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Strategy for Supporting Older People
1.
Population changes
1.1
England’s population is ageing, and the trend is accelerating. The
population aged 65 and over is expected to increase from 8.3m in 2008 to
11.6m in 2025i. As a proportion of the total population, this is an increase
from 16% to nearly 20%.
1.2
In Mid Suffolk, our population already includes a higher than average
percentage of residents aged over 65. This percentage was 18.7% in
2008, projected to increase to over 25% by 2025. This is equal to around
29,000 of our residents by 2025.
1.3
The number of people aged 85 and over is also increasing, and this is
particularly true in our district. By 2025, nearly 3.8% of our population is
expected to be 85+, compared to a national average of 3.3%.
1.4
While these figures give us a view of our local demographic profile, there
is no fixed point at which a person becomes old. Ageing affects people in
different ways and at different times.
1.5
In our district we will have a diverse ageing population, and our challenge
is to provide services that respond to a range of needs. Stereotypes about
older people are misleading and we need to know more about our older
community and shape both universal and targeted services accordingly.
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2.
Policy guidelines
2.1
The Audit Commission has produced a study of how well prepared local
authorities are for an ageing populationii. The Audit Commission reported
that the majority of councils (more than two-thirds) had no older people’s
strategy or were in the early stages of developing a strategic approach.
2.2
Mid Suffolk has a foundation to build on, having had a strategy in place
since September 2003 that outlines our framework for the provision of
services to older people.
2.3
However, since 2003 there have been changes in policy guidelines and an
increased focus on providing services for an older population. It is
therefore appropriate to review our strategy.
2.4
In 2005, the government released a 10-year strategy, Opportunity Ageiii, to
improve the quality of life of all older people, including the most excluded,
by creating a cycle of well-being through participation, leisure, education,
improved health and ensuring that older people are valued in the
workplace and communities.
2.5
The strategy requires central government, local authorities and other
agencies where relevant, to work together to deliver the strategic aim of
‘active ageing as part of the community’. This means that we need to:




Identify and tackle issues that limit older people’s ability to get the most
out of life, including routing out age discrimination and tackling poor
housing and fear of crime;
Ensure that older people can be actively engaged locally in influencing
decisions that affect their lives;
Ensure that older people have access to opportunities locally, such as
learning, leisure and volunteering; and
Promote healthy living at all ages.
2.6
The Audit Commission found that although the strategic aspirations of
Opportunity Age were clear, it had had limited impact on councils. In
particular, comparisons were drawn between the impact of Every Child
Matters and the impact of Opportunity Age.
2.7
Every Child Matters provided clear guidance, processes and a legislative
framework, as well as specifying the outcomes that councils needed to
deliver. It was also given a high profile. These factors were lacking with
the Opportunity Age strategy.
2.8
At this stage, we can use the Opportunity Age strategy to provide a base
for our strategy. However, we may need to refresh our strategy if clear
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guidance and required outcomes are, in due course, produced by central
government. The government has announced its plans to review their
current
strategy
–
see
the
discussion
paper
at
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/opportunity_age/. At the time of writing, no timeline
has been released relating to this review.
2.9
To reflect the importance of this area of work for the council, it is
recommended that the council have a champion for older people’s
services.
2.10
For action plan:

Nominate a champion for older people’s services at Mid Suffolk District
Council
3.
Budgets
3.1
Our strategy will be based on outlining a co-ordinated approach to the
services that we deliver. This is appropriate as it will not require high
amounts of additional funding, but it will give a robust and sustainable
framework for us to build within.
3.2
In the future it is recommended that, if possible, we link expenditure on
services with outcomes. This will enable us to budget more effectively and
demonstrate value for money.
3.3
For action plan:

Understand budget expenditure on older people’s services
4.
Partnership working
4.1
We recognise that the needs of older people are complex and varied, and
that in many cases these needs are best addressed through partnership
working or by organisations that are separate from the council.
4.2
In developing this strategy we have met with the county-wide Partnership
with Older People (POP). We have discussed the framework for the
strategy and some possible points of action, as well as run a joint
consultation event to inform this work.
4.3
We are represented on the Mid Suffolk Local Strategic Partnership (LSP)
and on the Local Area Agreement 2 (LAA2) Delivery Partnership Boards.
These monitor progress against a set of National Indicators. The Delivery
Partnership Boards have a series of actions to meet National Indicator
targets, some of which are relevant to this strategy. Further information on
this can be found at www.transformingsuffolk.co.uk
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For action plan:

