Agenda item

To consider the report of the Chief Officer / Consultant in Public Health which demonstrates the impact of the Breakthrough project ‘Making Leeds the Best City to Grow Old’ as one strand of work to achieve the priority of Leeds being an Age Friendly City where people age well. The report specifically aims to review the progress of the partnership with the Centre for Ageing Better and Leeds Older People’s Forum, how this could benefit the ambition of the Health and Wellbeing Board to be an ‘Age Friendly City’ where people age well, and consider what role the Board could have in these partnerships priority programmes (community transport, community contribution research and housing).

(Report attached)

Lucy Jackson, Consultant in Public Health (Older People), introduced the report which focussed on Priority 2 of the Leeds Health and Wellbeing Strategy and highlighted the work streams and consultation undertaken with older people. It was reported that 31,000 older people lived in the most deprived areas of Leeds, and their priorities and needs were very different depending on where they lived. A focus for the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) would be to reflect the Strategy seeking to make the health of the most deprived improve the fastest.

The International Day of Older People would be celebrated on 1st October 2018 and members noted the request for them to sign up in support.

Joanne Volpe reported on the Memorandum of Understanding – part of a 5 year partnership between LCC, Leeds Older Peoples Forum and the Centre for Better Ageing. Of the seven key issues identified by the World Health Organisations, 3 priority areas had been identified by Leeds older people:

Community Transport – Consultation had identified that there were a number of providers which presented older people with a complicated contact process for booking journeys. A business case for funding had been submitted to Leeds Passenger Transport Improvement programme (LPTIP) seeking to implement a pilot scheme to bring all the providers under one telephone number contact point to better connect service users with multiple providers. The Board was assured that the scheme would not replace existing provision and were asked to consider how members could support this.

The Board noted that Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust (LTHT) was undertaking a review of patient transport which could link to the initiative, and noted comments seeking assurance that the pilot scheme would take account of local needs. Comments identified that although St James’s and Leeds General Infirmary provided shuttle buses for staff between the two sites, patients had to use public transport; community transport provision buses had limited space for wheelchair users; and the new contact number should not have multiple choice questions.

Community Contributions – Statistics showed that the uptake of volunteering was lower in areas of deprivation. The Board was asked to consider how it could encourage informal volunteering and how the findings could inform the evolving Local Care Partnerships.

Comments reiterated that the involvement of the Third Sector was at the core of the Local Care Partnerships, but identified that it would be useful for the Board to receive a breakdown of the data to identify those areas where Board support could bring added value. Discussion considered the process for volunteers to get involved; the role of Leeds Carers Association; local faith communities and the involvement of younger and older people.

Housing Strategy – The key issue raised was that most older people preferred to remain in their own home for as long as possible; and sought to ensure that older people knew the options available for them and where to access information/support to remain at home.

Discussion identified the need to respond to older peoples’ housing needs in the local Development Plan documents for Leeds, to encourage development of a mix of suitable homes, including bungalows, with a higher volume of affordable, accessible homes and an adequate private-rented sector. The Board noted comments that developers did not regard this provision as commercial, however wider discussions on how the population will age and how support for older people’s independence is provided could draw them into the ambition. There is a need to consider the wider design of communities – thinking beyond the dwelling to the neighbourhood – when planning for later life. Future work must consider the wider aspects of wellbeing. The Board noted the intention to provide approximately 1000 extra care homes/units during the next 2 years and considered whether it would be appropriate for a housing representative to join the Board.

The Board additionally identified that the Age Friendly Charter:

·  provided an opportunity to focus attention and raise issues over how the Board aims to achieve Age Friendly Leeds;

·  promotes inter-generational work, ensuring older people are aware of their responsibilities as well as young people acknowledging their future responsibilities;

·  challenges stigma.

Come in and Rest Campaign – Led by Time To Shine, which sought to encourage older and socially isolated people to come into town - through the provision of “rest-stops” for older people to take short breaks - 117 businesses and organisations had signed up to the initiative. Further information on other use-able buildings for the initiative from members would be welcomed. Dr Walling suggested that this be promoted in every GP practice in Leeds and Jim Barwick offered to help publicise the campaign in GP surgeries and it was suggested that the LCC Community Committees could also publicise the initiative.

Measuring achievement – Monitoring of the Age Friendly pledges would allow measurement of achievements, and seek to ensure that signatories understood their commitment to the Charter and acted upon it.

Digital Literacy – The Age Friendly documents should reference the importance of digital literacy for older people for them to connect with services, commissioning and education, particularly the move to Person Held Records

RESOLVED -

a)  To recognise the impact of the Age Friendly programme of work as detailed in the Annual Report.

b)  To recognise that the Age Friendly programme of work is a good example of cross council and partnership working to maximise impact and outcomes for the citizens of Leeds.

c)  To consider specifically how the partnership with the Centre for Ageing Better could use the findings from its research on community contribution to support ‘Leeds Left Shift’ ambition to motivate and boost the abilities of communities to increase wellbeing of local older people from BME communities.

d)  To consider how the partnership work on community transport could align with and strategically inform any future plans for transport within health.

e)  To consider what key issues are needed to shape the Information and Advice on Housing Options work programme, and specifically how this can be integrated with health and care services.