Agenda item

To consider a report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development providing information on loneliness as a potential area for more detailed consideration arising from discussions on the work programme at the first meeting of the new municipal year

(report attached)

Following discussions at the previous meeting on potential areas of work for Scrutiny Board (Health and Wellbeing and Adult Social Care) for the 2012/2013 municipal year, Members considered a report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development providing further information on the subject of loneliness; its impact on current and future health and social care needs in older populations and its links to a range of chronic conditions 

Appended to the report was a copy of the Local Government Association’s document entitled ‘ Combating Loneliness – A guide for local authorities’ – which formed part of the Campaign to End Loneliness, together with The Leeds Initiative publication entitled ‘ The Time of Our Lives – Ageing Well in Leeds – A Framework of Principles for Organisations that work with Older People in Leeds 2012-2016.  This included The Time of Our Lives Charter which had been signed up to by Councillor Wakefield, Leader of Leeds City Council and Linda Pollard, Chair of NHS Airedale, Bradford and Leeds PCT Cluster

Attending for this item to provide further information and respond to questions and comments from the Board were:

• Dennis Holmes (Deputy Director) – Leeds City Council, Adult Social Services
• Mick Ward (Head of Commissioning) – Leeds City Council, Adult Social Services

Addressing the meeting, the Head of Commissioning highlighted that through its work over a number of years, Leeds had contributed to the LGA report with some specific areas of good practice identified in the report

It was suggested that there may be some correlation between loneliness/social isolation and dementia.  Reference was also made to some of the work Leeds was undertaking as part of the Age Friendly City Network

The following issues were discussed:

• The role of Neighbourhood Networks and the importance of not adopting a ‘one size fits all’ approach.  The positive influence of these schemes in helping people’s overall feeling of wellbeing.   Difficulties associated with measuring these benefits were recognised, as was the need to identify tangible outcomes in order to convince other organisations, including health professionals, to (part) fund such community projects.  It was highlighted that work on devising a methodology for measuring outcomes was being undertaken with the assistance of a Professor at the London School of Economics
• The need for data not to be target driven but to contain narrative to explain individual stories behind the statistical data
• Loneliness could not be seen just as an issue for older people and the need for different strategies for different groups

• The importance of having an age-friendly city and the work being progressed on this with other Core Cities
• The importance of community assets and infrastructure, e.g. bus services, libraries, day centres, lunch clubs etc in helping to combat loneliness, balanced with difficult financial decisions local authorities were having to take in the current economic climate
• The development of Neighbourhood Plans as part of the Localism Agenda and the opportunity for Adult Social Care representatives to be involved in shaping these with regard to older people, particularly in respect of the housing strategy
• The role of Area Teams in encouraging and supporting new initiatives within localities and the concept of volunteering both by older people who have retired and wish to be of service and younger people keen to develop new skills and obtain work experience

The Board expressed a wish to carry out further work on this subject and hear from some Third Sector organisations and/or individuals involved in delivering  community projects that promote ‘wellbeing’ and may held combat loneliness across the City

RESOLVED –

a)  To note the report and discussions

b)  That a further report be presented to the September meeting which

·  summarises the issues raised by Members

·  provides further information on the Neighbourhood Networks including the services/offer available and the gaps in provision and

·  identifies potential contributors/witnesses to provide evidence as part of a Scrutiny Inquiry

Following this item, Councillor Armitage and Councillor Robinson left the meeting)