Many over-60s in Peterborough ‘have never heard of community support system’ available

Many older people in Peterborough are unaware that there is a dedicated community support service available to them, a survey has revealed.

Peterborough City Council (PCC) undertook consultation with users of Age UK’s service in the city as well as volunteers, hearing that they believe a significant proportion of the over-60s have “never heard” of it.

The service provided is wide-ranging, including everything from home checks to friendship clubs.

Home checks can include practical help, such as meal preparation and bed changing, while the social support on offer includes telephone befriending services and in person meet ups.

Last year, 156 people received practical help in Peterborough, while 109 received practical assessments for equipment or alterations needed in their home, a PCC report shows.

There are fewer telephone befriending service users (37) and in person befriending service users (66), while at the city’s ten friendship clubs there are 309 active members.

PCC says that these numbers show that the service is “very active” – with waiting lists being drawn up for each of the practical services – but users and volunteers say more could be done to attract people to it.

Responses to PCC’s survey suggested that “current advertising and recruitment isn’t as good as it could be and is mainly restricted to digital”, the report says.

This also applies to volunteers of whom there has been a shortage, particular in recent years due to Covid anxiety and economic pressures, it adds.

PCC has recently renewed its relationship with Age UK as the main provider of community support for elderly people in Peterborough.

Cllr Ishfaq Hussain (Conservatives, Dogsthorpe), the council’s newly-appointed cabinet member for adults and public health, signed off on a contract with Age UK for three more years, plus an optional year’s extension.

The contract will be worth just over £500,000 if it remains in place for four years.

Leaflets and posters in local shared spaces, local media adverts and stands at community events are among the suggestions made to boost engagement with the service in future.