Build on relationship with POP to encourage more partnership working
5.
Equality and fairness
5.1
The Equality Bill
5.2
The government has recently published information about the new
Equality Billiv. This will, among other things, include a new public sector
duty that will require key public bodies such as local authorities to consider
what action they can take to reduce the socio-economic inequalities
people face. There will also be a separate Equality Duty on public bodies
which will require them to consider the needs of diverse groups in the
community when designing and delivering public services.
5.3
The majority of the Equality Bill is expected to come into force in Autumn
2010, with the socio-economic duty on public bodies and the public sector
Equality Duty likely to come into force in 2011.
5.4
The MSDC Equalities and Diversity Working Group is currently coordinating all aspects of the council’s work on equality and diversity.
5.5
Our strategy
5.6
Our strategy helps to identify the services that we believe have specific
reference to older people, and how these may help to meet some of the
diverse needs of older people.
5.7
An Equality Impact Assessment is being completed for this strategy and is
awaiting sign-off.
5.8
The Equality Impact Assessment process includes reference to age
related discrimination and at this stage it is considered that this is
sufficient for age-proofing our policies. However, a number of age-proofing
toolkits have been developed and we may wish to consider their use in
due course.
5.9
The council is also a co-signatory to the Charter for Older People in
Suffolkv. This outlines older peoples rights, and our responsibilities as
service providers.
5.10
For action plan:

6.
Consider future use of age-proofing toolkits
Our strategy
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6.1
The government’s Opportunity Age strategy was designed to improve the
quality of life for older people. The council has a role to play in
implementing the strategic aim of ‘active ageing as part of the community’.
6.2
The council currently offers a significant number of services that may be
considered relevant to older people. These are summarised in the
sections below, together with some future actions should we wish to
develop our activities.
6.3
We have based our strategy on the main themes under ‘active ageing’.
These give us a structure for the delivery of our services, as well as
providing a link with the wider Opportunity Age strategy.
6.4
Our strategy for older people living in Mid Suffolk is based on the
following:

Ability to get the most out of life. This includes age discrimination,
housing, and fear of crime.

Becoming actively engaged locally. This includes influencing
decisions.

Access to opportunities locally. This includes learning, leisure and
volunteering.

Promote healthy living. This is to help older people enjoy better
health later in life.
6.5
In order to show what the council is doing at the moment to contribute to
these themes, our services are outlined under each of the headings
below.
6.6
Some of our services have an impact on more than one of these themes –
but have been allocated to just one theme to avoid duplication.
7.
Ability to get the most out of life
7.1
The council has recently undertaken a Housing Needs Studyvi (HNS) in
the district. It was recognised within the study that the council will need to
consider developing and enhancing measures to cater for an increasing
elderly population.
7.2
The HNS was used to inform the Strategic Housing Market Assessmentvii
(SHMA). The SHMA highlighted some points about the provision of
housing for older people in Mid Suffolk. The assessment noted that
national policy encourages independent living, and that the public policy
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stance should be to provide good advice and support for this national
policy.
7.3
It noted that older person households are more likely than other
households to have problems maintaining their homes, and as such, that
there is certainly scope for maintaining the home improvement agency
services currently operating in the district.
7.4
We provide part of the funding for the Home Improvement Agency (HIA).
HIA services are designed to help older and more vulnerable people
access a range of services, sources of funding, advice, and professional
help to enable them to help themselves maintain and live more
independently in their homes.
7.5
As part of the HIA work, occasional support with general maintenance can
be provided by the Hanover Handyvan scheme. This offers a
maintenance or repair service for small jobs, for owner-occupiers or
private tenants, at very competitive rates.
7.6
We also operate our own caretaker scheme, which is available free of
charge to private residents over the age of 75 (or over 60 if receiving
income related support). It is also available for residents with a disability.
This is for minor, low cost repairs, which are within the remit of the
scheme.
7.7
The council is also an active partner in the Falls Prevention Action
Group. This group works to promote falls awareness as well as providing
advice on falls prevention, and appropriate adaptations in the home.
7.8
Much of this is available free of charge or at low cost. However, where
costs are involved, Home Repair Assistance may also be available as
part of our grants policy to help pay for work to repair or adapt homes, and
to support initiatives such as home security measures or energy efficiency.
7.9
For larger scale work, we have other grants available which may help
repair or improve privately owned dwellings, or adapt them for specific
needs.
7.10
We also offer free Back Door Waste Collection for any resident who is
unable to move their refuse to the curtilage for collection. This scheme has
a wide uptake in particular by older people in the district.
7.11
We provide a range of Sheltered Housing accommodation across the
district. These are designed for people over 60 who are able to live
independently but would like the benefits of a daily visit from a warden and
an alarm to summon help in an emergency. We also provide a Very
Sheltered Housing facility, available for older people who require more
intensive support. Independence is maintained as far as possible by
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providing self-contained units of accommodation, with 24-hour care
tailored to meet the needs of the individual, and provided on an as-andwhen required basis.
7.12
The council is about to start a review of our provision of Sheltered
Housing, given that there have been funding changes to the ‘Supporting
People’ programme. This will include consideration of the ‘Lifetime
Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods’ – A National Strategy for Housing in an
Ageing Societyviii.
7.13
Safety and security are important issues for older people. In a recent
survey of Mid Suffolk residentsix, 53% of respondents were in favour of
increasing expenditure on community safety.
7.14
We offer a Safe and Secure scheme offering safety and security devices
for all people over the age of 60. This scheme is provided in partnership
with a number of agencies. It offers safety and security installations in both
public and private housing across the district, as well as advice for
householders.
7.15
This is available to all residents over the age of 60, as well as being
offered immediately to anyone who is a victim of crime.
7.16
The council provides some assistive technology to support older people in
their homes. Granny’s Boots are an effective doorstop device, increasing
the confidence of older people should they wish to prevent someone
entering their home. We also offer Community Alarms, which plug into a
phone line. These alarms can be activated by pressing a button on the
unit, or a button on a neck pendant. They give a means of direct contact
with 'Assist and Assure', who can provide immediate support and
assistance for a range of situations, for example accidents in the home,
health concerns, or safety concerns. Assist and Assure can contact the
doctor, or appropriate emergency services, or call on family or other
personal contacts if needed.
7.17
For action plan:


