Issue - meetings

Report of Councillor A Dale, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Council Services

RESOLVED:-

(1)       That Cabinet approved the proposed Older People’s Strategy 2020-23 and that this strategy be now published.

(2)       That Cabinet review progress on the Older People’s Strategy 2020-23 in May 2021.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

Adoption of the Strategy has achieved the priority set out in the Council Plan 2019 – 2023 to develop an Older People’s Strategy for the District.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED:

The option of not agreeing and publishing the Older People’s Strategy was considered but rejected. Failure to adopt the strategy would have meant not achieving one of the priorities of the Council Plan 2019 – 2023.

Please note that this was not a Key Decision and so can be implemented with immediate effect by officers. 

Cabinet considered a report of Councillor A Dale, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Council Services, on the proposed Older People’s Strategy 2020 to 2023.

Members were reminded that the Council Plan included commitment to produce a specific strategy for Older People. The proposed strategy would provide a framework for helping to improve various aspects of older people’s lives, including personal finances, health and tackling social isolation. By working alongside the Council’s other strategies, it would help to ensure that the available resources had the greatest positive impact for older people.

Cabinet discussed the Older People’s Strategy. Members welcomed the widespread consultation which had taken place with representative groups, including Age Concern, Derbyshire Voluntary Action, Parish Councils and those Old Age Pensioner Clubs funded by the Council.  There was a consensus that these groups had made an important contribution and that they had added value to the Strategy.

Cabinet made clear that the Older People’s Strategy ought to be kept under review and revised as necessary, so that it could respond to changing circumstances. In particular, Members stressed that that the Strategy should help meet the challenges facing older people following on from the Coronavirus (Covid-19). In this context Cabinet asked to receive an annual progress report on the Strategy.

RESOLVED:-

            (1)     That Cabinet approved the proposed Older People’s Strategy 2020-23            and that this strategy be now published.

            (2)     That Cabinet review progress on the Older People’s Strategy 2020-23             in May 2021.

REASONS FOR DECISION:-

Adoption of the Strategy has achieved the priority set out in the Council Plan 2019 – 2023 to develop an Older People’s Strategy for the District.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED:-

The option of not agreeing and publishing the Older People’s Strategy was considered but rejected. Failure to adopt the strategy would have meant not achieving one of the priorities of the Council Plan 2019 – 2023