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MPS: Introduction

Herefordshire's Market Position Statement 2026–2036 sets out how we will shape, commission and deliver care and support for adults and older people across the county. It describes the outcomes we want to achieve, the changes we need to make, and the partnerships required to build a resilient and sustainable care market.

Our ambition is simple: everyone in Herefordshire should be able to live a safe, healthy, independent and fulfilling life in the place they call home.

To achieve this, support must be:

  • Easy to find
  • Easy to understand
  • Flexible and responsive
  • Rooted in prevention and independence
  • Delivered in partnership with communities and providers

This Market Position Statement reflects national policy expectations, including the Care Act 2014, adult social care reform priorities, and increasing emphasis on prevention, integration and workforce sustainability.

What the law says

The Care Act 2014 places a duty on the council to shape and support a diverse, high‑quality and sustainable care market. This includes ensuring choice, quality, provider sustainability and support for the workforce.

This Market Position Statement sets out how Herefordshire Council will meet those duties through planned market‑shaping and partnership‑based commissioning, rather than reactive or short‑term approaches.

What we want to do

We want to build a care and support system that helps people live well throughout their lives. To do this, we will:

  • Support people earlier, intervening before problems escalate and reducing the need for crisis responses
  • Help families and carers to stay strong, recognising their vital role in supporting independence and wellbeing
  • Enable people to live independently and with dignity, with support that reflects what matters most to them
  • Ensure services are kind, fair and easy to use, so people can access the right help at the right time
  • Work in partnership with local groups, charities and care providers to continually improve services and outcomes

Our commitment

We are building a system that is rooted in people's strengths and focused on prevention, independence and wellbeing. Individuals, families and communities will be at the centre of everything we do.

Our aim is to create a strong, flexible and sustainable care market that supports people of all ages to live well, remain independent and be treated with dignity and respect. Services will be designed to respond to people's needs, preferences and aspirations, rather than expecting individuals to fit the system.

Working together

Everyone in Herefordshire has a role to play in shaping the future of care. We want to strengthen existing relationships and build new partnerships that support shared responsibility for outcomes.

Providers and partners of all kinds will be actively involved in helping us deliver our ambitions. This includes working with:

  • Small and large care providers
  • The voluntary and community sector
  • National and specialist organisations
  • Families, carers and people who use services

By working together, we can design services that help people and communities grow, adapt and thrive.

Our future plans

Our focus is on ensuring people receive the right help early, at every stage of life. This means supporting people before problems grow, helping adults to remain independent for longer, and ensuring older people receive timely support that helps them to stay safe and well.

As prevention and early help become stronger, the type and mix of services people need will change over time. As a result, the local care market must be able to respond, adapt and evolve.

Our future care market will need to be flexible and resilient, supporting people as they move through different life‑stages – from working‑age into older age – while maintaining continuity, quality and sustainability.

Over the next five years, Herefordshire expects a growing number of young people with complex needs to transition into adulthood. How effectively these transitions are planned and delivered will be a key determinant of individual independence, system sustainability and long‑term outcomes. Commissioning will increasingly prioritise earlier preparation, joint working and continuity of support to prevent crisis‑driven entry into adult services and to support positive adult lives.