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Appendix 3 ASCH - 29.09.2026

Committee report · Cabinet · Tue 29 Sep 2026 · East Sussex County Council · agenda item 5

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It reports an 11.5% increase in the number of care assessments completed in Q1 compared to the same period in 2025/26, alongside rising numbers of people receiving bedded care and Long Term Support in the community. p2

The number of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards referrals awaiting allocation to a Best Interest Assessor was 761 at the end of June 2026, above the target of 650 or fewer, following a Supreme Court judgment on 2 June 2026 that changed the legal definition of deprivation of liberty. p11

Deaths in drug and alcohol treatment were 1.43% of those in treatment at the end of 2025/26, above the aim of 1.2% or below. p16

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  • p2Adult Social Care (ASC) Demand for care and support services In accordance with the Care Act 2014, ASC commission and provide a range of services to support adults and older people across East Sussex. There is an increasing complexity of need amongst people accessing support, with demand for services exceeding pre-pandemic levels and continuing to increase. Some examples include: · there has been an 11.5% increase in the number of assessments completed in Q1 compared to the same period in 2025/26, this equates to 273 more assessments · there has been a 0.8% increase in the number of people receiving bedded care (residential and nursing care) (22 people), and a 4.4 % increase in the number receiving Long Term Support in a community setting (235 people) at 30 June 2026 compared to the same point in 2025 · there has been a 7.5% increase in the number of safeguarding episodes (76 episodes) completed in Q1 compared to the same period in 2025, including an 8.9% increase in Section 42 enquiries completed (55 enquiries). Health and Social Care integration
  • p11· the median time in days from proposed start date to start date for reviews started in period - Carer Care Plans was 1 day against a target of 6 days or less Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) and safeguarding concerns reviewed within 3 days The snapshot of the number of DOLS (residential and nursing) referrals awaiting allocation to a Best Interest Assessor (BIA) at the end of June 2026 was 761, above the target set of 650 or less (ref i) . The Supreme Court published a judgement on 2 June 2026 which changed the definition of deprivation of liberty. This has impacted on the way DOLS assessments are completed, and on 2 June allocations to independent Best Interest Assessors (BIAs), who have historically completed the largest number of assessments, were paused while we await new guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The number of referrals we have received has dropped very slightly since the judgement. However, we are unsure at this stage of the number of Best Interest/DOLS referrals we will receive through the rest of this year under the new multifactorial assessment process. We continue to perform well for timeliness of responses to safeguarding contacts. 99.4% of contacts received an initial review within 3 days of receipt of the contact in the rolling 12 months to the end of June 2026, well above the target of 90.0%. Health and Social Care Connect (HSCC) transformation programme and referrals There was a 4.2% increase in contacts presented to HSCC Access in Q1 compared to the same period in 2025/26. However, there was a 3.6% decrease in the number handled . Capacity was significantly impacted bya high number of vacancies (10) during the quarter and a subsequent associated impact when new staff were inducted into the team. There was also a high level of staff absence due to sickness. It is expected that performance will improve in Q2.
  • p16Public Health and Community Safety Successes and achievements Public Health services continue to focus on prevention, early intervention and reducing health inequalities across East Sussex. Activity during the quarter demonstrates continued delivery of key services supporting vulnerable residents, improving population health and reducing future demand on health and care services. Progress continues towards hepatitis C micro-elimination through targeted testing, outreach activity and strong partnership working. East Sussex has achieved sustained progress in two of the three targeted localities and continues to support testing and treatment amongst populations at greatest risk. A new pharmacy delivery service in Bexhill has improved access to medication-assisted treatment for people receiving support for substance misuse, reducing travel barriers and improving access to care. In addition, the Council has launched Domestic Abuse Recovery Micro Grants to support community-based recovery and wellbeing activities for adults and children affected by domestic abuse. Delivery of the national Swap to Stop programme also continues, helping people move from cigarettes to vapes. Early results have been particularly encouraging amongst vulnerable groups, including people experiencing homelessness, demonstrating the value of targeted prevention and early intervention approaches. Deaths in drug and alcohol treatment (Carry over) The proportion of deaths in treatment (ref ii) was 1.43% at the end of 2025/26 meaning we did not meet our aim of reducing the proportion of deaths in treatment to 1.2% or below. However, it is currently unknown whether these deaths are drug and or alcohol related or due to other causes as we are awaiting the results of coroner’s inquests. Providers continue to offer overdose prevention advice, overdose reversal medication and expanded testing for emerging synthetic opioids.

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