Age Friendly Leeds Strategy and Action Plan 2022 - 2025

Objectives & Actions

Objective A: Access for all: Ensuring that parks and green spaces are accessible for everyone who wants to use them.

Short-term:    

• Install a Changing Places toilet as part of new developments at Tropical World.
• New city centre park (Aire park) will include accessible public toilets.
• Get correct, up to date information about all our city parks and the Arium on Euan's Guide website.
• To develop a process for auditing the accessibility of our sites.

Long-term:    

• Develop ‘a plan on a page’ for all 65 community parks which will include an accessibility audit for each site.
• Review number of disabled parking bays in parks and bench numbers and locations when putting together plans on a page.

Objective B: Health and Wellbeing: Providing and promoting a wide range of opportunities for people to get the health benefits of spending time in green spaces.

Short-term:    

• Where possible and appropriate, prioritise investment in green spaces in areas of deprivation.

Medium-term:    

• Where possible and appropriate, prioritise investment in green spaces in areas of deprivation.
• (With partners) promote the mental and physical benefits of spending time in parks and green spaces.

Long-term:    

• Where possible and appropriate, prioritise investment in green spaces in areas of deprivation.
• (With partners) promote the mental and physical benefits of spending time in parks and green spaces.
• To create a measured and signposted walking route in every suitable community and city park.
• Develop and promote walking routes connecting green spaces and communities across the city, prioritising areas of deprivation where the public health benefits of accessing green space will be greater.

Objective C: Working with communities: Having a positive, open, helpful and collaborative approach to delivering the Parks and Countryside service.

Short, medium & long-term:    

• Ensure all Friends, In Bloom, outdoor sports clubs, allotment associations and other community groups with an interest in our green spaces have a contact in the Parks & Countryside Service who can support them to achieve shared goals.
• Continue to organise and support the following city-wide volunteer groups: Leeds Wildlife Volunteers, Leeds Cemetery Volunteers, Volunteer Rangers and Leeds Voluntary Footpath Rangers.
• Consulting with users and non-users when creating ‘A plan on a page’ for all 65 community parks.

Older people’s expectations

• Public and green spaces in Leeds are safe, clean and accessible to me
• I can comfortably access toilets and seating when I go out in public
• When I go out, I feel that public spaces are welcoming to older people

Outcomes

Leeds is a welcoming city, accessible to all where older people feel, and are, safe.    

Objectives & Actions

Objective A: Ensure older people have a choice of transport options and can chose a mode that is most appropriate for their journey

Short-term:    

• Complete Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme.
• Pilot Streets for People/ Active Travel Neighbourhood schemes.
• Develop Leeds Streetscape Space allocation policy.
• Develop and sign a Street Charter for Leeds.

Mid-term:    

• Deliver electric bike hire scheme for Leeds.
• Continue to deliver dropped kerbs and disabled parking bays.
• Continue to identify and help overcome barriers to walking through the demand responsive provision of pedestrian crossings (ongoing).
• Deliver cycling infrastructure improvements as part of TCF and Active Travel Fund.

Long-term:    

• Deliver bus priority measures, walking and cycling improvements as part of Corridor Improvement Programme (CIP)/ City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS).
• Develop infrastructure that enables people to continue cycling into older age, including safe segregated routes, a range of adapted bikes and electric bikes, cycle training.
• Progress the development of Local Area Transport Plans.

Objective B: Lower the cost of mobility, ensuring transport is affordable and accessible to everyone

Short-term:    

• Work with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and bus operators to deliver improvements to the bus fleet, including audio announcements.
• Improve accessibility of information at bus stops through electronic displays and audio-announcements.
• Pilot the demand responsive community bus service in East End Park.
• Improve walking and cycling links from Pudsey to New Pudsey railway station to help overcome barriers.
• Deliver improvements to pus stops and infrastructure in Cottingley, Middleton and Bramley.

Mid-term:    

• Deliver improvements to Leeds Railway Station.
• Deliver access improvements to Morley Railway Station.
• Deliver Leeds Bike Hub at the railway station, including parking for adapted cycles and power assisted parking.

