Improving the Lives of Excluded Groups Working Group
Notes and Actions
11.00 - 1.00 6th March 2014 University College London
Attendees:
John Wilson (Charity Support Services)
Sam Holmes (LinkLine)
Helena Titheridge (Centre for Transport Studies, UCL)
Julia Barrand (RNIB)
Antony Smith (Age UK)
Christy Lowe (Action on Hearing Loss)
Michael Rodden (Elderly Accommodation Counsel)
Bridgit Sam Bailey (NPC)
Simon Wilkinson (Alliance secretariat team)
Apologies:
Patricia Kearney (SCIE)
Lynne Weallans (BJF)
Ken Clemens (Age UK Cheshire)
Item
Content
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Welcome and introductions – John Wilson
John welcomed everyone to the meeting
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Age Action Alliance update – Simon Wilkinson
 Alliance membership now exceeds 560, and Twitter followers 2500.
 Judging for the photographic competition has taken place, and an
awards ceremony is planned for the end of April. A photographic library
of positive images of older people will be available for members to
download for free photos that highlight positive images of ageing.
 Enhancements to the website mean that the main feature photo on the
home page will no longer be static, and improvements to the “Join Us”
page will enable new members to state what themes they are interested
in.
 A new Creative Arts working group will meet on 10th March.
 A seminar was hosted on 20th January by MyAgeingParent on the topic
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of “Caring from a Distance”, and a fact sheet produced (available on
Alliance website) pulling together the expertise and experience of those
who participated.
 A meeting of SW members of the Alliance took place in Bristol on 3 rd
March with 40 members attending. Hosted by LinkAge Bristol and the
SW Forum on Ageing, with accommodation provided for free by
Novotel.
 The Alliance was referenced in Moving More, Living More, a recently
published Government report as part of the 2012 Olympic and
Paralympics Games Legacy.
 As well as the Monday email to members a Monthly Highlights report is
also available, containing information not available elsewhere.
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Notes and actions from meeting held on 3rd December 2013
John explained that the focus had been to look at what the group could do in
order to raise awareness or promote good practice in reducing exclusion
among older people via practical action.
As a result the group is looking at and identifying secondary services that are
important in keeping people independent at home.
Sam Holmes and Michael Rodden are taking this work forward for the group
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Update from members
NPC: Bridgit explained that she has three roles – as Vice-Chair of the NPC
Minority Elders Group, Vice Chair of LOPSG (London Older People’s
Strategies Group), and Vice Chair of Lewisham Pensioners Forum, which has
an arrangement with the Goldsmiths College which provides digital inclusion
sessions and also “pampering days”, provided by the students for older
residents (for free). Sessions take place in the college, and transport is
organised by the Forum. These activities are done as part of a European
project with the Grundtvig Group, and include Financial Fairs for Forum
members.
Action 1: Simon to write to Bridgit for details of the Financial Fairs and the
activities in Goldsmiths College.
Action on Hearing Loss: Christy advised the group that AoHL deals mainly
with the health aspects associated with people with hearing loss, and have ongoing projects bringing isolated people together via befriending schemes. Also
working with the Care & Support Alliance to improve the care Bill. Associated
with this is an Information & Advice sub-group which is seeking to ensure that
the information Local Authorities provides reaches the people who most need
it, and in particular that it is accessible to them.
Action 2: Christy to provide the Dept of Health guidance as to how to make
information accessible to people with hearing loss, (in order to make more
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widely available via the Alliance)
AoHL also working with NHS England who are putting together an Accessible
Information Standard for all services. In addition, the Hearing Loss and
Deafness Alliance are calling for national hearing screening at age 65.
Action 3: Simon/John to advise the chairs of other Working Groups of the
work the group is planning and request feedback in case they may be able to
assist in some way.
Action 4: Simon to provide an update from Digital Inclusion Working Group.
Linkline: Sam Holmes explained that Linkline is a social enterprise, running
out of a GP practice to join up GP’s more with the community, and receives
referrals from the GP’s for people who need extra support. People become
members of Linkline as a result and build a long term relationship with them.
Encouraging as GP’s are taking a wide view of people’s health and wellbeing.
UCL: Helena advised that the report on transport and poverty for the JRF is
coming to an end - bringing together information about different types of
schemes across the country involving different groups of people – young, old,
unemployed, ethnic minorities etc.
Action 5: Helena to circulate the UCL Transport & Poverty report when
available
UCL have a series of “Grand Challenges” which are initiatives at a strategic
level looks to pull people together from every discipline – health, social
scientists, engineers, etc – to work on specific problems, one of which is global
health and wellbeing, including a theme on ageing in particular age and
inequality. A workshop has been held that brought people together from the
built environment, public health, medical sciences.
As a result UCL are going to:
 Hold a workshop for young researchers, asking them to look at different
areas of inequality by re-analysing data that hasn’t been used much.
 Hold a second workshop to put in a research proposal to try and identify
and map inequalities among older people
Action 6: Helena to email a form of words to Simon to request to Alliance
members and /or blog – have organisations got data they would like a UCL
young researcher to look at?
Age UK: Anthony explained his role within Age UK – one of three Equality and
Human Rights Development Officers – outward facing work, looking at how
older people are engaged to deliver Age UK’s services. The most developed
areas of equalities work are that of BME and LGBT, areas where gaps in
provision had been previously identified. Anthony’s time is spent in bringing
other areas up speed, in particular looking at religion and belief from an
inequality aspect and how it can affect hw a person might use Age UK.
