East Lothian Council’s approved budget for 2026/27 included the provision of £3.3million to be passed to the East Lothian Integration Joint Board’s overall budget.
This allocation was confirmed when elected members met on 24 February to confirm spending plans for the year ahead. It underlines the Council’s commitment to maintain, protect and strengthen adult social care and social work services, who support vulnerable adults and ensure the sustainability of essential social care and social work provision across the county.
East Lothian is one of the fastest‑growing areas in Scotland. The 2022 Census shows that nearly 10% of residents - around 11,000 people - are aged over 75. As the community continues to grow and people live longer, demand for support is rising every year.
East Lothian is currently performing ahead of the Scottish average in terms of delivering social work assessments, with 80% of community social work referrals being managed at the first point of contact, and 95% of hospital referrals for social work assessments commenced within 48 hours of referral.
By continuing to invest and prioritise funding to support social care and social work services in 2026/27, the aim is to maintain and strengthen this positive position to support East Lothian’s most vulnerable residents. The funding will also provide the urgently needed investment to bridge the gap between growing service demand and the rising costs of delivering statutory services.
Cabinet Spokesperson for Health and Social Care, Councillor Shamin Akhtar, said: “The priority across health and social care is to keep people safe, with a focus on providing community-based, person-centred approaches to deliver the right care, in the right place. To achieve this, we must invest in local services.
“In 2025/26, the council made the commitment to invest an additional £4.1m into social care and social work services. A year on, we are seeing the benefits of doing so. That investment provided a vital lifeline to maintain the delivery of front-line services and prevented reductions in service provision.
“In the last year, we made the commitment and are progressing with the opening of an integrated older people’s day service and dementia meeting centre in the Musselburgh ward and delivered social care services into ‘core and cluster’ housing developments East Lothian.
“This year, the Council is investing £3.3million to continue supporting the pressures faced by East Lothian Integration Board. We must receive the additional resource from Scottish Government to help meet the 500 hours of unmet social care need that are required. East Lothian is now the worst funded non-city area in Scotland and Scottish Government must address this issue urgently.”
“Investing in social care and social work services is an investment in people. It demonstrates East Lothian Council’s commitment to our most vulnerable residents that support will be available should it be needed. And to our social work and social care colleagues, it highlights that their efforts and commitment is valued, appreciated and vital to ensure the continued delivery of these essential every-day support services.”
The provision of social care and social work services in East Lothian includes a wide range of interventions that support individuals to live healthy lives and maintain their independence. These services are delegated to the Integration Joint Board and delivered by the East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership. Services include:
- social work services for adults and older people,
- provision of community-based activities and facilities for adults including day centres,
- delivery of personal care and support at home services,
- care home placements,
- support services for adults with physical and/or learning disabilities,
- mental health, drug and alcohol services,
- adult protection and justice social work services,
- breaks from caring,
- occupational therapy and reablement services, including housing adaptations,
- as well as technology enabled care, including telecare services.