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Helping people to manage their own health and wellbeing

Our pledge: We will help people to manage their own health and wellbeing and be proactive partners in their care so they can live happy, independent and fulfilling lives; adding years to life and life to years.


Supporting our population to adopt positive health behaviours: As part of our approach to help our population, we will deliver evidenced-based support, including emotional and mental health support, at an appropriate scale, to help people:

  • maintain a healthy weight
  • eat a healthy diet
  • participate in physical activity – including in environmentally sustainable green spaces
  • maintain good sexual health
  • minimise alcohol, substance and tobacco use.


We will engage with and raise awareness of national programmes, such as the NHS digital weight management programme and diabetes prevention programme and incorporate these into existing ways of working in a coherent way to make sure they are effective across Kent and Medway.


Protecting the public from diseases such as Covid-19: Health protection involves many partners in protecting the public from communicable diseases, non-infectious environmental hazards and the risks of a future in which antibiotics are no longer effective. Kent and Medway Health Protection Board incudes members from key local organisations who have a focus on protecting the public.


Supporting people to age well - championing resilience and independence: Our adult social care services support people of all ages to live as full and safe a life as possible. We will continue to promote people’s wellbeing; prevent, reduce or delay the need for care and support and safeguard vulnerable adults. We will do this by focusing on the individual strengths of people with care needs, their families and carers.

Accessible and joined-up health and social care services, where partners work together, will enable people to live independently and safely in their local community.


Delivering personalised care so people have choice and control over their care: Kent and Medway’s personalised care approach is underpinned by the ESTHER philosophy; this emphasises the “what matters to me” methodology. Both Kent and Medway Councils work with Think Local, Act Personal to make personalised care real.

Dementia care is a priority. We are committed to making sure every person living with dementia is supported to live as well and as independently as possible. The means receiving high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the last stages of life. This applies to all care settings, whether that is someone’s home, hospital or care home.


Providing palliative and end of life care to those in the last stages of their life: From July 2022, the integrated care board has also become responsible for palliative and end of life care, as part of the Health and Care Act, with both statutory guidance and a handbook for implementation published in late September 2022.

We aim to make sure people, who are in the last stages of their lives and dying, receive the care they need to preserve their dignity and wellbeing, to keep them independent for as long as possible and to be comfortable; dying in a place of their choosing.


We asked people to share their views between February and August 2023. We have now closed our ideas boards. Thank you for your contributions!

Our pledge: We will help people to manage their own health and wellbeing and be proactive partners in their care so they can live happy, independent and fulfilling lives; adding years to life and life to years.


Supporting our population to adopt positive health behaviours: As part of our approach to help our population, we will deliver evidenced-based support, including emotional and mental health support, at an appropriate scale, to help people:

  • maintain a healthy weight
  • eat a healthy diet
  • participate in physical activity – including in environmentally sustainable green spaces
  • maintain good sexual health
  • minimise alcohol, substance and tobacco use.


We will engage with and raise awareness of national programmes, such as the NHS digital weight management programme and diabetes prevention programme and incorporate these into existing ways of working in a coherent way to make sure they are effective across Kent and Medway.


Protecting the public from diseases such as Covid-19: Health protection involves many partners in protecting the public from communicable diseases, non-infectious environmental hazards and the risks of a future in which antibiotics are no longer effective. Kent and Medway Health Protection Board incudes members from key local organisations who have a focus on protecting the public.


Supporting people to age well - championing resilience and independence: Our adult social care services support people of all ages to live as full and safe a life as possible. We will continue to promote people’s wellbeing; prevent, reduce or delay the need for care and support and safeguard vulnerable adults. We will do this by focusing on the individual strengths of people with care needs, their families and carers.

Accessible and joined-up health and social care services, where partners work together, will enable people to live independently and safely in their local community.


Delivering personalised care so people have choice and control over their care: Kent and Medway’s personalised care approach is underpinned by the ESTHER philosophy; this emphasises the “what matters to me” methodology. Both Kent and Medway Councils work with Think Local, Act Personal to make personalised care real.

Dementia care is a priority. We are committed to making sure every person living with dementia is supported to live as well and as independently as possible. The means receiving high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the last stages of life. This applies to all care settings, whether that is someone’s home, hospital or care home.


Providing palliative and end of life care to those in the last stages of their life: From July 2022, the integrated care board has also become responsible for palliative and end of life care, as part of the Health and Care Act, with both statutory guidance and a handbook for implementation published in late September 2022.

We aim to make sure people, who are in the last stages of their lives and dying, receive the care they need to preserve their dignity and wellbeing, to keep them independent for as long as possible and to be comfortable; dying in a place of their choosing.


We asked people to share their views between February and August 2023. We have now closed our ideas boards. Thank you for your contributions!