Another area of interest is seldom heard groups of people with dementia,
where Age UK is keen for their voices to be heard and inform Age UK.
Anthony referred to the Dementia Engagement & Empowerment Project
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(DEEP), set up to find a voice for people with dementia.
Anthony also has an interest in providing low level interventions to people who
are at risk from the onset of particular physical impairments/disabilities.
Bridgit advised that she was pleased to hear of the Age UK interest in
dementia in BME groups, and made the point that there is no equality in
access to the services and information for minority and conversely minority
groups deal with the subject differently to the indigenous population. She said
that there is a stigma to any group of dementia in the family, and that this is
more profound in minority groups, who tend to keep it behind locked doors,
and authorities need to be inclusive when dealing with dementia.
RNIB: Julia is part of the Older People’s team, currently working on a
European project – VISAL (Visually Impaired Seniors Active Learning) –
funded by Europe and managed by the European Blind Union. Four countries,
from which an expert group devised a manual for a 7 week session on
empowerment and civic engagement – looking to get blind and partially
sighted older people to look at the world around them, with a view to getting
them to sit on committees. Julia’s age group was 82 – 97 year old’s. Julia goes
into sheltered housing (whose residents tend to be more isolated than those
outside) and day centres. A working group will be formed in order for the
participants to organise a conference to share the outcomes.
Silver Dreams Optic Project – RNIB have trained Fire & Rescue Service to do
simple eye tests in the home.
RNIB has a “tech squad” who conduct home visits to install/repair IT for people
with sight problems.
RNIB have launched on 6th March their Rail Guide – all railway companies
have signed up to it.
Action 7: Julia to send Simon copy of the RNIB Railway Guide.
Also completed are Banking and Shopping guides. RNIB has its own box at
the Albert Hall (5 places) – anyone blind or partially sighted can apply at £15
per ticket whatever is showing.
Action 8: Julia to send Simon details of RNIB Albert Hall concession.
Elderly Accommodation Counsel: Michael explained the EAC’s role as a
charity was to provide information and advice for older people in terms of
accommodation – EAC has the biggest database of sheltered and retirement
properties in the country. Also have a services directory to enable people to
remain independent in their home. EAC are involved in building a network of
advice called First Stop, which is national network which has a national advice
line, and local advice centres with partners.
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Excluded Lives Pilot Action Plan – Sam Holmes/Michael Rodden
Sam talked through the progress since the last meeting:
Michael, Sam, John and John (Galvin) have met twice to discuss feasibility of
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pilot – action plan produced (attached - we are now in Week 2).
Goal: an online directory of secondary services for older people at risk of
social exclusion in the Tri-Borough
Rationale: it is hard for end-users, their families and health & social care
professionals to know who to turn to for ‘non-vital’ services that make all the
difference to psychological wellbeing and prevent older people slipping into
exclusion
Sam provided an initial draft list of categories of everyday services are as
follows:
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













Housework
Gardening
Shopping
Taxi
Hair, nails, chiropody
Pet care
Chemist/pharmacist
Optician
Dentist
Audiologist
IT support
PA & advocacy
Estate planning
Decorating/handyman
Electrician/plumber
Criteria for inclusion in directory (draft):







Experience with older people
Desire to improve the quality of life & wellbeing of older people
Ability to deliver services in the home
Moderate cost/special rate for over 65s
Strong, checkable references/testimonials that support above
Membership of professional/trade association (desirable but not required)
DBS-checked (desirable but not required)
Criteria for removal (draft):
Feedback or direct experience of attitudes and behaviour that go against above
inclusion criteria.
Action 9: Group members to consider list of categories and criteria for
inclusion/removal – send any further thoughts to Sam, with copy to Simon who
will collate responses.
Next steps:
 email Age Action Alliance members, asking them to contribute to the
database of services within the Tri-borough. (following discussion after
the meeting it was thought setting up a survey monkey might be more
effective)
 review feedback received
 agree an approach to build in safe-guarding
 agree a mechanism for feedback from service users?
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Need to build in safeguarding – agreed we need to take a view as to the
purpose of the directory – it is to recommend or just to signpost? Personal
DBS checks could be part of the scheme. Agreed that no scheme is foolproof,
but that should not prevent this needed service going ahead – needs to be
made clear that anyone included on the list of services is not a
recommendation per se – perhaps include a Five Point Safety Plan for users?
It is hoped the pilot itself will resolve many issues.
It was thought the Working Group could take on the role of an Advisory group
to the pilot scheme, as and when issues arise that need input.
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Date of next meeting
Simon to write out with some suggested dates
Summary of actions:
Action 1: Simon to write to Bridgit for details of the Financial Fairs and the
activities in Goldsmiths College.
Action 2: Christy to provide the Dept of Health guidance as to how to make
information accessible to people with hearing loss, (in order to make more
widely available via the Alliance)
Action 3: Simon/John to advise the chairs of other Working Groups of the
work the group is planning and request feedback in case they may be able to
assist in some way.
Action 4: Simon to provide an update from Digital Inclusion Working Group.
Action 5: Helena to circulate the UCL Transport & Poverty report when
available.
Action 6: Helena to email a form of words to Simon to request to Alliance
members and /or blog – have organisations got data they would like a UCL
young researcher to look at?
Action 7: Julia to send Simon copy of the RNIB Railway Guide
Action 8: Julia to send Simon details of RNIB Albert Hall concession
Action 9: Group members to consider list of categories and criteria for
inclusion/removal – send any further thoughts to Sam, with copy to Simon who
will collate responses.
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