These are our principles, which underpin all our work.

We are driven to make a difference for our residents

We want to make a real difference, and to make sure we do, we will always be delivery and outcome focused and monitor what we do closely so that we deliver our priorities and do what we say, when we promised. To do this, we need to understand our residents, their experiences, views and ideas and build this knowledge into our work. We will make better use of data to understand issues and demonstrate the impact our services have on improving the lives of our residents, to better understand the difference we make and to argue for the resources we need.

We believe in a fairer Bexley

Fairness, inclusion, and equality are key to realising our vision of an even better Bexley. We understand that inequalities continue to stop people reaching their potential.

• we will work with our partners to reduce inequalities between people and places in the borough, and champion equality
• we will commission and deliver effective and inclusive services that meet the needs of all residents
• we will recruit, develop, and retain a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects our population

Find out more:

• Equality and Inclusion Policy

We are committed to early intervention and prevention

Prevention means supporting people to stay healthy, happy, safe, and independent for as long as possible. It means stopping problems from happening in the first place, but if they do happen, early intervention helps people to address them as quickly and effectively as possible. This makes a big difference to the quality of people’s lives, helping them fulfil their potential and thrive. To make sure we make the right impact, we use data and evidence like the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, to guide our understanding and priorities.

It’s very important to address issues early where they affect our children - disadvantage and gaps in development and attainment at a young age can impact a person’s life chances. This is why we have extended our family wellbeing service and have changed the focus of our Children’s Centre service to focus on the first 1,001 days of a child’s life, to make sure our youngest residents don’t have adverse childhood experiences and have the best start in life.

Prevention and early intervention continue to be important for adults and older people. We will continue to co-create programmes that build ability to tackle loneliness and isolation in the community. We will also enhance prevention and early detection programmes on a range of key conditions. This is prioritised at partnership level by our local Integrated Care System.

Find out more:

• Prevention Policy (PDF)
• Family Wellbeing Service
• Children’s Centres
• Joint Strategic Needs Assessment