Agenda item

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       To update Members on proposals to evaluate the Age-friendly Belfast Plan 2014-2017 and to produce an improvement plan for the period 2018-2021.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to note and agree;

·        Proposals to evaluate the Age-friendly Belfast Plan 2014-2017 and produce an improvement plan for the period 2018 -2021.

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues

3.1       In March 2012 the Lord Mayor signed a declaration formally committing Belfast to become a World Health Organisation (WHO) Age-friendly City. This effectively committed the City to a continuous improvement cycle, involving older people, of planning, implementation and evaluation to better meet the needs of an ageing population.  A three year action plan and progress report must be submitted to WHO for review at the start and end of the process respectively.

3.2       On 1st June 2012 it was agreed that the Belfast Strategic Partnership should provide the Governing Structure for the Age-friendly approach and support the Healthy Ageing Strategic Partnership in a collaborative approach to deliver Age-friendly Belfast.

3.3       Since then the Council has played a leading role within the Belfast Strategic Partnership (BSP) and specifically its Healthy Ageing Strategic Partnership (HASP) to honour that commitment. In March 2014 the Age-friendly Belfast plan 2014-2017 was launched and subsequently implemented with the vision Belfast will be a city where older people live life to the full.

3.4       The Council’s All Party Reference Group on Older People, currently chaired by Councillor Sonia Copeland, directs and oversees this work programme on behalf of the council.

3.5       As the Action Plan has reached the end of its implementation period, HASP must now complete an evaluation and summit a progress report to WHO together with a new three year action plan.

            Process and timeline for evaluation of progress and development of new 3 year Age-friendly Belfast plan

3.6       March to June 2017

1.     Review progress of action plan, indicator data and official statistics.

2.     Carry out a survey of a wide range of older people to seek their views on the city and identify priorities for action. The survey will be carried out online using Citizen Space and face to face using trained facilitators. Difficult to reach older people will be specifically targeted including carers, disabled, and those from the LGBT and BME communities. 

3.7       June 2017

            Use the information collected to update the age friendly baseline and hold a workshop with service providers, older people and other partners to identify and discuss priorities and actions required over the period of the next three year plan.

            This will also allow a one year interim plan to be agreed to maintain progress.

3.8       July - October 2017

            The Draft Age-friendly Belfast plan 2018-2021 will be developed alongside additional consultation and commitments from Stakeholders. The Draft Action Plan will be presented to the All Party Reference Group on Older People and Committee for consideration and comment. It will also be presented at the Age Friendly Belfast conference in October and will go out for a 12 week public consultation.

3.9       January 2018

            Following public consultation a final draft of The Age-friendly Belfast 2018-2021 will be presented to BSP for approval before being submitted to the World Health Organisation together with the updated Age-friendly Belfast baseline and the evaluation report on the 2014- 2017 Year Plan. The evaluation report and final Action Plan will be reported to Committee at this time.

            Financial & Resource Implications

3.10     All work will be carried out within existing budgets.

            Equality or Good Relations Implications

3.11     None.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.