Mike Cooke - Chief Executive, London Borough of Camden

1. Mike Cooke - Chief Executive, London Borough of Camden LGA ageing task and finish group – 11th November Strategic role of LAs in relation to population ageing –the challenges and opportunities

2. Context - demographics

3. Context – financial implications Camden's ‘controllable spend’ (total £370m) .

4. Key themes • Shift from paternalism to promoting independence and choice within cohesive communities. • Growing national consensus that prevention and early intervention is where we should be investing. • We need to respond to a changing world through innovation.

5. Role of local government • Provide democratic and strategic leadership fit for changing times. • - Challenges: representing older people and involving older people in decisions that affect them. • “Services for all”: most Council activity has an impact on all resident’s wellbeing and quality of life including older people. • - Challenges: many of these services are under threat because of financial constraints but these are essential to good health, well being and ‘prevention’ • .

6. Role of local government • Changing mind-sets: older people are an asset. • Challenges: a national, cross cutting issue. • Enabling specialist assessment and care provision. • Challenges:innovating/ modernising; quality of care linked to workforce issues; influencing private providers.

7. Role of local government • System leadership, ensuring integration with health partners, police, third sector etc. • Challenges: dealing with complexity; conflicting priorities and cultures; preparing to meet needs of a different, digital generation. • Safeguarding Adults. • “Protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect.” Care Act statutory guidance

8. Summary of Opportunities • Making the most of older people’s skills and experiences. • Ensuring older people have the chance to live fulfilling and enriching lives in cohesive communities. • That health and care is at or close to home. • Where ageing means maintaining independence, control and choice. • Opportunity to innovate and ensure provision is fit for the future. • Where possible, deliver benefits for everyone by shifting to ‘prevention’ away from needing to make costly, crisis interventions.

9. Additional detail on demographics

10. Additional detail on valuing older people • In 2013, there were over 1m workers in the UK aged 65+. • Older people’s volunteering was worth £10.6bn in 2010, £15.5bn by 2030. • Childcare provided by people aged 65+ is around £2.73 billion. • An ICM poll found that 65% of older people say they regularly help out elderly neighbours and are the most likely of all adult age groups to do so • 55% of those who say they volunteer either formally or informally are members of between one and five community groups – again, more than any other age cohort.

11. Additional detail on valuing older people Case study 1: the Bloomsbury Festival Research being carried out jointly by University College London and the Bloomsbury Festival aims to evaluate a pilot cultural outreach programme designed to bring cultural participation to socially isolated older people living with dementia. The Bloomsbury Festival hopes to continue to roll out the project on a more long term basis after the research has concluded Clients of Age UK Camden’s dementia befriending service have come forward to participate in the research project. With the befriender present, artists from the Bloomsbury Festival visit people in their homes to experience a one-to-one cultural activity.  Participation has involved having visits from a range of artists, including; a resident poet from Keats House, a Ceramicist, local historian and an opera singer. The first visits have already started and have been greatly enjoyed by the befriendee’s who not only enthusiastically engaged with the activity that was delivered to them they were able to discuss and share their knowledge and personal history of Bloomsbury and Camden. On making a ceramic tile one visit a befriendee exclaimed “I feel like an artist, I never would have believed I could create anything like that”

12. Additional detail on valuing older people Case study 2: Digital inclusion iPad have been used by staff and volunteers at Age UK Camden with people with dementia who access the dementia befriending service.  Ipads have been found to aid reminiscence as they enable life-story work, listening to songs, watching film clips and looking at a range of images. Using apps as a means of creativity have stimulated feelings of achievement, enjoyment and inquisitiveness. One volunteer said: “As Mrs A [a person with dementia] liked the iPad last time, we used it again to see images of Liverpool where she grew up and her school there. I also showed her how to take a picture. Mrs A was very excited about the iPad. We also watched the Beatles on YouTube and sang "She loves you" and "Yesterday" together. She became emotional with tears in her eyes. She said her memory of the past came back to her and she felt overjoyed”.