Rural Needs Impact Assessment: Age Friendly Belfast Plan 2022-2026

Published in October 2022

Contents

Section 1 - Defining the activity subject to Section 1(1) of the Rural Needs Act (NI) 2016

1A. Name of public authority

Belfast City Council

1B. Please provide a short title, which describes the activity being undertaken by the public authority that is subject to the Section 1(1) of the Rural Needs Act (NI) 2016.

 Age Friendly Belfast Plan 2022-2026

1C. Please indicate which category the activity specified in Section 1B relates to.

Belfast City Council's activity relates to adopting and implementing a plan.

1D. Please provide the official title (if any) of the policy, strategy, plan for public service document or initiative relating to the category indicated in Section 1C.

 Age Friendly Belfast Plan 2022-2026

1E. Please provide details of the aims or objectives of the policy, strategy, plan or public service.

This is not applicable.

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Section 2 – Understanding the impact of the policy, strategy, plan or public service

2A. Is the policy, strategy, plan or public service likely to impact on people in rural areas?

Yes
No

2B. Please explain how the policy, strategy, plan or public service is likely to impact on people in rural areas.

This is a continuation of the Age Friendly Project.

The Healthy Ageing Strategic Partnership (HASP) leads the Age Friendly process supported by Belfast City Council

The Age Friendly Belfast second delivery cycle (2018-2021 Age Friendly Action Plan) has been completed and HASP have evaluated the progress, produced an Age- friendly Belfast progress report, and developed a new four-year plan 2022-2026 for public consultation.

Currently there are no legislative or procurement implications, but the Belfast Agenda commits us to ensure an Age Friendly Belfast.

Financial implications relate to the implementation of the Age Friendly Belfast Plan. Belfast City Council's contribution is covered through existing resources.

2C. If the policy, strategy, plan or public service is likely to impact on people in rural areas differently from people in urban areas, please explain how it is likely to impact on people in rural areas differently.

For Belfast, barriers to service delivery for people living in rural areas might not be considered to be as severe as those in more remote parts of Northern Ireland. Areas of Belfast outside the main urban area, including the three rural settlements of Edenderry, Lough View and Hannahstown are within relative proximity to the urban service centres within the main metropolitan area, and to the city centre. In addition transport services exist along arterial routes from these rural settlements to the city centre.

The Age Friendly Belfast Plan 2022-2026 is a citywide plan, and specific area-based work and location of events is considered to ensure limited differential impacts on rural areas.

2D. Please indicate which of these rural policy areas the policy, strategy, plan or public service is likely to primarily impact on.

If the response to Section 2A was 'Yes', go to Section 3A.

2E. Please explain why the policy, strategy, plan or public service is not likely to impact on people in rural areas.

This is not applicable.

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Section 3 – Identifying the social and economic needs of persons in rural areas

3A. Has the public authority taken steps to identify the social and economic needs of people in rural areas that are relevant to the policy, strategy, plan or public service?

Yes

3B. Please indicate which of these methods or information sources were used by the public authority to identify the social and economic needs of people in rural areas.

Indicate methods or information sources used by the public authority to identify the social and economic needs of people in rural areas

• Consultation with rural stakeholders
• Consultation with other organisations
• Surveys or questionnaires
• Published statistics 
• Research papers
• Other publications
• Other methods or information sources (include details in 3C)

3C. Please provide details of the methods and information sources used to identify the social and economic needs of people in rural areas including relevant dates, names of organisations, titles of publications, website references, details of surveys or consultations undertaken. 

HASP have used a range of mechanisms to engage with older people and key stakeholders across the whole of the city with a view to identifying priority areas for the next four years and updating the baseline assessment.

These have included working with community planning and partner organisations to utilise existing data sets.

Consultants were commissioned (Eos Community Consulting CIC) to develop a revised baseline report, an impact report with key stakeholders and to co-ordinate a consultation process and ensure links to other Belfast and regional strategies for example refreshed Belfast Agenda and co-designing the new regional Active Ageing Strategy.

These consultation events and partnership workshops and meetings took place:

• Shankill Older People’s Forum, 10 people
• South and East Belfast Older People's Forums, eight people
• West Belfast Seniors' Forum, 28 people     
• Healthy Living Centres, two organisations
• Dementia Friendly Neighbourhood Groups, 20 people or organisations
• Age Friendly Workshop in Belfast City Hall (older people and representative groups from north, south, east and west of the city), 80 people
• Public and voluntary sector stakeholders, 40 people or organisations
• Postcard surveys at men’s health day, 300 people
• Tea dances and other events (attended by some residents in rural areas)

3D. Please provide details of the social and economic needs of people in rural areas which have been identified by the public authority.

1. Infrastructure: getting out and about

• ​​​Developing a joined-up approach to engagement and co-design with older people on local and city centre physical developments.
• Development of age-friendly design principles which can be used to inform existing and planned provision and physical developments.
• Review and improve access to seating and toilets, particularly in the city centre and parks and open spaces.
• Continue to raise awareness and provide training for service providers on the access needs of older people.

2. Social connections​

• Support the recovery of existing services and development of new initiatives to reduce isolation and loneliness, led by Age Partnership Belfast.
• Co-ordinate an Age Friendly Belfast annual programme, led by BCC Age Friendly Co-ordinator, supported by Tourism, Culture, Heritage and Arts Unit.
• Develop local connection hubs and a city centre hub where older people can meet each other and access information.
• Develop dementia carers' cafés in all four dementia friendly neighbourhoods, led by Dementia Friendly Neighbourhood groups and supported by Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.
• Develop a joint recruitment drive to encourage older people to re-engage in volunteering and recruit new volunteers and celebrate older volunteers with annual awards.

