Making prevention everyone’s business – Hampshire partners unite to help people stay independent for longer

More than 60 representatives from partner organisations gathered in Winchester to explore how a greater focus on prevention could improve outcomes for Hampshire residents and help reduce pressure on health and care services.

The event also marked the launch of Hampshire County Council’s new Adult Social Care Prevention First Strategy. Co-produced with people who have first-hand experience of care and support services, the strategy outlines how the County Council and its partners will work together to prevent, reduce and delay the need for care and support through earlier intervention, stronger local networks and greater use of technology.

Hampshire has a growing and ageing population, while demand for adult social care continues to increase in scale, complexity and cost. More people are living with multiple health conditions, frailty, dementia and the effects of social isolation, all of which can affect their ability to remain independent. The strategy aims to address these challenges by helping people stay well, active and connected to their communities, reducing the likelihood that they will need more intensive support later in life.

Councillor Zoe Huggins, Executive Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, Hampshire County Council, said: “Across Hampshire, more people are living longer. That’s something to celebrate, but it also means we need to think differently about how we support people to stay healthy, active and independent.

“Too often, support comes after someone has reached a crisis point. This strategy is about changing that, helping people access the right information, community support and practical help earlier, so they can continue living independently for as long as possible. 

“No single organisation can achieve this alone. By bringing together partners from health, housing, local government and the voluntary sector, we have a real opportunity to improve lives, strengthen communities and make prevention everyone’s business.”

Over the next five years, partners will work towards helping more people live independently at home for longer, reducing avoidable falls and hospital admissions, supporting unpaid carers and reducing the number of people needing long-term residential care. The strategy also sets out plans to develop the use of technology-enabled care to identify risks earlier and help people remain safe and connected in their own homes.

To achieve this, partners will work together to strengthen falls prevention initiatives, improve access to information and advice, strengthen and expand community-based reablement services, and develop new approaches to identifying people whose health and wellbeing may be beginning to deteriorate. The strategy also recognises the important role that housing, employment, transport and social connections play in helping people maintain their independence.

During the launch event, partners shared examples of successful prevention work already taking place across Hampshire and identified opportunities for further collaboration as work begins on a joint delivery plan to turn the strategy’s ambitions into action. Attendees included representatives from the NHS, district and borough councils, housing organisations, policing, universities and the voluntary and community sector.

Read the Adult Social Care Prevention First Strategy 2026-2031.