Nottinghamshire County Council is a Beacon Council for Services for Older People. This award recognises the significant partnership working with older people and the public, private, voluntary & community sectors across the county to achieve a change in the way we respond to the needs and aspirations of older people.

Over 30% of Nottinghamshire’s population are over the age of 50. In 20 years time this is likely to be 45%, a significant increase.

There is a large urban and rural population with significant levels of disadvantage, particularly in the ex-coalfield communities.

Policy development

The profile of the agenda for older people has never been higher. 2005 has seen the development of the first central government strategy for an ageing population.

Key policy documents include:

• Opportunity Age meeting the challenges of ageing in the 21st century
  (HM Government www.dwp.gov.uk/opportunityage)
• Independence, Well-being & Choice our vision for the future of social care for adults in England
  (Green Paper, Department of Health www.dh.gov.uk)
• National Service Framework for Older People (Department of Health)
  (www.doh.gov.uk/nsfolderpeople.pdf)
• Choosing Health (Department of Health www.dh.gov.uk)
• Supporting People (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister www.odpm.gov.uk)
• Quality & Choice for Older People in Housing
• (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister www.odpm.gov.uk)

Nottinghamshire has created its own lever for change, a Countywide Strategy for an ageing population “Opportunity Age in Nottinghamshire” bringing together core statutory services with provision that promotes health, well-being and independence for older citizens.

The strategic approach broadens the focus on older people from health and social care and involves all Departments of the County Council, and has several examples of joint work.

Partnership activity to make a difference

It has been important to ensure that partnership activity enhances the quality of life for older citizens in rural areas. Nottinghamshire Rural Community Council has been an important partner, delivering a volunteer befriending service and facilitating social activity groups in isolated rural communities.

Nottinghamshire has used the findings from a Best Value Review on the Promotion of Independence to focus partnership activity resulting in tangible outcomes for older citizens. The service innovation below has a particular relevance for rural communities:

• Innovation in local transport provision including a demand responsive service and an integrated transport call centre to make best use of transport provision providing a responsive range of options for residents.
• Resource centres dedicated to older people, bringing together local services and information on how to keep independent and active.
• Senior peer mentoring in health which helps people over 50 become more active through the friendship of active older people by providing support and encouragement to take up new activities and interests.
• Service advisors to signpost people across services.
• Information leaflets developed by older people about local services.
• Shoppers buses in rural areas.
• Programmes to enhance safety in the home and the community.
• Healthy lifestyle projects.
• Lifelong learning community based activities.

Involvement of older people

Engagement and the active involvement of older people has been crucial to creating services that respond to the needs and aspirations of an ageing population.

There are 9 older people’s forums in the county. Forums elect representatives onto a Nottinghamshire Older People’s Advisory Group. This has been central to empowering older people to inform and influence decision-making and service delivery.

The UK wide Better Government for Older People (BGOP) programme (www.bgop.org.uk) has been at the heart of developments in Nottinghamshire. The County Council is the regional centre for BGOP and Liz Mandeville is its Regional Manager. There is an East Midlands Older People’s Advisory Group to inform and influence regional policy and provision and an established regional partnership called East Midlands Tomorrow (www.eastmidlandstomorrow.org.uk) which has published “Ageing and Demographic Change”, a report on positive ageing across the region.