Agenda item

Karen Fuller, Director of Adult Social Services, Ian Bottomley, Deputy Directo of Integrated Commissioning Health, Education and Social Care (HESC), and Isabel Rockingham, Interim Head of Joint Commissioning – Age Well, have been invited to present an Age Well Update on Supporting Older People in Oxfordshire.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

Karen Fuller, Director of Adult Social Services, Ian Bottomley, Deputy Director of Integrated Commissioning Health, Education and Social Care (HESC), and Cheryl Huntbach, Local Area Coordinator, were invited to present the Age Well Update on Supporting Older People in Oxfordshire and answer the Committee’s questions.

The Deputy Director introduced Age Well by noting Oxfordshire’s growing population of 137,000 older people, with most not receiving formal services. He stressed the council’s aim to help seniors live independently through preventative measures like the Oxfordshire Way. By addressing loneliness, isolation, and inactivity, and focusing on community services and system planning, the council had reduced care home admissions and enabled more older people to stay at home.

The Local Area Coordinator outlined the adoption of local area coordination in Oxfordshire, one of eleven regions using the Australian model. She described the coordinators' strengths-based, person-centred approach, their ongoing support without strict referral criteria, and their role as community connectors. The Local Area Coordinator illustrated its benefits with an example of an older resident who became more active locally after coordinator support, showing how early intervention can reduce reliance on formal care.

The Committee raised the following questions and comments related to the Age Well update:

·       How the original areas with a local area coordinator were selected for expansion and why only two further areas were added, despite the initial success. The Deputy Director of Integrated Commissioning HESC and the Local Area Coordinator stated that new areas were selected based on public health data identifying locations with deprivation and need within Oxfordshire. The process also considered local interest and the capacity to participate, with recruitment panels that included residents. The decision to expand into two additional areas was influenced by programme costs and the requirement for financial viability. Local area coordination may continue to expand where it was assessed as effective, but resource constraints and existing local interventions meant a countywide rollout was not pursued at that time.

·       What the definition of rurality was and how it was considered in the deployment of local area coordinators, how the impact of these coordinators was measured, and what the potential was for expanding the model to other highly deprived areas in Oxfordshire. The discussion recognised that some areas lack community resources and could benefit from local area coordination. The Deputy Director of Integrated Commissioning HESC noted rurality was considered, but area selection focused mainly on need and deprivation, with no single definition for rurality. Impact was measured using both quantitative data and qualitative stories, though attributing outcomes to coordinators remains complex due to overlapping services. It was emphasised that new coordinators should complement, not duplicate, existing interventions such as Age UK and Brighter Futures. Any expansion of the model will depend on resources, proven impact, and strong partner collaboration to maximise effectiveness and avoid duplication.

·       The Committee discussed the variations in loneliness among individuals living alone in rural and urban areas, as well as the ways in which strategies like social prescribing respond to these issues. The Deputy Director of Integrated Commissioning HESC noted that loneliness affected both rural and urban areas, sometimes more so in cities despite closer proximity to others. The strategy to address loneliness focuses on strengths-based assessments and connecting people with local community resources, such as voluntary groups and Age UK, rather than relying on formal care. Social prescribing and local area coordination were key elements. The approach recognised that different communities have unique needs, so effective interventions may vary by area. Ongoing work aimed to enhance support in both rural and urban settings, tailoring solutions to local circumstances and prioritising community-based connections.

·       Members highlighted concerns about the distribution of community capacity grants, specifically noting an apparent over-concentration of funding in the Oxford City area despite its lower proportion of older residents compared to more rural districts. The Director of Adult Social Services and the Deputy Director of Integrated Commissioning HESC noted that more established organisations in Oxford City, familiar with funding applications, tend to secure more grants, some of which extend beyond older adults. To support smaller or rural groups, initiatives such as drop-in sessions and a grants helpline were introduced. The discussion emphasised the need for cross-departmental collaboration, especially regarding transport, to enhance support across Oxfordshire. Efforts continued to improve coordination between council departments and external partners, as voluntary organisations provide much of the community transport.

·       How successful community capacity grant projects could be scaled up and their best practices shared across Oxfordshire. The Deputy Director of Integrated Commissioning HESC emphasised that scaling up successful projects is handled carefully to preserve local creativity and context. What worked in one area may not suit another due to differing community needs, so the council shared best practices while supporting tailored approaches. Mechanisms existed to disseminate learning and guide organisations whose initial grant bids were unsuccessful towards other opportunities. The local area coordination model was cited as an example of effective initiatives inspiring similar methods elsewhere. Overall, the council prioritises organic growth and adaptation, encouraging the spread of proven strategies without imposing uniform solutions, and ensuring outcomes are shared and lessons learned across Oxfordshire.

The Committee AGREED to make the following observation:

·       That Manchester City Council’s provision of council tax relief for residents in end-of-life care represents a compassionate and practical approach to supporting vulnerable individuals. Members noted the potential relevance of such a scheme in the Oxfordshire context, particularly for residents experiencing deprivation.