Residents help launch a clear guide to Adult Social Care

Dorset Council has launched a new, easy-to-use guide to Adult Social Care which has been shaped by residents to enable people to understand their available options and to plan ahead for their care journey. 

Working with one of our resident voice groups: the Information Development Group (IDG) have spent months helping to create a guide that feels clear, practical, and useful.

The guide explains what Adult Social Care is, what Dorset Council offers, and how to find the right support. It also breaks down the different pathways to care and the different roles in straightforward language.

Councillor Steve Robinson, Dorset Council Adult Social Care portfolio member, said:
“This guide reflects our commitment to prevention, independence, and choice. We want residents to feel informed and in control of their care journey. It’s a valuable resource for everyone, including our employees.

“Having this guide in an accessible format, co-produced with residents, could be life-changing for people. Care options can be complex and difficult to navigate, but this guide gives an overview and simplifies the process. By using clear language, we’re removing barriers and making Adult Social Care easier to understand, for anyone who needs support.”

The guide also includes a glossary and covers everything from mental health support to learning disability teams. It promotes a preventative approach for all ages, not just older people but working-age adults too.

What’s inside:

• easy-to-understand explanations of Adult Social Care and your rights under the Care Act 2014
• practical tips for living independently at home
• guidance on paying for care, direct payments, and financial assessments
• support for carers, mental health, and wellbeing
• information on technology-enabled care and local resources like Greenwood Independent Living Centre
• QR codes linking to up-to-date online resources and further information

Councillor Robinson added: “Since the spring, a core group of residents from the Information Development Group (IDG) has been meeting every six weeks to shape this guide. They’ve been vocal and local, bringing valuable insight and lived experience to ensure it reflects real needs. Different voices are heard and help shape better services for everyone.

 “This isn’t just Dorset Council saying, ‘Here’s what we think you need.’ Residents asked for this resource, and we’ve created it together. It’s all about making things simpler and supporting people to live independently.”

Mary, one of the IDG residents said, “It’s been interesting project with an experienced group of people I would otherwise not have met".

David Cole is also a Dorset resident, with lived experience of receiving care from Dorset Council and he’s also an unpaid carer.

David has benefited from Dorset Council’s Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Lounges, which are in Dorchester and Wimborne. The Lounges give people the chance to try practical devices in a home-like setting, making independent living less overwhelming and more achievable.

David said, “After just one visit to the TEC Lounge, my mind was put at ease that living independently needn’t be the frightening prospect I was expecting. The staff showed me simple, practical devices like a pill dispenser, a reminder system, and a falls alarm, things I didn’t even know existed. Suddenly, managing my epilepsy and staying safe felt achievable.”

Find the guide online at https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/w/guide-to-adult-social-care