We are pleased to share our updated Market Position Statement.  This sets out information on the different types of services commissioned by Adult Care Services for people in Essex.   It also describes how we see demand for care and support changing in the next few years and what sort of service provision we believe we will need to meet it. 

We hope this gives useful information for care providers to help with your planning as well as more general information for people interested in information on services provided. We are now publishing this information on the website to make it easier for regular updating and we will be working on making the information more interactive so that providers can access the specific service areas they are interested in. The current data and content reflects as of 1st April 2026, and the next refresh will be April 2027.

Our vision for Adult Social Care is for people to be able to live their lives to the fullest.

Our mission: making the difference every day

The outcomes we want people to enjoy:

• Independence and wellbeing are maximised
• Choice and control over care and support
• Access to a place called home
• Access to social and employment opportunities
• Positive experience of social care
• Reduced inequalities and increased inclusion
• People at risk can live free from abuse, harm and neglect

This reflect the Council's commitments to levelling-up the county in 4 key area: the economy; the environment; children and families; and promoting health, care and wellbeing for all ages.

There have been significant changes to the care and support people are choosing to draw on to help them live a fulfilling life.  Since our last Market Position Statement, we have seen a significant increase in the numbers of people supported in their community and we expect this to continue.  There have been fewer people choosing residential and nursing care and those who are entering this type of care generally need higher levels of care and support. 

Demand for supported housing is growing and developing so is a key area of focus for the next few years. We want to increase the specialist housing options for people, but also help more people to move in to their own home. More people are being supported into employment despite the current economic challenges. People have told us they want to feel part of a community and develop friendships and their interests.  This is changing our approach to day services and opportunities. Adults, carers and the staff who work with them want more personalised care and we know that the processes and services which will support this need significant work over the next few years.  We are testing different ways of working to see what might be successful in achieving these aims.

Demand for adult social care continues to increase, with more people requiring support and many presenting with increasingly complex needs. Our approach focuses on enabling people to live independently for as long as possible through preventative services, reablement and support delivered at home and within local communities. At the same time, providers continue to face challenges relating to workforce recruitment and retention, rising operating costs and increasing expectations around quality and outcomes. We are committed to working closely with people in Essex, providers and partners to respond to these challenges, strengthen the sustainability of the care market and ensure high-quality care and support is available for those who need it.

We would welcome your views on how useful the information is and the format for presenting the data as we continue to develop the range of information we can share. To provide feedback through the website using our "contact us" section.