Long-term:    

• Work with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to identify actions.
• Progress mobility hubs.

Objective C: Eliminate Road deaths and serious injuries by adopting a Vision Zero

Short-term actions (yr1):    

• Continue working in partnership with LCC and external partners.
• Provide comms outlining changes to the Highway Code and how driving behaviour will need to change.
• Carry out in-depth analysis of victim data to understand who is causing the harm, the factors contributing to KSI collisions and to identify emerging issues that cause death and serious injury on our roads.
• Set up a Vision Zero Expert Panel to share information, guide the development of the strategy and action plan.
• Identify local and regional organisations to engage with including road users who are more vulnerable to traffic injury, drivers and people ensuring diversity and equality in our approach (ongoing).
• Develop and deliver data-led police operations to tackle speeding, dangerous driving behaviour, anti-social vehicle behaviour and stolen vehicle offences.

Mid-term actions (yr2):    

• Update the Vision Zero 2040 Action/Delivery Plan biennially with a short, medium, long term prioritised programme of actions and works.
• Develop Vision Zero kitemark or rewards programme to recognise best practice in safer behaviours and design.
• Launch a Leeds Safer Roads website to outline responsibilities for addressing road danger in Leeds, share headline CRaSH data and provide a facility for people to suggest road safety improvements.
• Promote alternatives to driving, such as taxis, rideshare services, designated drivers, and public transport and explore new ways to spread the message.

Long-term actions (yr3):    

• We will try to identify ways to engage with older drivers and find out more about how to prevent KSI crashes involving older people.

Objective D: Support and motivate people to make healthy travel choices

Short-term:    

• Promote and enable access to adapted bikes and electric bikes.
• Work with older people, disabled people and their organisations on identifying and removing barriers on greenways and quietways.
• Work with Community Committees to develop community led local transport plans that help identify and remove barriers.
• Deliver the Streets for People project in Holbeck.

Mid-term:    

• Develop signage strategy for Leeds, improving legibility and reflecting the dementia friendly aspiration.
• Work with partners such as Active Leeds and Older People's Forum on developing programmes that enable and support older people to undertake short local journeys without a car.

Long-term:    

• Continue ensuring new developments conform to the Supplementary Planning Document and create accessible, attractive neighbourhoods enabling walking and cycling at all ages.

Older people’s expectations

• I can access a range of safe, reliable and affordable public transport options
• My needs are supported by age friendly public transport facilities and staff
• If I need to travel by car, safe roads and parking are easily accessible to me
• I feel safe and confident enough to make active travel choices if I am able

Outcomes

Older people are able to access a broad range of affordable and accessible transport options to get about the city easily and safely    

Objectives & Actions

Objective A: Maximise the opportunities created by the Time to Shine Programme to reduce loneliness and social isolation

Short, mid and long-term:    

• Ensuring businesses, services, communities, and spaces are Age & Dementia Friendly through utilising the Friendly Communities sign up scheme.
• Listening to the voices (active voices) of local older people through Leeds Older People’s Forum, Age Friendly Steering Group,Age Friendly Ambassadors, Equalities Hub, Trending Elders Survey,DEEP and member organisations.
• Sharing information for services for older people in the Age Friendly newsletters, social media, LOPF, events and through wider networks.
• Developing & sharing a Manifesto for older people.

Objective B: Work with artists, practitioners and cultural organisations to actively engage older people in the city’s arts and cultural offer

Short-term:    

• Age friendly updates in arts@leeds newsletter.
• Ensure age friendly considerations are taken during grant funding review to assess whether targeted project funding might be useful.
• Support LEEDS2023 to engage and promote all their events in an age friendly way, and via age friendly means (wider marketing than purely digital).
• Collect case studies and showcase age friendly creative projects citywide – including highlighting projects funded by Leeds Inspired.
• Age friendly images utilised in Culture Programmes presentations, reports and/or website.
• Dementia Friendly performances offered as part of LCC venue programming (pantomimes at Carriageworks Theatre).

