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Empowering engagement: a stronger voice for older people
— the Government response to John Elbourne's Review [of older people's engagement with government] | | Corporate Author | Department for Work and Pensions - DWP |
| Publisher | Department for Work and Pensions - DWP, London, 3 February 2009 |
| Pages | 48 pp |
| Source | http://www.dwp.gov.uk/resourcecentre/ind_review_ol... Alternative formats available on request from: The Older People and Ageing Society Division, Department for Work and Pensions, 7th Floor, Caxton House, 6-12
Tothill Street, London SW1H 9NA. E-mail: andrew.jennings@dwp.gsi.gov.uk |
| Keywords | Citizenship ; Services ; Local government ; Participation ; Government ; Reports. |
| Annotation | In May 2008, the former Pensions Minister Mike O'Brien asked John Elbourne, former Chief Executive of Prudential Assurance, to "examine the current arrangements for the engagement of older people and the ability of those arrangements to inform policy and actions of Government at all levels". Specifically, this included examining the role of Better Government for Older People (BGOP), a partnership of government and third-sector organisations with older people's groups. In this response, the Government supports the case for a new UK Advisory Forum on Ageing to provide "a stronger, clearer and louder voice for older people at a national level"; the government will continue to work with the devolved administrations in the UK. Also important is empowering a regional voice for older people, with a wide range of different groups and forums, and voluntary and community groups working with local authorities. The role that regional Government Offices have to play is acknowledged, as is that of older people's forums, including the Older People's Advisory Groups (OPAGs). Among the next steps recommended are: development of a UK Advisory Forum on Ageing as part of the work to update the Government's Ageing Strategy; provision of funding from April 2009 to support OPAGs and other forums through enhanced regional structures; establishing or developing Regional Forums on Ageing in each region, through Government Offices; putting in place regional coordinators to strengthen the network of local authority forums and to champion older people; and providing a new structure so that local and Regional Forums feed into and inform the UK Advisory Forum on Ageing. The DWP will support BGOP to become an independent entity, "providing one-off funding for infrastructure and other start-up costs which will establish strong support for the OPAG network". Government departments will discuss with BGOP funding for specific pieces of work they will be undertaking. Also noted in this response is Dame Joan Bakewell's appointment as an independent and informed advocate on age equality issues, with a remit to facilitate public debate on age discrimination in advance of and during the passage of the Equality Bill. (RH) |
| Accession Number | CPA-090205001 E |
| Classmark | IKC: I: VP: TMB: VJA: 6K |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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