Models of Care

Lancashire's Model of Care is a plan for how care and support will work in the future.

This model will help people stay independent, get help earlier, stay close to their communities and be in control of their own lives

The model has been built with people who use care and support, carers, staff, providers and partners through co-production and engagement.

The Model of Care was shaped by listening to people who draw on adult social care. More than 700 people helped us understand what good care and support looks like and what needs to change.

Take part in co-production

Watch our short animation to learn more about Better Care, Better Lives and why we are changing the way care and support is delivered in Lancashire.

The animation brings our Lancashire Portraits to life and shows how the future Model of Care could help people live more independent lives, with the right support at the right time.

These portraits show the lives of people in Lancashire who use adult social care, and the people who support them. The portraits help us understand what life is like today and how we can help people live better lives in the future.

The portraits also help us think about what our plans mean for real families, not just for council services. They help staff, partners and leaders see themselves in the changes too.

The portraits are based on real experiences and what people have shared with us. As we build the future together with people, the portraits will keep changing as well. They will reflect what people say they want, not what we think they might need. So, expect the stories to grow over time.

The Model of Care is not just about plans for tomorrow. Across Lancashire, we are already helping people get support earlier, closer to home and in their own communities.

Day opportunities

• You said: People want more choice, more chances to make friends and more ways to join in activities that matter to them.

• We did: We worked with people, staff and community groups to test new ways of running Day Centres out of hours. These small tests are helping people find activities, support and friends in their local communities while shaping future services together.

Welfare Rights Service pensioner benefit uptake

• You said: It is difficult to access advice and support before problems become bigger.

• We did: The Pensioner Benefit Uptake Project which helps people get financial support and advice sooner. It shows how support in the community can improve people's wellbeing and independence while keeping them connected to local services.

Watch what is going on in some of our care homes and day centres

Now that the Model of Care has been agreed, we will keep working with people, carers, communities, staff and partners to turn the vision into reality.

Over the coming months we will:

• Keep working with people to help shape future services.

• Make detailed plans for how the Model of Care will work.

• Write a Community First Strategy that puts local support and connections first.

• Grow community-based support and early help services.

• Use more Technology Enabled Care to help people live independently.

• Keep improving council-run services so they match the new Model of Care.

• Test, learn and improve as we go, with people at the heart of every decision.

• September 2025: Lancashire County Council made a plan to review adult social care and the services we run ourselves. We did this because the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the group that inspects care, rated us as Requires Improvement.

• October 2025: Cabinet agreed to review the care services we run in-house and to ask the public for their views.

• October to December 2025: The public consultation takes place and we asked people across Lancashire for their views.

• December 2025: The consultation closed.

• January 2026: We paused before going back to Cabinet with our report as there were a lot of responses to the Consultation, that needed carefully looking at.

• May 2026: Cabinet looked at the consultation findings and agreed to build the new plan together with people across Lancashire.  

• May to October 2026: We worked with people across Lancashire to shape the new Model of Care.

• October 2026: Cabinet decided on the future Model of Care.