Age Friendly Strategy & Action Plan 2024-2027 p8
Year 2
THEME: Outdoor Spaces & Buildings
The outside environment and public buildings have a major impact on the mobility, independence and quality of life for people in later life.
Characteristics of the built environment aligned with Age Friendly include public access and safety, green spaces, pavements and road crossings, parking, outdoor seating and accessible buildings.
Achievements to date - Building on Foundations
In general people reported feeling safe about leaving their homes and spending time in outdoor parks and open spaces while baseline report findings also indicated positive experiences in relation to public buildings and staff being considered accessible and welcoming, providing a solid foundation from which to roll out further actions across the borough.
| Issue identified | How the Age Friendly Alliance might achieve this |
Indicators | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concerns raised by older people in the development of public realm schemes in relation to the provision of drop kerbs, resurfacing of footpaths, seating and lighting,cars parked on footpaths |
Secure commitment of Alliance partners to assessing the age friendliness of their facilities, public spaces and services. Share ‘See Things from my Age’ and where appropriate work in partnership to take action to address issues. |
Undertake an informative walking tour with key decision makers and older people in Mid and East Antrim to demonstrate Age friendly needs Number of Alliance partners who have assessed the Age friendliness of their facilities, public spaces and services. Email a minimum of 500 local businesses with a copy of ‘See things from my Age’ |
Older people feel better included, benefitting from accessible and inclusive facilities. Policy makers benefit from hearing the voice of older people. Age Friendly Alliance encourages Good relations, civic pride and a sense of belonging by creating vibrant, shared, cohesive and inclusive communities across the borough. |
THEME: Transport
Transportation, including accessible and affordable public transport, is a key issue for people in later life.
People’s ability to move about in their locality will impact on their participation in and access to services.
Transport infrastructure and services are integral to creating an Age Friendly Community.
Achievements to date - Building on Foundations
While the baseline report found that public transport was viewed positively in terms of both safety and easy to find information, there is scope for improvement on timetabling and routes.
The baseline also identified a trend across the borough toward using one’s own transport among those responding.
| Issue identified | How the Age Friendly Alliance might achieve this |
Indicators | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access to Services including rural communities | Raise awareness of free public transport and how to apply. | Contribute to Age Friendly NI Network strategic priority by developing an online information platform on transport services, including free transport available for older people living in the borough. |
Our older people can participate meaningfully in community life. As people get older they are well informed about things that matter to them. |
THEME: Housing
Safe, good quality homes are integral to maintaining and supporting health and wellbeing and community connections.
This requires provision of housing to enable people to grow older in comfort and safety in the community of their choice, supported by co-designed health and well-being solutions.
Achievements to date - Building on Foundations
Support for home safety and security schemes has impacted positively on older people as evidenced during consultation on the baseline report.
Projects such as the Handyman service delivered by AGEWELL illustrate the work underway to date under the Housing domain and highlights the need to avoid duplication.
These schemes should continue, especially given the borough’s ageing population and provide a framework for further work on energy efficiency given current cost of living challenges, building on work undertaken through the Department for Communities Affordable Warmth Scheme and Council’s Energy Efficiency Advice service.
| Issue identified | How the Age Friendly Alliance might achieve this |
Indicators | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home maintenance and safety | Advice and information on how to be prepared for emergencies. | Deliver a minimum of 3 awareness raising events and record the number of older persons in receipt of support/information |
Older persons feel safe and are supported to live independently in their own homes for longer. As people get older, they are well informed about things that matter to them. |
THEME: Social Participation
Social participation is strongly connected to good health and wellbeing; it is important to enable people to feel connected and have a sense of belonging with the ability to maintain or establish supportive and caring relationships.
Enabling accessibility, particularly for those with mobility issues, is also key to supporting social participation.
Achievements to date - Building on Foundations
Valuable progress has been undertaken to date in the form of Good Morning Schemes and luncheon clubs as participation tools in addition to initiatives such as Chatty Benches and Chatty Cafés.
The action plan is an opportunity to sustain and further develop these actions, recognising the impact they have had on our older population.
| Issue identified | How the Age Friendly Alliance might achieve this |
Indicators | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inclusion |
Promote opportunities for older people to become more involved in community life through information events and taster sessions to address loneliness. Analyse feedback from Older Person’s Forum on barriers experienced by older people to not engaging in community activities. Identify areas for action to address barriers to engagement identified by older person’s forum. |
Convene a task group to start looking at ways to address barriers to engagement for older persons | Older people feel better included. |
| Accessibility | Promote importance of accessibility to organisations encouraging participation by older people. |
Develop resources to help organisations become more age friendly. Number of contacts made to raise awareness. Seek and review of feedback on ‘See Things from my Age’ from Age Friendly Alliance partners |
Older people benefit from accessible and inclusive facilities. Older people within the borough are active, respected and supported in their community. |
THEME: Respect & Social Inclusion
An Age Friendly community enables people of all backgrounds to actively participate and treats everyone with respect, regardless of age, with intergenerational activities being one way for different generations to learn from one another and develop connections.
