does.

The report pack stated that an alternative option would be to not develop a joint Adult Social Care and Public Health Prevention Strategy, but that this would risk duplication of resource across public health and adult social care and would limit the ability to identify and collaborate on shared priorities to maximise impact and efficiency, potentially preventing or delaying the implementation of a coordinated system wide approach to prevention in Derbyshire.

The People Scrutiny Committee was asked to note the content, purpose and publication of the Adult Social Care and Public Health Prevention Strategy 2025-2027.

Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to discuss its work programme for 2025/26, which included the following potential items:

• Derbyshire Adult Community Education Service (DACES) – Consultation Outcome
• Derbyshire Safeguarding Adults Board's Annual Report 2024-2025
• Review of Residential Care Homes
• Youth Service and offending
• Placements for children in care
• Social Services staff retention
• SEND and Inclusion¹

Minutes

The non-exempt minutes of the meeting held on 3 October 2025 were included for confirmation as a correct record. During that meeting, the committee considered a call-in of the decision made by the Cabinet Member on 2 September 2025 to declare five county council buildings surplus to DACES requirements from 12 September 2025. The buildings in question were Ashbourne, the Derbyshire Eco Centre, Long Eaton (commonly referred to as Community House), Matlock (commonly referred to as The Ritz ), and Shirebrook.

Councillors argued that the decision breached articles of the County Council's Constitution, including those related to relevant considerations, evaluation of alternatives, proportionality, consultation, human rights and equalities, openness, and clarity of aims and desired outcomes.

The committee voted that the principles of decision-making had not been breached.

The committee also received a presentation providing an overview of SEND and Inclusion.