Audit Commission

Understanding, engaging and mobilising the community

• Understand the demographic profile and projections for the area
• Use own and partner information to target resources where they will have most effect
• Design and provide information for people who do not have access to the internet
• Design an engagement process that works for older people, council and partners
• Appoint a lead champion with a clearly defined role who will challenge perceptions and work across boundaries
• Ensure there are champions at all levels - councillors, officers and older people - who will take the lead and drive change on specific issues
• Use engagement to drive improvement
• Measure progress and outcomes
• Develop mechanisms that allow the process to evolve and improve
• Empower and mobilise the community to allow them to take the lead

Age-proofing

• Involve older people in planning at the outset
• Design mainstream services that older people can use
• Use existing resources wisely
• Adapt mainstream services where appropriate
• Be innovative in finding ways to improve mainstream services; and in how you work with partners to improve other essential services
• Councils should work with transport providers to find solutions to complex transport problems

Targeted services

• Understand the community and local demographic profile to target services effectively
• Develop services that match high risk issues for the area (for example, low life expectancy, high rate of heart disease, isolated BME communities, rural isolation, and so on).
• Target members of the community most at risk of isolation and ill health
• Quantify spend on targeted services