Age-friendly York surveys older people’s leisure time

Age-friendly York has launched a new consultation on how older people spend their leisure time in the city and how they’d actually like to spend it.

Your Leisure Time consultation is at www.york.gov.uk/AgeFriendlyYork and asks for views on activities and how to find them, volunteering and loneliness. Past surveys have highlighted social isolation is an issue which we’re addressing by providing opportunities to socialise like chatty bench and a chatty café. The survey asks about these initiatives and a shared restaurant table scheme. The questionnaire takes about 10 minutes to complete.

Earlier Age-Friendly surveys held last year were on Your Journey in August and Your Destination in October. Over 200 people took part and provided high-quality information and comments. Among the outcomes, includes a survey of benches in the city, their location, condition and plotting them on a map.

Following an earlier survey in 2017 when 23% of respondents said they experienced loneliness, we and partners developed www.LiveWellYork.co.uk which now lists some 640 activities, events or volunteering opportunities.

Councillor Carol Runciman, Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health said: “Being an age-friendly city is a welcome step towards making the city an even better place for older residents.

“Better understanding their preferences or concerns means we can work with partners to address them. We can then build on initiatives like the falls prevention service, or our older people’s accommodation programme to support people to live as independently and as well as possible in later life.

“We know social isolation can be an issue, and this survey will help us understand the barriers people face to socialising, so we can create the right solutions. In the same way, we know accessing community transport at peak times can be difficult, so Age Friendly York is working with the Community Transport Group to find solutions.”

The surveys are open to any older York residents, anyone who works with or cares for older people or those who are planning ahead for older age. Printed copies and large print versions of the consultation are available on request to AgeFriendlyYork@york.gov.uk. Please email this address is you’re interested in getting involved in Age Friendly York.

Other consultations planned by Age Friendly York are on Your Access to Information; Your Home and Your Services.

Haxby Hall care home plans

The council is being asked to approve land transactions and lease agreements to enable Yorkare Homes Limited to redevelop and upgrade Haxby Hall. When complete, this will help meet the need for good quality care in high quality care homes across the city.

Yorkare’s plans to extend and improve the accommodation at Haxby Hall will ensure uninterrupted care for the residents. Under the plans, residents will be able to stay in the home whilst work progresses on the site. The plans will also ensure continued employment for the Hall’s staff by transferring their employment from the council to the operator.

Yorkare are an ‘outstanding’ CQC-rated operator and they aim to extend this popular care home and create over 60 new bedrooms, equipped with en-suite facilities for improved privacy.

To deliver this higher quality of care and ensure minimal disruption to residents, two neighbouring properties have been acquired to provide access to the rear of the site. The council’s Executive is being asked to agree to a long lease for the site, for which Yorkare will pay the council £450,000.

A period of consultation will take place with local residents, community groups and organisations before planning permission is sought.

Separately the Council has said that “The executive will be asked to agree to procure an extra care developer and operator to develop a mixed tenure extra care development on the Lowfields site previously identified for a care home”. The meeting will take place on 19th March 2020.

Latest poverty figures hide York shame

There has been some smug comments from some politicians fallowing the release of the latest government figures on poverty levels. Known as the index of multiple deprivation, the figures give a clue to which are the most well off neighbourhoods and which the worst.

Overall York has fared well over the last couple of years. The York Outer constituency is now ranked 530 out of 533; the same as it was 4 years ago.

York Central has improved its relative position from 339 to 364. (High number is good). This largely reflects the “gentrification” of parts of the City and relatively high employment rates..

However, the overall figures disguise the level of poverty that is concentrated in some parts of the City.

The worst ranked neighbourhood (LSOA E01013443) is the Kingsway West area which includes Windsor Garth.

Kingsway neighbourhood. Officially the most deprived in York

It is the only York neighbourhood to rank in the bottom 20% in the country.

It fares particularly badly on health, employment and income indicators.

This neighbourhood is in the Westfield ward which itself is rated as the most deprived in the City.

The revelation should come as no surprise to the York Council. Campaigners have been pointing out for the last three or four years that the area was not only being neglected but that key services were being run down.

Kingsway ranks poorly on 8 individual indices and is the worst overall. Scores are out of 10 with low being poor.

The local multi user games area (MUGA) was recently closed down and a promised replacement has not materialised. Nearby the Lowfield’s playing field is also being built on while a bowling green has also been lost. The residents association folded a few years ago following complaints that its views were ignored by Councillors.

The neighbourhood does have a disproportionately high number of older people. This can drive down average income levels. It is also true to say that residents are mostly philosophical about their neighbourhood which still retains a good sense of community pride

However, it high time that the authorities – both local and national – made an commitment to regenerate public services for Kingsway residents.

What’s on in York: “Winter Warmers” for older citizens starts tomorrow

York Council tries to clear up £6 million contract confusion

We reported in February that the York Council had let social care contracts worth over £1.3 million pa. We questioned then whether the contracts had been properly advertised, whether they represented value for money and how their success would be monitored.

In a Freedom of Information response, the Council has sought to justify its actions

The number of tenders – advertised through Yortender & OJEU – received for each contract was low.