Provide joined-up information relating to housing services available
Consider initiating or promoting services that help older people
understand or apply for benefits
8.
Becoming actively engaged locally
8.1
In order to inform this strategy, we recently undertook a survey of older
people in Mid Suffolk. The way the survey was structured allowed other
issues and comments to be raised.
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8.2
We also held a joint consultation event in one of the Mid Suffolk villages
to look at a range of issues considered relevant to older people. This was
a useful event as, although a small proportion of the population was
represented, it is likely that the points raised will be common to a majority
of older people. The forum was run in conjunction with the SCC
Partnership with Older People and Age Concern Suffolk, and the results
summarised in a feedback reportx.
8.3
We are currently working on our community engagement and
consultation strategy for the whole council, which will consider how we
engage with all groups. We are also aware of the recent Elbourne reviewxi
relating specifically to older people’s engagement with government, and
will be reviewing the recommendations from this. Any appropriate
recommendations will then be raised with the council’s Community
Engagement workgroup (strategic priority 6) for proposed inclusion as part
of their workplan.
8.4
In order to more actively engage with the community, we have set up
some pilot Community Boards in the district. These will allow more direct
involvement with decision-making and real influence.
8.5
The Community Boards are planning two approaches to engagement with
older people. One of these is to engage through workshops with more
independent older people. The second approach is to engage with more
vulnerable older people – we hope to do this in partnership with agencies
that already have established contact with this group.
8.6
For action plan:


Establish an older people’s forum
Review the recommendations of the Elbourne review relating to
engagement with older people
9.
Access to opportunities locally
9.1
Older people, particularly those living in rural areas, can find it increasingly
difficult to access services. This can be caused by the disappearance of
many local village facilities, combined with the reduced mobility of older
people – either physically or through the ability or inclination to travel long
distances.
9.2
For some time we have been providing part of the funding for a Rural
Coffee Caravan service. The rural coffee caravan visits many of the
villages in the district, and offers a point for members of the community to
gather and talk in a relaxed setting. The caravan also takes information on
services out to these settings and can provide a valuable link with the
council.
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9.3
We support and work with other agencies throughout the District to
improve the accessibility of services that we offer. For older people, this
includes Age Concern Suffolk. Age Concern offers free, confidential
information and advice to older people in Suffolk about benefits and
services offered. It can also assist in claims, and provide home visits
where required. Age Concern also provides a number of other events,
projects, training and services.
9.4
Village services are vital for people living in rural areas and particularly
those with limited mobility. To help support the viability of Vital Village
Services, the council offers rate relief for some village shops, pubs and
petrol stations. Funding for Community Projects is also available, with
one of the eligible actions for securing this support being the provision of
start up services aimed at older people.
9.5
Should transport be required, this can prove particularly difficult for older
people, many of whom do not have the use of a private car or a regular
bus service.
9.6
For residents who are unable to travel by conventional public transport,
the Community Transport Scheme is provided in conjunction with
Suffolk County Council, offering transport services for people living in Mid
Suffolk. There are a number of different options for community transport,
including the use of minibuses or cars, many of which can be booked for
use at a convenient time for the user. Users may be eligible to receive
travel vouchers to assist with the cost of taxis or community transport
services.
9.7
For people that are able to use public transport Concessionary Pricing
for older people is also available on buses, allowing concessionary travel
in the county.
9.8
We also offer the Mid Suffolk KEY card, which is available to all Mid
Suffolk residents who are over 60. A number of local businesses offer
discounts to KEY cardholders, and there are other services and advice
available. A newsletter is produced with further information, and events in
2008 included a KEY Christmas Party, and a course of Extend Exercise
Classes for the over 60s and those with impaired mobility. There are
generally two organised trips each year as part of the KEY scheme, with
approx 80 people attending each trip.
9.9
For action plan:


