The health and social care partnership, which brings together Renfrewshire Council and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, forecasts that an ageing population will drive significant demand for social care.

Contracts with adult social work services have increased by 31% over the last five years and the partnership estimates the percentage of residents aged 75 and over is set to rise by 76%. 

The plan aims to develop more specialist dementia services, community care to keep individuals in their homes for longer and more accessible housing for small or single households. The HSCP is reviewing the services it provides for older people, including care homes, day centres and learning disabilities in an ageing population.

Elsewhere, the strategy commits the body to supporting the 7,500 children living in poverty in Renfrewshire, a focus on children and early years in areas including breastfeeding, gender-based violence and Adverse Childhood Experiences, and action to promote mental health “across the life course”.

On mental health, the plan sets out ambitions for work “across boundaries” with the other HSCPs that make up the NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde region to advance a regional adult mental health services strategy and shift care from hospital settings into the community.

Notwithstanding these aims, the plan warns the last three years “have been financially challenging”. It adds it has been “increasingly difficult and challenging” to deliver balanced budgets and predicts this will continue in the near future.

Financial pressures highlighted in the strategy include the cost of implementing the Living Wage and price increases for care services, demand growth caused by an ageing population and investment in key IT and digital services.

The deadline to submit feedback on the plan is Friday 1^st March.