Mid-term:    

• Provide opportunities for older adults to engage with culture through programmes such as 1152 Club, Social History Club, Community Choir, Meet and Make, and Lotherton History Group and Tea and Talk group.
• Provide opportunities for older adults to engage with culture through partnerships with Leeds City Council Adult Social Care, Peer Support Cultural Partnership, Crossgates Good Neighbours, and others (including outreach sessions, and Wellbeing Wednesday sessions for those who cannot visit in person).
• Provide a Reminiscence box service for use with groups for older adults (relaunched in 2023).
• Dementia Friendly performances offered as part of LCC venue programming (pantomimes at Carriageworks Theatre).
• Review for 2023/2024 funding period for Cultural Investment Programme.

Long-term:    

• Leeds Museums Arts & Galleries will explore sites becoming Age and/or Dementia Friendly sites.
• Carriageworks will continue to programme dementia friendly performances as part of their pantomime season.
• Deliver Creative Healthy Ageing Programme use creative approaches to engage with people in later life and support ageing well.
• Culture Programmes will support older artists and creative activities that benefit older people through the Leeds Cultural Investment Programme.

Objective C: Offer a range of volunteering opportunities which older people can actively participate in.

Short-term:    

• Recruit additional Age Friendly Ambassadors to expand current number.

Mid-term:    

• Recruit additional Age Friendly Ambassadors to expand current number.
• Establish a stronger data set around volunteering, including numbers of older people volunteering across the city and details of roles.
• Identify any possible demographic gaps highlighted through monitoring to support targeted recruitment of volunteers.
• Work with our third sector partners to build capacity to recruit, train and upskill volunteers to maximise the health and wellbeing benefits.
• Long Term
• Development of a Volunteering Strategy that reflects the needs of older people – as volunteers and in terms of support received by volunteers.
• Use available data and engage with providers to enhance and develop volunteering opportunities in Leeds.
• Develop links between LOPF and VAL website page promoting the volunteering offer for older people across the city.
• Grow volunteer numbers, volunteer hours and their contribution to community-based support in Neighbourhood Networks year on year.
• Promote volunteering opportunities to all ages highlighting the health benefits and potential to expand skills and build confidence.
• Use available volunteer data to celebrate their contribution to age friendly volunteering.

Objective D: Undertake work with partners and the media to raise the profile of Age Friendly Leeds, intergenerational work and positive ageing

Short-term:    

• Recruitment of AF Ambassadors.
• Role out of Wise up to Ageism training.
• Identify a Comms expertise.

Medium-term:    

• Development & promotion of image library.
• Widen the work of Age Proud across other sectors.

Long-term:    

• Develop & deliver a communications plan across all partners of Age Friendly Leeds.
• To add once AP have developed Action Plan.

Objective E: Actively engage older people in the city's wider cultural and reading offer

Short-term:    

• Providing inspiration to find new cultural and reading experiences in safe, free indoor spaces alongside a remote offer and streamed events.
• Access to key collections of healthcare books (Books on Prescription) through libraries.
• Providing digital skills support and device lending, enabling people to take part in a wider range of opportunities.

Mid-term:    

• Access to volunteering opportunities, reading, social and culture-sharing groups.

Long-term:    

• Wise Up to Ageism and Dementia Friendly training for Leeds Libraries front line staff.
• Dementia memory drop-in to convert to a shared reading group at the central library.
• Continue with the Dementia peer-to-peer support Cultural Partnership with Leeds Museums & Galleries, and the Leeds Playhouse.
• Implementation of a partnership offer with LCC Care Homes and Recovery hubs.
• Work with area-based 3rd sector 'befriending schemes' to deliver books to people unable to visit their local library.

Objective F: Digital Inclusion: Older People in Leeds have equal opportunity to use digital tools, technology, and services in the right way for them

Short-term:    

• Continue delivering and developing the city-wide Older People’s Digital Inclusion Network in partnership with Leeds Older People’s Forum.
• Organisations supporting older people work in partnership to share best practice, resources, and tools to best support older people with digital inclusion.
• Device gifting schemes within organisations support older people with connectivity and access to digital.
• Digital Inclusion awareness training delivered with organisations supporting older people.

