Council puts residents’ voices at the heart of adult social care
A new strategy developed alongside residents that sets out our priorities for commissioning Adult Social Care in Swindon has been approved by senior councillors.
Published: Friday, 21st March 2025
At their Cabinet meeting on 19 March, members approved the Adult Services Commissioning Strategy 2025-2028, which outlines how care and support will be designed with people over the next four years. The strategy focuses on choice, empowerment, and personalisation, building on the Adult Services Strategy and the vision of ‘Lives, Not Services'.
The Council has committed to including the voices of residents and their families in decisions about care. In developing the strategy, council teams, supported by Swindon Advocacy Movement, have met with Experts by Experience (residents with lived experience of adult social care services) to hear what matters to them and help shape the priorities in the strategy. The experts also helped design an Easy Read version of the strategy to make it accessible.
The needs of the resident are at the heart of the strategy, and its approval also follows engagement and public consultation with partners in health, care providers and voluntary organisations.
The strategy commits the Council to work with the people it supports to develop high-quality, local services which help residents to remain independent for as long as possible while giving them choice and control over how they are supported.
The success of the strategy will be measured by people’s feedback about their experiences through the Council’s ‘My Care, My Views’ survey.
Councillor Ray Ballman, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said: "The people who use our services know what works for them. This strategy isn’t just about policies, it’s about real lives, and we’ve built it alongside those who rely on adult social care services every day.
“Residents have told us they want more choice, more control, and services that genuinely support their independence. That’s exactly what this strategy aims to deliver. We are committed to making sure their voices aren’t just heard but that they shape the way care is designed and delivered as we work to build a fairer Swindon."
The agreed strategy is available in both plain text and Easy Read formats on our website.