TORIES IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT FAIL OLDER PEOPLEKent Labour condemns the Conservatives who dominate local government for failing older people up and down the country.The Audit Commission, an independent watchdog on efficiency, economy and quality in public services, has published a report today outlining the challenges facing older people who want to use council services. Don’t Stop Me Now – Preparing for an Ageing Population showed that councils in England are not ready to meet the challenges or seize the opportunities offered as people live longer. The report found that while the Labour Government’s 2005 strategy for older people, Opportunity Age, has the potential to improve the lives of the ageing population, the benefits aspired to by the Government aren’t being delivered across the country. The Government defines older people as anyone over 50, but it is those councils with the most local residents over 50 which are least prepared to meet their long-term interests and needs. Most councils need to improve the way they provide information on matters such as volunteering, social activities and leisure, learning opportunities and transport. Tom Maddison, Labour KCC Shadow Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services, said: “The Labour Government gave a commitment in Opportunity Age to define priorities and to say what outcomes, or results, they wanted to see for older people’s wellbeing. “But the responsibility for local leadership, planning and delivery lies with councils. “The intention was that the Government’s priorities and outcomes should link up with councils’ strategies for older people. Those strategies were supposed to plan ways in which council services could work together, in a co-ordinated way, to support all older people – not only the minority who need social care, but also those who are still very active and independent.“But in 2008, three years after the Labour Government published Opportunity Age, the Audit Commission has found that 27% of councils have no strategy for older people apart from social care, and almost half are only starting to develop ideas”.Labour Shadow Leader of KCC Mike Eddy said: “Most councils up and down the country are controlled by the Conservatives. The time lag between what Labour is doing in central government and what’s happening in Conservative-dominated local councils like Kent shows that the Tories really don’t put a very high priority on addressing the needs and wishes of older people.“Eric Pickles recently told Conservative councils not to co-operate with the Labour Government. It looks to me like they’ve not been co-operating for a long time when it comes to the interests of older people.“If this is what the Tories are like in control of councils, I dread to think what’ll happen if they get in control of the country.“An ageing population plus a Conservative government – now that would be a timebomb”.
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