Mid-term:    

• Increase the capacity of organisations across the city to deliver digital inclusion in a sustainable way.
• Work with organisations that support older people to help them understand the benefits of digital inclusion and their role in delivering digital inclusion interventions. Building their confidence and skills using a stepped approach in line with their capacity.
• Target digital inclusion activities to improve outcomes for people living in care homes across Leeds.
• Develop Digital Health Hubs across the city to support older people to have support and opportunity to engage with Health services digitally in the right way for them.

Long-term:    

• Continue to build a sustainable infrastructure of support that older people can be referred into.
• Working with organisations who support older people to ensure digital inclusion is embedded into their service provision.
• Increasing choice and opportunities for older people to access digital equipment and connectivity.
• Increase community capacity to build sustainable digital inclusion interventions to support older people.

Older people’s expectations

• I volunteer some of my time to helping my community, friends and family
• I have access to range of social activities and don’t feel lonely
• I feel supported and respected by my community, and can ask for help when I need it
• I can easily find out about events, groups and opportunities in my community

Outcomes

No-one is lonely; there are a range of opportunities people can participate in to help them live healthy, active and fulfilling lives.    

Ageing is promoted positively and older people feel worthwhile and valued as citizens of Leeds.    

Objectives & Actions

Objective A: Deliver a plan to promote healthy ageing that focusses on; Active and Independent Living

Short-term:    

• To reduce the impact of deconditioning and support independence in the home by commissioning services and activity which is evidence-based work.
• Ensure data, intelligence and insight informs the development and allocation of funding by LOPF for the hospital discharge wrap around care programme.

Mid-term    

• Support the development and delivery of the Leeds Physical Activity Ambition with a focus on both the priorities of Deconditioning and Active Environments.
• Develop and deliver a training programme aimed at the wider workforce to support the identification of and support for reducing deconditioning and improving reconditioning.
• Ensure services meets the needs of older people at risk of poor health due to falls risk.

Long-term:    

• Develop and deliver a multi-agency programme of work recognising the broad range of actions to support people in later life to stay active and be more active.

Objective B: Deliver a plan to promote healthy ageing that focusses on; nutrition and hydration

Short-term:    

• Commission services for older people to access hot and nutritious meals with a focus on reducing health inequalities, tackling social isolation and loneliness and improving nutrition for older people.
• Ensure age friendly principles and the needs of older people are fed into the development of the Food Strategy for Leeds.
• Develop and deliver a programme of activity to increase vitamin D supplement uptake in those most at risk.

Mid-term:    

• Review delivery of lunch clubs and amend as necessary to ensure the provision of grants continue to focus on reducing inequalities, tackling social isolation and loneliness and improving nutrition for older people.
• Lead a programme of work to support in the wider workforce capability to identify and support the nutritional needs of older people.
• Facilitate multiagency partnership working to lead relevant actions as identified in the Food Strategy for Leeds.

Long-term:    

• Develop and deliver a programme of work to address the nutritional needs of people in later life. Supporting multiagency partnership working to lead relevant actions as identified in the Food Strategy for Leeds, promoting good nutrition and hydration as part of a life-course approach to healthy ageing
• Delivery of lunch clubs for older people to access hot and nutritious meals with a focus on reducing health inequalities, tackling social isolation and loneliness and improving nutrition for older people.

Objective C: Deliver a plan to promote healthy ageing that focusses on; Mental Health and Wellbeing

Short-term:    

• Understand data, intelligence and insight to inform the development and delivery of priorities in the Mental Health Strategy relating to older people.
• Map current provision of services, resources and support available to older people to support their mental wellbeing to identify gaps to inform the development and delivery of the Mental Health Strategy related to older people.

Mid-term:    

• Develop Age Friendly principles with mental health services in Leeds and support the implementation of these.
• Identify and map appropriate training offers and bespoke opportunities for frontline staff (clinical and third sector) to be able to access around older people and mental health.

Long-term:    

• Develop and deliver a programme of work to ensure mental health and wellbeing support and services are age friendly.

Objective D: Deliver a plan to promote healthy ageing that focusses on; the Broader determinants of health and health protection.