Provide joined-up information relating to transport services available
Consider ways of promoting the MSDC KEY card scheme to all
residents
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10.
Promote healthy living
10.1
The government has identified that older people are particularly vulnerable
to fuel poverty, and in response to this the council has developed a Fuel
Poverty Strategy. Within this, we have indicated a number of local
actions to assist people experiencing fuel poverty. This includes working
with the Energy Saving Trust, who provide, free of charge, a practical
advice and information service for Mid Suffolk residents on energy
efficiency and the availability of grants, funding, and insulation installers.
10.2
The council also currently works in partnership with Warm Front who
provide financial assistance for insulation measures and the installation of
heating improvements to those that meet the qualifying criteria.
10.3
Under the Private Sector Housing Renewal Policy, the council provides
grants for energy efficiency improvements to homeowners and private
sector tenants who are not otherwise eligible for other forms of funding
such as Warm Front. Grants are also offered to top up Warm Front Grants
for central heating or boiler replacement where the cost exceeds the
Warm Front limits.
10.4
We are also involved in developing a health initiative, Health Walks. This
project encourages people to take part in organised walks, even if
experiencing health issues. Voluntary trained leaders supervise the walks.
Offering people the opportunity to participate in organised but relatively
undemanding activities such as this provides a chance to increase general
health and fitness, as well as helping to establish a social network.
10.5
The council has a Service Level Agreement with Sports and Leisure
Management Ltd (SLM) to operate and manage the Mid Suffolk Leisure
Centre. At the Leisure Centre, a number of activities are offered that may
be of interest to older people, including swimming (free for over 60s),
bowling and exercise classes.
10.6
We have also offered some local exercise classes, which we are
planning to role out further throughout the district. We are delivering these
together with Community Sport Network and SLM.
10.7
Extend Exercise Classes have also been offered as part of the KEY card
scheme, for the over 60s and those with impaired mobility.
10.8
We have worked with, and helped with funding for, Suffolk Artlink. They
develop arts and events for older people through the Culture Club
project. Culture Club offers creative activities for older people. It has
recently completed a reminiscence project in our district, which involved
some outreach sessions with the local sheltered housing scheme.
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For action plan:

Consider offering more exercise classes specifically for older people
11.
Additional actions
11.1
Our consultation activity has also highlighted some generic actions that we
could take as a council that would improve the way services are delivered,
and information is shared. These are summarised below.
11.2
For action plan:







Share information more widely on the services that are available
Consider ways to promote initiatives even if they are not council led
Consider if there is merit in making internet access more widely
available
Identify sources of external funding for older people’s services
Consider ways to support initiatives even if they are not council led
Consider the best ways to share information with Parish Council’s to
ensure their parishioners are well informed and supported
Share information more widely on community based initiatives or
opportunities to set up community schemes
12.
Conclusion
12.1
This strategy has summarised the services that we offer that may be of
particular interest to older people. It has also identified some actions that
may improve these services and their delivery. The actions are collected
together as an action plan (to accompany this strategy), which will be
progressed over the next 12 months.
12.2
The strategy and accompanying action plan will be made available
internally and on the external website.
i
Population projections from POPPI www.poppi.org.uk
Audit Commission, Don’t Stop Me Now, July 2008.
iii
Department of Work and Pensions, Opportunity Age: Meeting the challenge of ageing in the 21st century,
2005
iv
Government Equalities Offices, A Fairer Future – The Equality Bill and other action to make equality a
reality, April 2009
v
Suffolk Older People’s Strategic Partnership Board, Charter for Older People in Suffolk, 2008
vi
Fordham Research Group Ltd., Mid Suffolk DC Housing Needs Survey, May 2008
vii
Fordham Research Group Ltd., Strategic Housing Market Assessment, November 2008
viii
Communities and Local Government, Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods, February 2008.
ix
Opinion Research Services, Mid Suffolk District Council – Report of Public Consultation To Inform the
2009-10 Budget, 2008.
x
Partnership with Older People, Rickinghall Forum Feedback Report, April 2008.
xi
John Elbourne, Review of Older People’s Engagement with Government, November 2008.
ii
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