Cabinet Member: Adult Social Care & Public Health

Forward Plan Ref: 2018/197

Contact: Rachel Pirie, Lead for Older People Commissioning Markets Tel: 07917 534410

Report by Director for Adult Social Care (CA9).

Cabinet are asked to support the final version of ‘Living Longer, Living Better: Oxfordshire’s Older People’s Strategy”, which is also scheduled for approval at the Health & Wellbeing Board in March 2019.

Cabinet are also asked to support the ‘Report of the Older People’s Strategy Consultation’ which will also be submitted to the Health & Wellbeing Board.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(i)         support the final version of ‘Living Longer, Living Better: Oxfordshire’s Older People’s Strategy”, which is also submitted for approval at the Health & Wellbeing Board and Cabinet in March 2019;

(ii)      support the ‘Report of the Older People’s Strategy Consultation’ which will also be submitted to the Health & Wellbeing Board.

Recommendations agreed subject to the following amendment in bold italics:

RESOLVED:             to:

(i)            support the final version of ‘Living Longer, Living Better: Oxfordshire’s Older People’s Strategy’, subject to the addition of a paragraph on the advantages of cultural activities for older people such as book clubs, choirs and the home library service, which is also submitted for approval at the Health & Wellbeing Board in March 2019;

(ii)          Support the ‘Report of the Older People’s Strategy Consultation’, which will also be submitted to the Health & Wellbeing Board.

Cabinet considered a report seeking support for the final version of ‘Living Longer, Living Better: Oxfordshire’s Older People’s Strategy”, which is also scheduled for approval at the Health & Wellbeing Board in March 2019.

Cabinet were also asked to support the ‘Report of the Older People’s Strategy Consultation’ which will also be submitted to the Health & Wellbeing Board.

Councillor Laura Price, Opposition Deputy Leader, stated she was glad to see the number of responses to the consultation and welcomed the provision of paper copies, which was important in reaching the target audience. Councillor Price queried when she and the public would be able to access the implementation plan. There were a number of challenges in delivering the strategy including those around staffing (both paid and volunteers), cuts to core delivery and funding issues in the face of increasing demand. A lot would depend on the implementation plan.

Councillor Lawrie Stratford, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health agreed with comments made by Councillor Price about the dependence on volunteers. The strategy recognised the value of their support.

Councillor Stratford in moving the recommendations proposed an amendment to include within the strategy a paragraph on the advantages of cultural activities for older people. Councillor Lorraine Lindsay-Gale, Cabinet Member for Education and Cultural Services spoke in support of the amendment commenting that cultural activities were a way of combatting loneliness.

Benedict Leigh, Deputy Director Commissioning, added that once the Strategy was agreed then work would begin on the implementation plan. This would involve working groups and working together to look at what needed to be done differently to implement the Strategy.

RESOLVED:             to:

(a)      approve the final version of ‘Living Longer, Living Better: Oxfordshire’s Older People’s Strategy’, subject to the addition of a paragraph on the advantages of cultural activities for older people such as book clubs, choirs and the home library service, which is also submitted for approval at the Health & Wellbeing Board in March 2019;

(b)      Support the ‘Report of the Older People’s Strategy Consultation’, which will also be submitted to the Health & Wellbeing Board.