Salford’s Age Friendly Cities programme

A5 4pp Age Friendly

Salford is a city which celebrates the role of older people. It provides support when needed to enable older people to live healthy, independent lives for as long as possible and ensures that quality care and support is available when needed.

Currently in Salford there are more than 35,000 people aged 65 or older and this number is set to rise. Whilst many live active lives and bring a valuable resource to the city others have complex health and well-being needs.

Through our Salford Together partnership which includes Salford City Council, NHS Salford Clinical Commissioning Group, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust and Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust along with older people and voluntary, community organisations we aim to support older people who are well and healthy stay active and busy so they stay healthier for longer and support those who have care needs to improve their quality of life and independence, with an overall focus on improving the health and wellbeing of all older people across the city.

Lead partners for the AFC work are Public Health in Salford City Council, Inspiring Communities Together, Age UK Salford and Salford Clinical Commissioning Group. Working through the community asset project group we utilize the knowledge and life experiences of older people in Salford by making their lives better through listening and valuing their views and ensuring this knowledge is used to influence the improvement of services and build stronger communities. How the approach was developed is outlined below:

• Age Friendly City – the commitment of the city to support older people to stay healthy and well. An action plan has been developed and will be delivered by the Age Friendly Cities Alliance.
• Well-being plans are used to support the commitment of older people to support their own health and well-being.
• Older people’s networks are used to consult older people on future plans and support delivery through volunteers.
• Tools are co-produced with older people based in local neighbourhoods to gain the commitment of the community and delivery to support older people to stay healthy and well e.g. falls prevention, Tech and Tea training.

Older people have been engaged through a number of approaches:

• Focus groups across the city to prioritise key things that make Salford more Age Friendly
• Annual older person’s day events
• Sense checking priorities with local older people
• Older people’s networks set up across the city
• Community Asset project group engaged with older people through the network of partners (housing providers, development workers, third sector organisations, health workers and Salford City Council)
• Older people take part in workshops and learning events both as participants and presenters, worked with health professionals to coproduce tools which support older people to stay healthy and well
• An Age Friendly film has been produced featuring local older people views, see link below https://communityreporter.net/story/age-friendly-Salford