Age Friendly draft Strategy & Action Plan p6
6. Action Plan
Creating Age Friendly communities involves older residents, local groups, community and voluntary sector, health partners, councils and businesses working together.
In Mid and East Antrim, an Age Friendly Affiliation has been formed with partners from different sectors with different expertise including older people’s representatives, community groups and statutory agencies.
It is likely that the Affiliation will continue to grow as more organisations see the value of working together to make life better for older people.
The work of the Age Friendly Affiliation is funded through the Public Health Agency, which supports an Age Friendly Co-ordinator who is based in Mid and East Antrim Council.
During 2022/23 research was carried out with older persons to identify what makes Mid and East Antrim a great place to grow old in.
We spoke to a range of older people in our towns and villages and also carried out desktop research into what has worked well in age friendly communities.
We asked our Age Friendly Partners to share examples of good practice.
Themes have been aligned with those identified by the WHO, namely:-
- Respect and Social Inclusion
- Social Participation
- Housing
- Transportation
- Civic Participation and Employment
- Communication and Information
- Community Support and Health
- Services
- Outdoor Spaces and Public Buildings
The Age Friendly Affiliation came together during a workshop to reflect on the information gathered.
As we learned what matters most to local people or where they would like to see greatest improvement, we drafted, consulted and refined the strategy and action plan, cross cutting themes and actions.
Aim
The Action Plan serves as an implementation tool in establishing Mid and East Antrim as an Age Friendly Borough.
Implementation, monitoring and review
The Age Friendly Affiliation will provide strategic direction and leadership in the delivery of the action plan.
The Action plan for the Age Friendly Affiliation recognises the work and contribution of MEAAP and others in promoting an Age Friendly Borough in Mid and East Antrim - through the Age Friendly Strategy and associated action plan, the Age Friendly Affiliation aims to work in partnership with all stakeholders to add value to existing work in the sector, avoid duplication of energy and resources and recognise the experience and expertise which already exists within the borough.
This Age Friendly Strategy and action plan is based on what local people told us matters most in their lives.
The Affiliation is committed to continuing to engage with people in a meaningful way so that what they say helps shape how we deliver the actions in the action plan.
To enable the action plan to reflect and align with regional priorities and changing local circumstances in terms of both resources and older peoples’ needs, it is proposed that consultation on intended actions is undertaken on an annual basis.
This will allow for ongoing engagement and the practical review of actions and ensure that resources and energies are directed towards those outcomes that have priority and are achievable within any given twelve-month period.
The following pages provide a number of action plans, containing various levels of detail, namely;
- A final draft co-designed year 1 action plan – comments are invited on the content of this particular plan which will come into effect from 30 June 2024
- A draft year 2 action plan – this is for information only and illustrates what actions considered necessary from the findings of the baseline assessment that remain outstanding could be taken forward in the second 12-month period.
The year 2 action plan will not be confirmed prior to review by the Age Friendly Affiliation in line with the continuous improvement cycle - A draft year 3 action plan - this is for information only and similarly will be subject to review by the Age Friendly Affiliation to ensure that actions identified remain fit for purpose.