Policy Priorities for Older People

Belinda WadsworthStrategy Adviser – Local and Regional Policy, Age UK

Leadership Academy – Newcastle

23rd March 2011

Overview of Session

• What is important to older people?

• How can you help to make this a reality in your local area?

What is important to older people?

• How do we find out?

Informal conversations

Correspondence – letters, emails, phonecalls

Research – focus groups, surveys/questionnaires

Forums – meetings, conferences, seminars

Specific consultations – eg the Big Q

What is important to older people?

• What do we know already?

Older People’s Strategy? Informed by older people?

Overarching council strategy/plan – reflecting ageing society?

LAA priorities?

Local research, surveys/questionnaires? Done by a Forum?

Priorities recently agreed, or time for a review?

What is important to older people?

Transport CareAgeism PavementsHospital Care The younger generationPublic Toilets Finance/IncomeHousing Employment/Training Health Fuel pricesCheques Consumer Issues

Older people tell us they are concerned about…

Age UK’s priorities:

Equal respect

Support to be independent

Income

Health

Communities

Age UK’s priorities: locally

Equal respect: Public Sector Equality Duty; human rights principles; mental capacity; safeguarding

Support: local care funding; personalisation not just personal budgets; support for carers

Income: joint action on take-up; local fuel poverty strategies; advice and advocacy

Health: commissioning for prevention; championing dignity; improving mental health services

Communities: age-friendly neighbourhoods; alternative transport; Lifetime Homes

Short-term protection, long-term vision

Build demographic change into all budgets

Develop a cross-cutting strategic approach to ageing

Protect the most vulnerable

Deliver in full on statutory obligations

Maintain and invest in preventative services

Place equality at heart of all decisions

The changing landscape…

Impact on the local public sector:

Consultation/good practice or panic?

Restructuring and redundancies

Stronger role for councillors

New role for GPs

Transfer of public health to local authority

The changing landscape…

Impact on the local voluntary sector:

Loss of funding/services

Restructuring and redundancies

New partnerships/consortia

Changing market

Big Society – new expectations?

The changing landscape…

Impact on older people:

Loss of services

Leading to loss of independence?

Drawing on new/different support

New role as purchasers/employers?

More control or less control?

Need for information, advice and support

The changing landscape…

We are in it together…

Older people

Public sector Voluntary sector

Working together to make it a reality…

Find out what’s important to older people

Be ambitious - find new ways to deliver

Stay focussed - on agreed priorities and outcomes

Use new opportunities

Working together to make it a reality…

New ways to deliver…?

Who provides?

Older people at the heart of planning and design

Universal standards/core principles (accessibility, choice/control, dignity)

Working together to make it a reality…

Opportunities…

Duty to Involve, Consult and Inform

Public Sector Equality Duty

Big Society, community budgets eg participatory budgeting: Your Local Budget

Localism Bill

Health and social care reforms – personalisation, GP consortia, public health budget

Questions?

Contact:

Belinda WadsworthStrategy Adviser – Local and Regional Policyt. 0121 459 8952 m. 07740 040175e. belinda.wadsworth@ageuk.org.uk