Health and social care

It is the aim of North Yorkshire County Council to promote healthy living and social well-being through support to individuals, families and communities in North Yorkshire.

We work in partnership with our colleagues in health, the voluntary sector and others to improve the health of people in North Yorkshire and to support people who face health difficulties.

We also help people to live independently and safely in their local community by providing information, advice and care services. In addition, we provide protection for the most vulnerable in our society.

Accessing health information

While this website provides some information on health and health services, your local doctor's surgery should be the main source of information relating to the health service in your area. NHS Direct also provides confidential advice and information relating to health matters.

Accessing social care services

All telephone enquiries, e-mails, letters, faxes and text-phone messages are dealt with by a single team of customer services officers, who are highly experienced in social care.

This service is available from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm on Saturdays. Please see the Customer services centre (social care enquiries) page for more details.

North Yorkshire's dignity in care charter

The dignity in care charter underlines what a person can reasonably expect when they need and use care and support services in North Yorkshire. It is a public statement, which care providers and commissioners of services in the County are being encouraged to sign up to.

It has been created by North Yorkshire County Council, the Independent Care Group and other partners. Together, we want to ensure that people enjoy the dignity and respect to which they are entitled. For more information and to download a copy of the charter, see the North Yorkshire's dignity in care charter page.

Information about voting, for people in North Yorkshire County Council accommodation

If you live in accommodation provided by North Yorkshire County Council, you can find more information about voting on the information about voting page.

The future of the independent care sector in North Yorkshire

The independent care sector in North Yorkshire provides care and support for people who are vulnerable because of poor health, frailty or disability either in their own homes or in residential care. A high quality independent care sector is a vital part of life in North Yorkshire and is essential if the care and support needs of vulnerable people in the community are to be met.

For more information on how the County Council and our NHS partners are responding to the challenges faced by the independent sector, please see the future of the independent care sector page.

Meeting the future needs of people in North Yorkshire

Social care services are vital to many people across North Yorkshire. The Government White Paper "Our health, our care, our say: a new direction for community services" sets out the context for us to improve the well-being of people in the County and the communities they live in.

Our response to this was the creation of a strategic commissioning strategy to set out the challenge ahead and identify seven key aims which will enable us to meet the challenge. The strategy sets out a comprehensive vision and approach to delivering services to meet the changing needs of the County's population over the next 15 years (2007-2022). The seven key aims of the strategy are:

• Equal access for all
  All adults will have equal access to universal services (for example, sports, leisure, cultural, educational, training and employment services)
• Preventing dependence
  Dependence on statutory services will be reduced or prevented by investing in easy-to-access support services for people who have emerging social care needs.
• More effective commissioning for better outcomes
  We will commission services for the results that people value most, namely those that are responsive, respectful and enhance individual choice and dignity.
• The right place to live
  There will be a range of affordable and appropriate housing available to meet people's needs in North Yorkshire.
• Joint commissioning for well-being
  The well-being of individuals and communities will be improved by joint planning and commissioning of services.
• Choice and control
  People will have choice and control over the way their support needs are met and will be able to make informed choices relating to their independence and well-being.
• Independent living
  People will be supported to live as independently as possible in their own homes through innovative design and equipment.

Strategic commissioning is defined by the Audit Commission as "the process of specifying, securing and monitoring services to meet people's needs at a strategic level. This applies to all services, whether they are provided by the local authority, NHS, other public agencies, or by the private and voluntary sectors".

You can find more details of the "Strategic commissioning for independence, well-being and choice" strategy by downloading the documents below.