3 July 2006 - One-stop-shops for older people to tackle social exclusion
Local communities are at the heart of ensuring people over 50 can live independent, active and fulfilling lives said James Purnell, Minister for Pension Reform.
Mr Purnell was speaking at Tower Hamlets, one of the pilot locations for LinkAge Plus - a £10million network of one-stop-shops to provide services for people over 50. LinkAge Plus has involved older people in the design and delivery of the project to make sure it meets the needs of people in their local communities.
Mr Purnell said:
“We have lifted over two million pensioners out of poverty since 1997 and this has helped us make good progress in tackling the exclusion of older people in society. We know, however, that there is still more that we can do.
“We are launching eight LinkAge Plus pilots today which will work at the heart of local communities to support older people where they live. The pilots will be one-stop-shops for people aged 50 and over. They will enable people to access a whole range of services such as help with housing and access to transport, health services, employment advice and information about volunteering opportunities.
“People who find it difficult to travel will benefit from the outreach activity which will bring the services to them, whilst for others there will be drop-in centres for socialising as well as getting the information and support they need.”
Tower Hamlets Cabinet Member for Older People and Health, Cllr Abdul Asad, added:
“We believe that our borough has been chosen to pilot this important programme by the Government, because of our outstanding record of providing joined-up local services – and tackling social exclusion of older people.
“A recent Government report, heralding the Link Age programme, cited more than a dozen examples of best practice in Tower Hamlets, and we are delighted that this puts us in the vanguard of this new approach to meeting the needs of over 50s.”
Kate Jopling, Senior Manager, Equality and Public Affairs, Help the Aged said:
"It's fantastic that the Link Age Plus pilots are now up and running, and can start to make a real impact in the community. Help the Aged has long argued that, if we are to reach the most disadvantaged older people, then we need to change the way we provide services so that we no longer force people to jump through hoops just to have their most basic needs met.
"Older people's services should be about breaking down the barriers which get in the way of people achieving their aspirations in later life. They should be about offering something positive - not forcing people to catalogue their problems and then access a different service to solve each one. The Link Age Plus programme is about making this shift, and that's why Help the Aged is proud to be working with Government in partnership on the project."
The Link Age Plus pilots are part of the Government’s Opportunity Age strategy for older people, and the cross-Government action plan to tackle the social exclusion of older people published in a report from the Social Exclusion Unit in January. The pilots have been developed in partnership with older people, local and central government, local and national organisations and the voluntary sector. Eight pilots launched today in Tower Hamlets, Devon, Gateshead, Gloucestershire, Lancaster, Leeds, Nottinghamshire and Salford.
Notes to Editors
- A Sure Start to Later Life: Ending Inequalities for Older People – a final report in the Improving Services, Improving Lives series on social exclusion published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (now the Department for communities and Local Government) ISBN 1-85112812-3, is priced £15, and available from tel: 0870 1226 236, or the DLGC/SEU website: www.socialexclusion.gov.uk
- Opportunity Age, the Government’s strategy for older people was published in March 2005. John Hutton, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is the Government’s Older People’s Champion, and oversees implementation of the strategy.
- DWP has set aside £10 million over two years to support the development of Link-Age Plus. This is in addition to resources provided by local authorities and their local partners. Link-Age Plus will be overseen by a steering group drawn from a range of central government, voluntary sector and local government organisations including the Social Exclusion Unit, Age Concern, Help the Aged, Citizens Advice, Department of Health, Local Government Association.
- Eight local authorities have been asked to work with DWP to develop the
LinkAge Plus concept. These are:
- Devon County Council
- Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council
- Gloucestershire County Council
- Lancaster City Council
- Leeds City Council
- London Borough of Tower Hamlets
- Nottinghamshire County Council
- Salford City Council
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