Minimising the loss of independence often only emphasised at the beginning or end for those with existing needs of that course. They also tend to mention tertiary preventative services towards the latter stages of While there’s a clear increase in the number of life. However, as Warrington’s strategy notes a strategies recognising tertiary types of preventative ‘preventative approach needs to be focussed on interventions, the importance of primary and enabling people to maintain their independence and 34 secondary preventative interventions is still enabling them to regain it at any age’. emphasised much more. And in some cases it’s not clear this third type of Recommendation: prevention is recognised at all. > Health and Wellbeing Boards should In some cases, lower-level tertiary preventative prioritise and emphasise all three types of interventions are mentioned (for example, prevention across the life course. reablement/ care in the home/ support to self- > Health and Wellbeing Boards should pay manage/ home adaptations/ assistive technologies/ special attention to explicitly recognising the respite for carers etc.) but aren’t recognised as value of tertiary preventative interventions. preventative. Recognising their preventative value is an important step to ensuring their provision. Under Section 2 of the Care Act, local authorities must ensure the provision of preventative services. And under Section 9(6)(b), they must assess whether people who do not meet the national eligibility threshold would benefit from such services. Tertiary types of preventative service are sometimes only referred to in the context of 31. The Department of Health (November 2014), The Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework mental health, long term conditions or older 2015/16: gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/375431/ ASCOF_15-16.pdf people. While many strategies set out a life course 32. Department of Health (October 2014) Care and Support Statutory Guidance, Chapter 2 (2.5) approach, prevention and early intervention are 33. Care Act 2014, Section 1(2): legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/23/section/1/enacted 34. Warrington Health and Wellbeing Board, Warrington Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2015 – 18: warringtontogether.co.uk/media/1017/health-and-wellbeing-2015-18-low-res.pdf British Red Cross Prevention in action [email protected] l l 15