3. Health and wellbeing.

• Work with the Greater Belfast Seniors' Forum to link with GP representatives and multi-disciplinary teams on a regular basis to improve access to services, led by Age Partnership Belfast.
• Support 600 to 800 older people (most in need) to improve their mobility levels and to feel more connected and less lonely, led by Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, supported by BHDU.  (This is the older people’s priority for the refreshed Belfast Agenda)
• Promote key messages and connect older people’s programmes that seek to increase their strength and mobility, including fall prevention.
• Involve older people in the development of the ‘Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing’ approach.

4. Financial security and cost of living

• Involve older people in developing accessible information on financial security and increasing access to services that will contribute to increased financial security.
• Deliver ‘Be prepared’ information events across the city which focus on financial security, benefits uptake and scam awareness.
• Promote information and raise awareness or access to services through older people’s forums.
• Work to normalise and reduce stigma of older people accessing financial entitlements, led by the Age Friendly NI network supported BCC Age Friendly Co-ordinator.
• Support and inform wider policy level work on food and fuel poverty for example food waste reduction projects, promotion of fuel stamps, links to foodbanks and social supermarkets to ensure that the needs of older people are reflected and met.
• Support and develop the Age at Work campaign which is delivered by Business in the Community and Age NI which support employers and older employees to enable older employees to remain in work.  

If the response to Section 3A was 'Yes', go to Section 4A.

3E. Please explain why no steps were taken by the public authority to identify the social and economic needs of people in rural areas.

This is not applicable.

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Section 4 – Considering the social and economic needs of persons in rural areas

4A. Please provide details of the issues considered in relation to the social and economic needs of people in rural areas.

It was felt that the needs of older people across the city are similar for people the rural areas of Belfast so would be covered in the plan's priorities.

Infrastructure: getting out and about

• Developing a joined-up approach to engagement and co-design with older people on local and city centre physical developments.
• Development of age-friendly design principles which can be used to inform existing and planned provision and physical developments.
• Review and improve access to seating and toilets, particularly in the city centre and parks and open spaces.
• Continue to raise awareness and provide training for service providers on the access needs of older people.

Social connections

• Support the recovery of existing services and development of new initiatives to reduce isolation and loneliness, led by Age Partnership Belfast.
• Co-ordinate an Age Friendly Belfast annual programme, led by BCC Age Friendly Co-ordinator, supported by Tourism, Culture, Heritage and Arts Unit.
• Develop local connection hubs and a city centre hub where older people can meet each other and access information.
• Develop dementia carers' cafés in all four dementia friendly neighbourhoods, led by Dementia Friendly Neighbourhood groups and supported by Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.
• Develop a joint recruitment drive to encourage older people to re-engage in volunteering and recruit new volunteers and celebrate older volunteers with annual awards.

Health and wellbeing

• Work with the Greater Belfast Seniors' forum to link with GP representatives and multi-disciplinary teams on a regular basis to improve access to services, led by Age Partnership Belfast
• Support 600 to 800 older people (most in need) to improve their mobility levels and to feel more connected and less lonely, led by Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, supported by BHDU.  (This is the older people’s priority for the refreshed Belfast Agenda)
• Promote key messages and connect older people’s programmes that seek to increase their strength and mobility, including fall prevention.
• Involve Older people in the development of the ‘Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing’ approach.

Financial security and cost of living

• Involve older people in developing accessible information on financial security and increasing access to services that will contribute to increased financial security.
• Deliver ‘Be prepared’ information events across the city which focus on financial security, benefits uptake and scam awareness.
• Promote information and raise awareness of access to services through older people’s forums.
• Work to normalise and reduce stigma of older people accessing financial entitlements, led by the Age Friendly NI network supported BCC Age Friendly Co-ordinator.
• Support and inform wider policy level work on food and fuel poverty for example food waste reduction projects, promotion of fuel stamps, links to foodbanks and social supermarkets to ensure that the needs of older people are reflected and met.
• Support and develop the Age at Work campaign which is delivered by Business in the Community and Age NI which support employers and older employees to enable older employees to remain in work.  

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Section 5 – Influencing the policy, strategy, plan or public service

5A. Has the development, adoption, implementation or revising of the policy, strategy or plan, or the design or delivery of the public service, been influenced by the rural needs identified?

Yes
No

If the response is 'No', go to Section 5C.

5B. Please explain how the development, adoption, implementation or revising of the policy, strategy or plan, or the design or delivery of the public service, has been influenced by the rural needs identified?

This is not applicable.

If the response to Section 5B was 'Yes', go to Section 6A.

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5C. Please explain why the development, adoption, implementation or revising of the policy, strategy or plan, or the design or the delivery of the public service, has not been influenced by the rural needs identified.

The Age Friendly Belfast Plan 2022-2026 is a citywide strategic plan. It seeks to deliver improved wellbeing outcomes for everyone in the Belfast area, including those outside the main urban area of the city.

Impacts on people living in rural areas, as for people in urban areas would be expected to be positive.

The plan does not make specific proposals for rural areas at this stage, however more detailed planning in relation to the specific actions will consider any potential differential impacts on rural areas as they are progressed.

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Section 6 – Documenting and recording

6A. Please tick to confirm that the RNIA Template will be retained by the public authority and relevant information on Section 1 activity compiled in accordance with paragraph 6.7 of the guidance.

Confirmation statement

I confirm that the RNIA Template will be retained and relevant information compiled.

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