Posted By: Pauline Maguire
Date Posted: 06/10/2008

Thank you MR Mayor for the opportunity to report to the Council the latest developments on various matters relating to the Older People Portfolio.

Developments for older people are still progressing through two main strands:

- POPPs – Partnerships for Older Peoples projects

- Initiatives linked to the Council’s strategy for older people

POPPs

Carers Social Enterprise Development Officer Evaluation Report

We recorded the number of carers who registered themselves between 1st Apr-June 08 and broke this down by Townships. A total of 54 carers were registered the breakdown is as follows:

Heywood 9, Middleton 11, Rochdale 29, Pennines 5.

We recorded the number of carers who registered themselves over the last year and broke this down by Townships. A total of 223 carers were registered the breakdown is as follows:

Heywood  47 Middleton,  46 Rochdale, 130.

Key activities

-223 carers have been identified, registered, supported and helped since Aug 2007

-Each one of these carers has been signposted into various other services and agencies, offering individual ongoing support to these carers in their caring role.

-The carers and or the person being cared for have had their own individual needs highlighted and met.

-Since the start of the project 223 carers are now no longer isolated and a large percentage of these carers are accessing Health, leisure and or learning.

-Two new groups commissioned by TOPPS for carers activities have started in Pennines and Middleton

-There are 18 carers attending the activities. The breakdown is as follows: Health 2, Learning 4, Leisure 12.

Carers Emergency card

The Carers Emergency Card has been produced for carers who are worried about what would happen to the person they look after, if the carer was taken ill, or had another emergency and they could not tell anyone that they had caring responsibilities. It means that two nominated people can be contacted. It is designed to give carers a peace of mind and access to round the clock assistance. There has been a crucial drive to highlight and distribute the carers emergency card application form, prior to carers week and there has been a vast increase in this take up.

Carers Week

Carers celebrated the 14th national Carers week 9th-15th June. Carers participated in events across the Rochdale Borough 27 new carers registered, 16 of which have been registered as POPPS targets.(Awaiting figures for actual numbers of various health checks for all venues)

Update on Social Enterprises

Update on the help and assistance that is given to carers who want to start up their own business into becoming social enterprises

Lotus Defence Conflict Resolution and Personal Safety training (in early stages) An understanding of what you can legally do to defend yourself.Essential knowledge of the unconscious signals you give out and how to give the right signals. Becoming more aware of your environment and how to avoid becoming a victim. Some secrets of how to use your natural body movements to release an attacker.

Cath Brennan ( Domestic cleaning service, still in idea form). A door to door cleaning service for carers and older people, who find it hard to undertake their own domestic chores.

Township Older Peoples Project Report 1 April 2008 – 20th June 2008

This financial year all of the four TOPPS have reviewed their terms of reference requesting amendment and clarification to ensure they best reflects their TOPPS. This has resulted in the TOPPS feeling that they have more ownership of how they should operate within the terms of reference guidelines.

The four TOPPS have also reviewed the commissioning procedure to ensure all their members fully understand the process. Clarification was also provided on how older peoples needs are identified and the complete process of commissioning and evaluation. The TOPPS have also reviewed the TOPPS action plan and agreed that the TOPPS coordinator will report against this report quarterly.Rochdale, Middleton and Heywood TOPPS have received their ‘unmet needs report’ which contained statistical information on each of the townships needs identified from the older people via the Health and wellbeing questionnaires. This report also contained on how many older peoples needs have not been met against an activity requested. The TOPPS have been working from this report to prioritise gaps in unmet needs and address this via developing project specifications and getting the activities commissioned in the next few coming months.Pennines Township will now receive this report in July at the Pennines TOPPS meeting as the meeting scheduled in May did not take place, due to a change of staff.

Projects Commissioned:

Rochdale TOPPS:

Khubsurat House Luncheon club, Fieldway Gentle Exercise, Transport for Meadowfields luncheon club on Fridays, Transport for Meadowfields luncheon club on Tuesdays, Rochdale Borough Shopping Link.

Middleton TOPPS:

Brookside transport, Demesne ICT class transport,Clough court/D'olervira court gentle exercise transport.

Heywood TOPPS:

Sandon House arts and crafts club. Rochdale Borough Shopping Link.

Pennines TOPPS:

St Andrews Church Dearnley Wednesday luncheon club transport, Meadowfields luncheon club Friday transport, St Andrews Church Dearnley Friday luncheon club transport, Dearnley Friendship club Tuesday transport, Meadowfields luncheon club Tuesday transport, Rochdale Borough Shopping Link.

Volunteers

In the second year the target for volunteer recruitment is 125, up to June 20th twenty people have been recruited into various different voluntary roles from administration to publicity designer. There is a trend within volunteering whereby more people express an interest and become involved in activities during the summer months. The target for this year is achievable and with all the events coming up in the summer there should be an influx of new volunteers for the POPPS Project.

Transport

As reported in previous reports transport has been recognised as a key issue for older people. Trips provided for older people stand at 477 for June. The main use of transport was journeys to and from activities, and without the provision of the transport people would not have been able to take part in the activities.

Pre retirement Seminar

The Council recently held its first pre retirement seminar in conjunction with Berkeley St James, it was held on 30th May 2008. Ten people attended the seminar and feedback forms were received. The feedback from the course was good with comments ranging from the course being excellent, worthwhile, informative and relaxed. Attendees liked the session on benefits and thought this was very useful they also thought that they could have benefited from this advice sooner. Overall the seminar was a great success and another one is scheduled for next year.

Initiatives linked to older peoples strategy.

Events for Older People.

I am happy to announce that a series of three week long events aimed at older people, called ‘Recycled Teenagers’, will take place in September on the following dates:

Rochdale Township week commencing 8th September

Pennines Township week commencing 15th September

Heywood Township week commencing 22nd September

The aim is to give older people the opportunity to attend a varied week of activities at little or no cost to themselves. The activities will range from advice sessions on issues relevant to older people, opportunities to try new leisure or exercise sessions, and entertainment. The final programme has yet to be finalised and will be distributed in August.

Parliamentary enquiry into older people.

RMBC contributed to an inquiry into the services for older people. The, inquiry was conducted by the All Party Parliamentary Local Government Group which required all reports to be submitted to them by 29th April 2008. The purpose of the inquiry was to look at how the place of older people in society can be improved over the next decade within the context of rapid demographic change, rising expectations and increasing financial constraint. The inquiry wanted to explore the implications for the well-being and long term care of older people and use information from the submissions from participating authorities to inform the forthcoming Green Paper.

Councillor Pauline Maguire