POPPs a huge success

Posted By: Greg Couzens
Date Posted: 13/02/2009

I was delighted to report at the recent full council meeting how successful our Partnerships for Older People Project (POPPs) in Rochdale is proving.

The University of Salford has selected our POPPs model as one in which other similar schemes should be judged against. Rochdale’s POPPs model was brought in by the Liberal Democrats and sets out to proactively reach people who are struggling to stay independent by offering more community involvement and empowerment.

The implementation of the POPPs project sits alongside the transformation of Adult Social Care and will play an essential part in the future structure of the health and social care economy. POPPs is the first step in developing a range of preventive low level services which support older people to stay healthy and independent.

Since the end of August POPPS has commissioned 31 new services & activities including IT classes, carers support groups, a volunteer driver scheme and much more. It is vital that we provide a flexible service to help older people stay independent.

I wish to congratulate the Cabinet Member for Older People, Councillor Pauline Maguire, for her pioneering and challenging work. I am sure she will be looking into developing POPPs even further over the next few years and building on what has worked well so far.