Short-term:    

• Lead the development and delivery plan of the older people’s aspects of the Public Health Weather and Health Impact Group.
• Coordinate the Leeds (placed based) ICS funded Fuel poverty programme increasing access to home adaptations, financial support and energy efficiency measures to those identified through clinical pathways.
• Develop and deliver a programme of work to ensure people have greater financial security in later life initially focussing on pension credit take up.
• Ensure evidence based and appropriate key messages and proactive support around COVID are targeted to older people including support for testing, vaccinations and staying safe OP using trusted channels.

Mid-term:    

• Ensure evidence and learning from the ICS funded Fuel poverty Programme is fed into regional and local plans for Y2 and 3.
• Continue to work with partners to support home improvements and adaptations to meet the needs of older people at risk of poor health due to the impacts of cold weather.
• Evaluate and share learnings from the ICS funded fuel poverty work to ensure learning is built into service design and delivery. 
• Continue to develop and implement a coordinated plan to protect those most at risk from cold weather through the Public Health Weather and Health Impact Group.
• Further development of the financial security project with a focus on those older people hardest hit by the increases in the cost of living and energy prices.

Long-term:    

• Continue to develop and implement a coordinated plan to protect those most at risk from hot or cold weather through the Public Health Weather and Health Impact Group.

Objective E: Facilitate community inclusion to enhance wellbeing, healthier life choices and independence

Mid-term:    

• Working with commissioned older people’s services to ensure that they are open and accessible to all community groups, including updating monitoring requirements.
• Working with Neighbourhood Networks to strengthen their city-wide activity offer and provide greater choice and control for older people.

Long-term:    

• Working with academic partners to understand the impact on loneliness and isolation, and the role of the third sector.
• Working with Neighbourhood Networks to develop their preventative role within the wider Leeds context.

Older people’s expectations

• I enjoy a good quality of life, living independently as far as possible
• I can access health-related appointments in a simple and timely manner
• I feel listened to and respected in a healthcare setting
• My holistic needs are taken into account when I access healthcare services
• As a carer I am acknowledged, valued and supported in my caring role. 

Outcomes

Older people are able to live healthy lives and remain independent for longer.    

Objectives & Actions

Objective A: Develop an approach to Age Friendly working practices to Support 50+ back into work; to stay in work; explore career change and upskilling and to access education and learning opportunities

Short-term

• Developing a better understanding of the 50+ priority group.

Mid-term

• Develop corresponding gaps in provision and map progression routes.
• Monitoring the Future Talent Plan to ensure it reflects the importance of age-inclusive employment.

Long-term

• Evaluate the impact from the work undertaken in years 1 & 2. 
• Ensure age-friendly focus is maintained within work & health agenda.

Objective B: Hire and Develop the over 50 workforce within Leeds City Council

• To complete a practice review – recruitment/adopt best practice re age-positive hiring; especially to address labour shortages.
• To review offer and relevance of learning for older workers, identify gaps and options to support career change and alignment with future needs and workforce plans.

Objective C: To support the Health, Wellbeing and Benefits of the 50+ workforce

Actions

• Review impact of the Appraisals and Supporting Staff at Work Charter – ensure this considers an employee's future needs/orientation and career opportunities, stressing both short- and longer-term ambitions. To also address areas where health/age is most likely to affect staff e.g., in front-line roles and manual jobs.
• Pension – Consider impact pending legislative changes to the LGPS in terms of policy and future practices in relation to staff of all age. Review levels of membership and work to address areas where staff opt-out.

Objective D:

To promote an Age Positive Culture and flexible working

• Promotion of age-friendly practices – develop materials and briefings for managers.
• Work with partners to promote adoption of age friendly charter e.g. Anchors and Centre for Ageing Better.
• Maintain and develop links with staff networks.
• Review feedback from older workers in surveys – set baselines regarding this.
• Practice review – Flexible working policy and flexible retirement – consider use amongst older workers; especially those in front-line roles.