Achievements to date - Building on Foundations
Inter-generational work provides a valuable mechanism for inclusion and building respect across generations.
Initiatives such as Intergenerational Parliaments demonstrate the impact of this work and should continue to be supported as part of a social inclusion model.
Avoiding duplication by working in partnership with established bodies such as AGEWELL will ensure best use of resources and maximising opportunities for building respect and social inclusion.
The importance of meaningful consultation processes by public bodies with older people to identify need and identify the barriers to participation which face older people was identified through baseline consultation informing this domain.
| Issue identified | How the Age Friendly Alliance might achieve this |
Indicators | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hearing older people’s voices |
Raise public awareness of the role of the Older Person’s Forum. Design of feedback template for community and voluntary groups to allow them to capture the views of older people for their own group development Roll out of simple recognition scheme for premises to become Age Friendly to include staff training, age friendly assessments, JAM cards and accessible toilet facilities. |
Publicity on partnership working of Older Person’s Forum and Age Friendly Alliance. Template completed and circulated to minimum of 100 community and voluntary groups. Total of 9 premises signed up to recognition scheme, with publicity on completion |
As people get older, they are heard, valued and respected and involved in decisions that affect them. Policy makers benefit from hearing the voice of older people. Older persons are able to participate meaningfully in community life. |
THEME: Civic Participation & Employment
Age Friendly communities provide opportunities for people in later life to continue to contribute to their communities.
Those options can include community and local based interventions to engage the ageing population such as volunteering, mentoring or employment.
Achievements to date - Building on Foundations
Progress under this theme can be achieved through promotion of re-skilling and training opportunities currently available to older people and Council is already undertaking relevant actions such as the Economic Development Department’s digital and technical skills programmes.
The work of other agencies can also contribute to civic participation and employment e.g. promoting awareness of Libraries NI ICT resources (access, training and staff assistance).
| Issue identified | How the Age Friendly Alliance might achieve this |
Indicators | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opportunities for employment and volunteering |
Encourage uptake of Centre for Ageing Better UK Age Friendly Employer Pledge Promote volunteering opportunities in Mid and East Antrim for older people |
Number of employers in Mid and East Antrim signed up to Age Friendly Employer Pledge Number of volunteering opportunities in Mid and East Antrim for older people promoted |
Our older people can participate meaningfully in community life. |
| Sustainability of community groups | Provide support on succession planning for older people’s groups to take account of work undertaken in Year One with regard to barriers to participation. | Deliver one workshop on Succession Planning in three areas in Mid and East Antrim | Older people within the borough are active, respected and supported in their community. |
THEME: Communication and Information
Staying connected with events and people and receiving relevant information to meet personal needs is vital for active ageing.
It is important that information is up to date, practical and accessible to all.
Achievements to date - Building on Foundations
Ongoing work in relation to internet safety and support to address the threat of scams delivered by AGEWELL with support from Community Planning was identified as being very effective in the baseline report. It is important that such work continues, alongside Age Friendly awareness raising and facilitation with Council departments which has been delivered.
| Issue identified | How the Age Friendly Alliance might achieve this |
Indicators | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staying Connected | Share Age Friendly NI Network ‘How To’ Guide on Communications with wider organisations in area |
Number of organisations provided with a copy of reference guidance. Deliver Positive Ageing Month (October) calendar of events 2025 |
As people get older, they are well informed about things that matter to them. |
|
Alliance members to contribute to and share online directories such as Population Plus to raise awareness of the network of support, services and providers within the borough. Distribute Ageing Well Magazine to older people in area Review usage and expand on provision of information boards in key areas |
% increase in number of individuals in Mid and East Antrim area accessing Population Plus To minimum of 2500 recipients Install a minimum of three new Age Friendly Information Boards in Council area |
THEME: Community Support & Health Services
Community support is linked to good health and wellbeing throughout life, alongside accessible and affordable health care services.
Access to and availability of services is crucial to maintain health and independence and sustainable communities.
Achievements to date - Building on Foundations
Through its IMPACT Agewell community development integrated care project, AGEWELL has undertaken much work in this domain, working with older people through a range of actions including social prescribing using a hub health delivery model in partnership with NHSCT and Community Pharmacies.
| Issue identified | How the Age Friendly Alliance might achieve this |
Indicators | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | Liaise with service providers to lobby for health and community service facilities and routes to be more accessible. | Number of employers signed up to Age Friendly Employer Pledge |
As people get older, they are heard, valued and respected and involved in decisions that affect them. Older people within the borough are active, respected and supported in their community. |
| Information & Awareness |
Improve access to information on community and health services, including home care services. Raise awareness about violence against older people. |
Number of events promoted through Positive Ageing Month (October) Calendar Alliance members to contribute to and share Population Plus to raise awareness of the network of support, services and providers within the borough. Deliver one Awareness Session for Age Friendly Alliance members on community safety and older persons’ fear of violence. |
As we get older, we are well informed about things that matter to us. |