Agenda item

Report ACH21-029

The Committee considered a report providing a summary of progress made to date in responding to the loneliness and social isolation policy agenda and some of the intended next steps.

In 2019 the Council made a commitment to mitigate loneliness and social isolation. Recognising this as a ‘whole system’ issue, the Council hosted a summit for partners to reflect on the risk of ‘all age’ loneliness. Discussions had focused on new/first time parents, young people leaving the care system and older people. The summit facilitated a conversation to raise awareness of loneliness and reduce the stigma of social isolation. The summit celebrated considerable multi agency attendance with positive evaluations and feedback. Building on this momentum, the Council jointly with the Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) published an ‘Ageing Well in Bromley’ Strategy which identified the mitigation of loneliness as its first priority.

The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns had exacerbated the risk of loneliness for all residents and especially those most vulnerable. The Council had continued to focus on the loneliness agenda in partnership with the voluntary and community sector. Councillor Aisha Cuthbert, Executive Assistant to the Leader of the Council, was the lead Member on this project supporting both the Council and voluntary’s sector’s work to tackle loneliness.

The Assistant Director for Strategy, Performance and Corporate Transformation advised Members that during the autumn of 2021 a co-design to tackling loneliness strategy was planned in partnership with the voluntary sector.

Councillor Cuthbert attended the meeting in her role as lead Member on this project and highlighted that it was a huge priority for Members as so many of their constituents had been impacted by these issues over the last 18 months.  Council departments would also be encouraged to incorporate loneliness and social isolation into any policies that they were developing.

In response to questions from the Chairman, Councillor Cuthbert advised that over 200 people had attended the Loneliness Summit in 2019. They were delivering great things, but no one was leading on it and this was what the strategy would try to achieve. With regards to the ‘hidden lonely’, the pandemic had helped identify these residents and they had been required to contact the Local Authority for assistance. A Member noted that there would also be a need for volunteers to assist in ensuring that the most vulnerable residents not re-engaging with services were identified.

In response to questions, the Assistant Director for Strategy, Performance and Corporate Transformation advised that during the first stage of the pandemic many people had been furloughed from their jobs and a large number of residents had registered to volunteer in their community. Over 1,000 volunteers had been paired with vulnerable residents and the ongoing befriending service would help mitigate loneliness. Going forward, the Local Authority would identify the appropriate channel for those wishing to volunteer to continue to do so. Bromley Well were also fully involved and would signpost residents to the relevant agency for engagement. In relation to safeguarding, Members were informed that DBS checks were carried out for those people that volunteered through the voluntary sector to support residents in the community. Any referrals on individual clients were passed on and there were mitigations in place to manage safeguarding issues. The Assistant Director for Strategy, Performance and Corporate Transformation said that the team would communicate and publicise further activity on loneliness and social isolation over the coming months.

A Member noted that this was an excellent report, however he would like to see deliverable dates included. The role of care co-ordinators and care prescribers in helping to build social isolation and loneliness registers was highlighted. It was requested that feedback on the Loneliness Summit be circulated to Members of the Committee.

The Member further noted that some funding would be required to drive this project. Councillor Cuthbert advised that the strategy included both human and financial resources.

In response to a question from the Chairman, Councillor Cuthbert said that the co-design workshops were planned to take place in September 2021, with the draft strategy to be brought to the Committee’s November 2021 meeting.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.