Older people’s expectations

• I feel my life skills and experience are valued by my employer
• I have continued opportunities to learn and develop at work
• I have the option to work flexibly or in a way that suits my living situation
• I have easy access to support on career change, upskilling or other learning opportunities
• I am able to make positive and fulfilling retirement plans 

Outcomes

Older people in Leeds actively participate in the city through fulfilling employment and learning    

Objectives & Actions

Objective A: Improving housing quality / adaptations to support independence.

Short-term    

• Initiate options appraisal of good homes agency approach, considering options at city and West Yorkshire level.
• Review of hospital discharge and prevention pathways / partnership working to ensure earlier consideration of housing needs.
• Evaluate outcomes of Govtech project / other projects to identify digital technologies for monitoring housing quality / supporting independence.

Mid-term:    

• Embed Hospital Discharge project and undertake monitoring / analysis of health and housing impacts
• Mobilise Home Plus contract and undertake monitoring / evaluation of health and housing impacts

Long-term:    

• Complete and consider options appraisal of good homes agency approach.
• Embed, monitor and undertake evaluation of Hospital Discharge project to understand health and housing impacts.
• Complete Home Plus evaluation and use evaluation to work with partners to determine future strategic plans for the Home Plus Project.
• Understand digital projects underway in the city / region and review impacts on supporting independence, e.g. monitoring air quality. Determine future digital project plans based on review.

Objective B: Increasing public and agency awareness of information and advice on housing options with preventative focus

Short-term:    

• Continue to develop Leeds Directory as a public source of information and advice on housing options and contribute to the Directory discovery work.
• Complete survey of housing and health professionals to identify training needs / awareness of referral pathways. Begin to deliver cross sector training.
• Contribute to West Yorkshire campaign to encourage social housing tenants to 'rightsize'.
• Develop and deliver pilots to encourage early consideration of age friendly housing options – retirement planning in anchor organisations, self-assessment toolkit.
• Undertake equality impact assessment of information and advice objective to ensure that actions are inclusive.

Mid-term:    

• Support delivery of updated Leeds Directory website solution to provide improved information and advice, including user feedback, with effective communications plan.
• Further develop the housing self-assessment toolkit.
• Support delivery of cross housing and health sector training and partnership working.
• Support launch, monitoring and evaluation of West Yorkshire Rightsizing campaign.
• Continue to monitor equality impacts of actions / pilots.

Long-term:    

• Embed and promote housing information and advice pages on Leeds Directory to public and agencies.
• Complete development of housing self-assessment toolkit to be included on Leeds Directory.
• Work with HR to seek to incorporate housing into retirement planning material used by LCC.
• Support delivery of cross housing and health sector training and partnership working and evaluate cross housing and health sector working.
• Embed preventative approaches of age friendly housing options.
• Ongoing promotion of West Yorkshire Rightsizing campaign by housing partners.
• Continue to monitor equality impacts of actions / pilots.

Objective C: Increasing provision of age friendly housing options including accessible new housing and specialist housing with support

Short-term:    

• Monitor delivery of current accessible housing targets for new developments via Core Strategy and maximise uptake through proactive work with developers.
• Monitor outcome of government consultation on accessible housing targets.
• Continue to deliver extra care programme via Home Group and LCC, maximising effectiveness of how developments are meeting need.
• Undertake equality impact assessment of age friendly housing options objective to ensure that actions are inclusive.

Mid-term and long-terms:    

• Monitor and evaluate current accessible housing targets in Core Strategy taking into account outcome of government consultation.
• Continue to deliver extra care programme via Home Group and LCC monitoring health and housing impacts. Continue to undertake evaluation of extra care programme to ilientify impacts and opportunities
• Contribute towards national reviews of older persons housing provision – e.g. Older People's Housing Taskforce, APPG enquiry of Sheltered Housing.
• Undertake a review of the Council's Retirement Life Service.
• Contribute towards the West Yorkshire Dementia Friendly Housing work.
• Continue to monitor equality impacts of actions / pilots.

Older people’s expectations

• I am supported to live safely and comfortably in my own home
• I am confident and well-informed about my future housing options
• A variety of age friendly housing options are available to me
• I feel able to plan ahead and make positive and proactive decisions about my housing situation

Outcomes

Older people can access the help, support and housing options they need to live independently in their place of choice.