Change that leads to better lives

Two Way Streets

Following on from the NDTi report Widening choices for older people with high support needs (2013), NDTi worked with Community Catalysts to hold community conversations to look at what needs to change and how, to widen the range of support options available to older people.

In 2012, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) commissioned NDTi and Community Catalysts to look at what alternatives exist, focusing particularly on creative solutions based on positive mutual relationships and older people’s contributions. More details of the report can be found here.

Since then, continuing pressure on budgets has made it difficult to achieve real change for older people, even though some relatively small scale innovations are in place and delivering promising results.

So we’re returning to the issues raised in the report, updating and strengthening our evidence base, and re-energising the debate among local authorities, local people/older people’s organisations and networks.

This is a first step in a much larger programme to build knowledge and awareness of asset-based models of care and support for older people, and to create momentum for action

What did we do?

We worked with local authorities, partners, older people and community networks in two areas - one urban and one rural. We held meetings in Herefordshire in December and are delighted that Bradford will be joining us in January.

In each area, NDTi and Community Catalysts held two community conversations - one for commissioners, and one for wider community networks/organisations. We want to look at commissioning in its widest sense - including older people who self-fund or use personal budgets, as well as those from health and social care with a strategic commissioning role. We also want to hear from organisations that help older people locally to make decisions about their future care and support.

The events explored local experiences of solutions that rely on positive mutual relationships and older people’s contribution. They will also look at what needs to change and how, to widen the range of support options available to older people through a range of routes and funding sources.



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