Agenda item

Time to Shine Project

To consider the joint report of the Director of Adult Social Services and the Director of Public Health providing details on the ‘Time to Shine’ project and the progress which has been made in tackling social isolation and loneliness in Leeds. The report describes the work undertaken since the last report to Executive Board in December 2015 and the impact it has had so far.

 

Minutes:

Further to Minute No. 102, 16th December 2015, the Director of Adult Social Services and the Director of Public Health submitted a joint report providing details on the ‘Time to Shine’ project and the progress which had been made in tackling social isolation and loneliness in Leeds. The report also described the work which had been undertaken since the previous update report and the impact that it has had so far.

 

In considering this item, the Board received a presentation entitled, ‘Time to Shine: Leeds Community Connect: The Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Approach’ and viewed a short film entitled, ‘Loneliness and Me’.  As part of this presentation, the Board also received further information from Bill Rollinson, Chair of Leeds Older People’s Forum; Sharon Middling, of Community Connect at Rural Action Yorkshire and Jude Woods of Sage at Yorkshire MESMAC on the role that their respective organisations, as delivery partners, were playing in tackling social isolation and loneliness in Leeds as part of the Time to Shine programme.

 

Responding to a Member’s enquiry, the Board received further information on the actions being taken to monitor and evaluate the outcomes from the schemes involved in the programme, and how that data was being utilised for the purposes of future provision. Officers undertook to provide the Member in question with further information, if required.

 

Emphasis was also placed on the importance of Community Committees’ continued involvement in this field at a local level, whilst also noting some examples of such involvement, as detailed within the submitted report.

 

Members also discussed the potential for widening the scope of the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) approach, and considered how such innovative approaches could become more established. Officers also provided further information on the extent to which the funding received for the Time to Shine programme had attracted further investment into this area of work.

 

In conclusion, the Chair thanked those present, together with all those involved in the programme for the valuable work they undertook. The Chair also highlighted the huge potential of the programme and emphasised how tacking social isolation and loneliness continued to be a key priority for the Council.

 

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the submitted report, together with the presentations and film,  updating the Board on the progress of the project, be noted;

 

(b)  That the progress made in the development and delivery of the ‘Time to Shine’ project, be welcomed;

 

(c)  That the positive impact that the work on tackling loneliness and social isolation will have, together with the contribution it will make towards the breakthrough project ‘Making Leeds the Best City to Grow Old In’, be recognised;

 

(d)  That the excellent work of the Leeds Older People’s Forum in leading the project be commended;

 

(e)  That it be noted that the lead officers responsible for ensuring updates are brought are the Consultant in Public Health (Older People) and the Interim Chief Officer Commissioning, Adult Social Care;

 

(f)  That the added value and impact that this area of work has had in local communities be noted.

Supporting documents: