DECISION

1.    To note the contents of this report and approve ‘Ageing Well in Tower Hamlets: A Strategy for Improving the Experience of Growing Older in Tower Hamlets 2017 – 2020’, attached as Appendix 1 to the report.

2.    To note that following approval of the strategy work will continue with a range of stakeholders to finalise detailed implementation plans for each of the ten key themes contained in the strategy.

Action by:

CORPORATE DIRECTOR, HEALTH, ADULTS AND COMMUNITY (D. RADLEY)

(Acting Divisional Director, Integrated Commissioning (K. Sugars)

Councillor Amy Whitelock Gibbs, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Services, introduced the report on the commissioning strategy for social care related services for older residents. It was noted that, for a number of reasons, residents experienced signs of ageing in the borough earlier than in other parts of the Country. The Council was committed to helping older people continue to play an active role.

Angela Hancock (Chair), Pauline Canning, Elizabeth Adebisi and Diane Hackney from the Older People’s Reference Group provided Cabinet with a more detailed presentation on the strategy, looking at key themes and priorities. They also thanked the Council for the way the strategy had been produced and stated it was a great example of co-production with service users.

Councillor Amy Whitelock Gibbs thanked them for their presentation and their support in building the strategy. She also thanked Keith Burns (Programme Director, Special Projects) and all the officers in the team who had worked to develop the strategy.

During discussion a number of issues were noted including:

·          The challenge of dealing with the Borough’s changing demographics.

·         The need to ensure all communities were engaged with a particular focus on older residents of Bangladeshi background.

The Mayor thanked everyone involved for their hard work in putting this strategy together. He noted the discussion and agreed the recommendations as set out in the report.

RESOLVED

1.    To note the contents of this report and approve ‘Ageing Well in Tower Hamlets: A Strategy for Improving the Experience of Growing Older in Tower Hamlets 2017 – 2020’, attached as Appendix 1 to the report.

2.    To note that following approval of the strategy work will continue with a range of stakeholders to finalise detailed implementation plans for each of the ten key themes contained in the strategy.