The demand for care and support is increasing as the population gets older. People's expectations about the type of support they may require are changing and individuals are demanding more choice and control over the services they receive. Other issues of concern to the sector are the ongoing constraints on health and social care budgets and the need to demonstrate value for money for all public expenditure.

The County Council and our NHS partners are responding to these challenges by looking at the way care and support is delivered in North Yorkshire. As part of this, we entered into a discussion with the sector about how we could best move forward together in North Yorkshire.

The purpose of the dialogue

The dialogue with the independent care sector was about:

• Encouraging innovation and seeking new solutions to old problems;
• Securing the future of the sector in North Yorkshire;
• Finding the most efficient way of spending public money invested in care; and
• Ensuring the sector is robust enough to take advantage of new business opportunities as they emerge and to cope with the realities of the economic downturn

The dialogue was initiated by North Yorkshire County Council and NHS North Yorkshire and York with the support of the Independent Care Group.

Progress of the dialogue

The dialogue was open from December 2009 until the end of February 2010. After this, along with NHS North Yorkshire and York, we considered the views received and respond accordingly. Following this, commissioning and procurement activity took place, to secure the objectives of the statutory sector partners. A summary of the dialogue was also circulated to the independent care sector.

The original dialogue documents can be downloaded for reference below.

Additional information about the changes faced by the care sector

Please see the links below for more information about the changes facing the independent care sector and what support is available.

Useful downloads "Shaping the market" - care and support in North Yorkshire, a dialogue with the independent sector (volume one - main report) [213kb] [pdf] A dialogue about securing the future of the care market in North Yorkshire. The main report summarises the present position, looks at future challenges and makes a series of proposals as to how they might be met. "Shaping the market" - care and support in North Yorkshire, a dialogue with the independent sector (volume two - executive summary) [77kb] [pdf] A summary document about securing the future of the care market in North Yorkshire. This report does not contain the detailed proposals above or the specific questions inviting a response. "Shaping the market" - care and support in North Yorkshire, a dialogue with the independent sector (volume three - care market data book) [123kb] [pdf] This document seeks to present a snapshot of the factual information about the care market in North Yorkshire. It covers population, provision, expenditure and quality.   Related Pages Health and social care Weblinks Please note: All external websites open in a new browser window and NYCC is not responsible for the content of external websites. Care Services Efficiency Delivery from DH Care Networks CSED helps councils to identify and develop more efficient ways of delivering adult social care. The programme is focused on efficiency solutions that support the transformation of adult social care. Independent Care Group (ICG) The Independent Care Group is an association that represents independent care providers in York and North Yorkshire, including care home providers, domiciliary care agencies, supported living and extra care housing providers and day care centres. North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust The North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) is responsible for delivering better health and health care for its local population. The Care Quality Commission The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. They regulate health and adult social care services, whether provided by the NHS, local authorities, private companies or voluntary organisations. Contacts Strategic commissioning and partnership strategic.commissioning@northy... Full details for Strategic commissioning and partnership