Community services provided by Elmbridge Council currently help 2% of the Elmbridge population (approximately 2,750 people). These services are mainly accessed by older people, through our Centres for the Community, meals on wheels, community transport and dementia services.
We are speaking to people who currently access the services to understand what they want for the future and how it can be provided in the most financially sustainable way.
However, reports such as the Under the Radar, show that there are many more residents who may benefit from support.
We want to make sure we understand what support would make a difference to them. The aim is to understand how services could be adapted or, potentially, new services introduced to help meet these needs.
We would like your help to reach this wider audience. It is very important that we hear from as many people as possible.
This is an opportunity to shape the future of Elmbridge community services.
A decision will be made in summer 2025 about the future of community services. . What we hear will directly inform this decision.
This toolkit sets out:
You may have better ideas for how to run a session with your group and that is fine too. You will know your groups the best.
Now
To note - This could be informal support from friends or neighbours, or more formal services provided by organisations that help them to ‘do well’ (however they choose to define this).
Future
To note - We know that finances are tight for both the Council and other organisations, as well as many families on low incomes. Given this, we can’t promise to deliver the future they would like, but we want to know what it would look like so we can take small steps towards it.
Making it happen
To note - This is where we bring it back to practical, achievable next steps that would help more us forward.