Issue - meetings

Vicky Devonport, Groundwork Representative will report on the ambition for ageing, aligning Groundworks delivery and investments with local strategies and priorities.

Vicky Devonport, Executive Director Groundwork provided a briefing to Board Members to raise awareness of the work being undertaken in aligning Groundwork’s delivery and investments with local strategies and priorities.

The Ambition for Ageing (AfA) Bury Programme brings both investment and opportunity to Bury partners and acts as a catalyst to drive forward the actions highlighted in the refreshed Bury Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2015-18: Living Well in Bury (Making it Happen Together)

To help make a greater impact the Executive Director reported this can be achieved by nurturing links to services who also engage with some of the hidden communities.

The AfA Programme in Bury helps deliver some of the actions set out in the HWB strategy:

·         ensures older people play an active role within their community, tackling the impact of social isolation

·         reduces the likelihood of people experiencing a crisis and when they do reduces the impact of this.

The primary aim of AfA if to ensure that older people are able to play an active role within their community and understand that for some tackling the impact of social isolation will be all the support they need to lead an independent life.

In response to a Member’s question; the Groundwork representative reported that funding distributed to Voluntary groups via the project has been distributed primarily to groups that were already established.

The Groundwork representative reported that a great deal of work has been undertaken with hard to reach groups, including work with partners in the library service.  Groundwork has met with GP Business Managers to raise the profile of the service and engage them in identifying those patients who may be socially isolated and would benefit from the scheme.

The Executive Director Pennine Care reported that they can help to raise awareness through the Locality Care Organisation and the Health and Wellbeing College.

The Programme will run for two and half years and is in three wards within the Borough; St. Mary’s, Radcliffe North and Moreside.  The Groundwork representative reported that the wards were pre-defined and may have been chosen due to the ethnic mix and socio-economic factors.

Councillor Holt expressed his support for the programme.

Delegated Decision:

·         That the Health and Wellbeing Board receives an update on the programme in 6-9 months

·         The Health and Wellbeing Board receives a final report at the end of the programme which considers how Bury partners might embed and consider the impact of the Action for Ageing programme across Bury on health and wellbeing when making policy, planning decisions and service developments.