Agenda item

To consider a report by the Older People’s Strategy Development Officer and Service Manager – Communities & Wellbeing (copy attached) for Members to consider the findings and recommendations and endorse the need for a corporate approach to implementing its recommendations through the range of actions as listed in the Action Plan.

                                                                                      9.35 a.m. – 10.10 a.m.

The Lead Member for Social Care (Adult & Children’s Services) introduced the report (previously circulated) for Members to consider the findings and recommendations of the Supporting the Independence of Older People – Wales Audit Office Report. 

The Lead Member emphasised the importance for Local Authorities across Wales to support prevention services to aid the independence of older people. 

Attached at Appendix 1 of the report had been the Council’s Action Plan for progressing the recommendations. Officers and the Lead Member informed Members that the study highlighted:

·       the fact that there was a need for Local Authorities to take a co-ordinated corporate approach towards supporting the independence of older people, not solely rely on health and social care services

·       acknowledged the severe financial constraints that restricted Local Authorities from providing certain advisory and non-statutory support services.

The Committee were advised that:

·       the third sector in Denbighshire did receive grant funding from the Council to enable it to deliver advisory and support work.  Contracts with the third sector specified that a condition of the grant funding was that they delivered services which did support independence.  To date, this had proved very effective

·       the Single Point of Access (SPoA) service was a key driver of the Council’s aim of improving access to advice and information

·       an Ageing Well Plan had been developed

·       “Talking Points”, had been established, which aimed to reach out to people within their communities, preventing referrals to Social Services

·       the focus of social care services was being changed from a reactive/intervention service to being a more proactive preventative service in line with the requirements of the Social Service and Well-being (Wales) Act

·       work was now underway to develop a “Supporting Independence in Denbighshire Strategy”, which would comply with the vision set out in the Dublin Declaration on Age-Friendly Cities and Communities – to which the Council was a signatory.

Responding to Members’ questions, the Lead Member and officers advised that:

·       at present a substantial part of the funding for the SPoA Service came via the Intermediate Care Fund (ICF) grant.  The grant funding tended to be rather piecemeal and was awarded on an annual basis, which made it very difficult to plan for the medium to long-term

·       Denbighshire was already delivering a lot of the support and adopting the corporate approach aspired to in the report, as part of its day to day business

·       the Council had been in discussion with Conwy County Borough Council with a view to potentially appoint the vacant Older People’s Strategy Development Officer post on a joint/shared basis

·       work was underway to embed the concept of Denbighshire County Council being a dementia friendly council into council services day to day work and service planning.  St. Asaph had recently been awarded the status of being the first Dementia Friendly City in North Wales.  Ruthin Rotary Club were at present keen to do more work around dementia friendly communities.  The “Talking Points” initiative had been an ideal vehicle for communities, both rural and urban, to develop into dementia friendly communities.

Members felt that libraries were ideally placed and located to be developed into community hubs where both young and old could socialise with a view to eliminating loneliness, social isolation and consequently supporting health and well-being.

Members asked that they be circulated a link to Denbighshire’s Ageing Well Plan.

RESOLVED that:-

(i)              subject to the above observations and comments, to endorse the need for a corporate approach to implementing the recommendations through the range of actions listed in the Action Plan (Appendix 1)

(ii)             that the Older People Reference Group, which already has responsibility for implementing Denbighshire’s Ageing Well Plan, be tasked with addressing and progressing the Supporting the Independence of Older People Action Plan, and

(iii)            that the draft Supporting Independence in Denbighshire Strategy be submitted to the Committee for consideration at its November 2016 meeting.