The details are:

Supported Lodgings – 1 tender. Awarded to Safe and Sound Homes (SASH).
Family Support – 4 tenders. Awarded to The Cyrenians (Community Links) This contract is worth £480,000 over 3 years
Older People and People with Physical Disabilities – 3 tenders. Awarded to Yorkshire Housing Ltd.

In total the tenders are worth £6.6 million over a period of 5 years.

The Council has declined to indicate the value of the individual tenders it received.

All contracts were awarded on 15^th September 2016 according to the contracts register. However, the decisions were only published in February 2017 (after the contracts had started). The Council itself says that the contracts were awarded, under delegated authority, by Council officials. The was no member involvement after the Executive meeting on 28^th April 2016. The Council claims the awards were decided on the following dates

a) 28th Aug 2016

b) 6th January 2017

c) 15th September 2016

It declines to say why the decisions were not recorded in the decisions register until as long as 4 months later.

It has also declined to make available the minutes of any bodies which considered the contracts nor will it say to which publicly accountable body the outputs against target will be reported.

The required outcomes, for two of the contracts, are expressed only in very general terms. They are more specific for the family support contract (see below)

Contrary to the impression given at the Council’s Executive meeting, the potential service providers were apparently not required to provide their “vision” for the service and its customers.

Free cycling taster session at Energise aimed at older people

The council is inviting York’s older residents to saddle up and try cycling at a series of free taster sessions and courses that will help people new to cycling to build their confidence and skills.

Taster sessions will be on offer at the off-road York Sport cycle track on 23 March from 10am-12 noon and 28 March from 1-3pm.

Courses that aim to help those new to cycling to ride with confidence will be on offer across the city, taking place on:

· 6, 13, 20, 27 April at Energise from 3-5pm
· 5, 12, 19 and 26 April at York Sport cycle track from 1-3pm
· 6, 13, 20, 27 April at Rowntree Park from 10.30am – 12.30pm
· 5, 12, 19 and 26 April at Burnholme form 10.30am – 12.30pm (indoors)

Regular cycling has been proven to reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and strokes. It can also help to also enhance mental wellbeing. It’s also a great way to keep weight under control and contributes to the recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise for adults.

Executive member for transport and planning, Cllr Ian Gillies, said: “Cycling is a great way to stay fit and healthy as it is a low impact activity where participants can do as much or as little as they feel comfortable with. It also offers a good low cost transport method for getting in and around the city.”

To book a place on a session or course email fiona.barker@york.gov.uk or call 01904 553377. Free cycle hire is also available on a first come first served basis for people who need a bike. For more information visit www.itravelyork.info

Young people make hairdressing salon a cut above

Older people haircut The tenants of Honeysuckle House, a City of York Council Sheltered Accommodation Scheme in Dringhouses, will soon be able to enjoy getting their hair done in style as the Enable scheme is undertaking a makeover of the on-site hairdressing salon.

Enable is a collaboration between the council’s 60+ Housing Specialist Service and SASH, a supported lodging scheme for young people who have experienced homelessness. It brings together young people who would like to give something back to their communities and older people who may need a hand with gardening and decorating.

The hairdressing salon at the Sheltered Accommodation Scheme is an important resource, much loved and used regularly by the tenants. Honeysuckle House approached the Enable scheme as the facility is starting to look tired and would benefit from a spruce up and this week four 4 young people, supported by staff, will be wallpapering, painting, gardening and generally sprucing the place up!

Enable has now been running for nearly 2 years and has carried out numerous community projects to make a real and lasting difference to the lives of older people in York. The young people get a taste of volunteering whilst learning skills they will need when they move into their own homes in the future.
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Residents urged to support vulnerable friends and neighbours over the festive period

City of York Council is urging residents to think of vulnerable friends and neighbours over the festive period.

It’s estimated that over half a million older people in the UK spend Christmas Day alone*.

Councillor Carol Runciman, Cabinet member for Adult Social Care and Health, City of York Council, said: “For many people, Christmas and the festive break is a chance to spend time with family and friends. But for hundreds of older and vulnerable people across the York area the holiday period can be a lonely and difficult time.

“I would urge people to pop in to check on vulnerable neighbours or make time for elderly relatives to make sure they have a warm, healthy and happy Christmas. No one should be lonely over the festive period.”

Top tips for supporting older or vulnerable neighbours, friends and relatives, include:

Make sure they’re warm enough – the temperature in their home should be at least 18oC, particularly if they are not mobile, have long term illness or are 65 or over, and they may need to wear several layers of clothes to stay warm.
Try to make sure they have regular hot meals and drinks throughout the day.
Check that they have enough medication to last the period that their GP practice is closed, so they don’t risk getting ill if they run out.
Information about social groups and activities for older people is available through www.connecttosupport.org/york or through contacting Age UK York on 01904 627995.

Christmas can also be a particularly difficult time for people living with dementia. For information about how to support people with dementia over the festive period, visit http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/ and search for ‘tips for Christmas support’.

For more information about Age UK’s national Spread the Warmth campaign visit http://www.ageuk.org.uk/ or see http://www.york.gov.uk/for more information about keeping well during winter.

*figures based on research carried out by Age UK in 2011