Tameside Older People Partnership

Terms of Reference

1. Shared Vision

"On behalf of the Tameside Strategic Partnership to achieve a society in Tameside where older people are valued and enabled to play a full and active part with services which support them are integrated, person centred and community focussed, promoting their independence and their ability to live full and satisfying lives"

2. Principles and Values of the Partnership

The Partnership will:

• Promote Older People's Contribution to the communities they live in and the achievement of the aims of the Community Strategy
• Be needs focused - Meeting the needs of all older people, including the most vulnerable
• Promote joint working across agencies and communities so that shared goals and outcomes for older people can be achieved
• Listen and respond to older people's needs and views
• Provide Information of a high standard, in a range of media and languages regarding available services and support
• Ensure easy and equitable access to services and support
• Be proactive by ensuring that strategic planning and service development anticipate and is responsive to changing needs

3. Functions

The Older People's Partnership will be accountable to and advise the Tameside Strategic Partnership Board on meeting the needs of older people. Based on the above vision and principles it will undertake the following tasks:

• Work Within the Performance Framework of the Tameside Strategic Partnership Board:
  • Ensure the Community Strategy is informed by the views of older people
  • Be responsible for the delivery of key aims and actions relevant to older people emanating from the Community Strategy
  • Report Directly to the Tameside Strategic Partnership Board on an annual basis on progress and any key issues arising for Older People
  • Link to other partnerships, as necessary, where there are key interface issues to be addressed or influenced by them.
• Strategic Planning:
  • The Partnership will develop, implement and monitor a joint strategy and action plan with measurable outcomes which identifies how all partners will meet the needs identified for older people.
  • The Partnership will promote joint working, commissioning and development of services
• Ensure a Focus on Well Being:
  • Whilst the needs of the most vulnerable older people will be addressed. The partnership will focus on promoting the independence and active participation of older people in their communities
• Co-ordinate Information on Needs:
  • Systems will be developed to ensure that information on the needs of older people is shared between the partners and used to develop appropriate responses
• Ensure Older People are Involved:
  • The partnership will ensure that a mechanism is developed which involves as wide a range of older people as possible
  • The partnership will ensure that the views of older people inform the development of the strategic plan and that older people are informed of the outcomes from consultation
• Simplify and Rationalise:
  • The partnership will ensure that planning, commissioning and delivery of services for older people is as simple and as streamlined as possible
• Prioritise
  • Whilst ensuring that any targets set by regional and national government are met local priorities are identified and met

4. Membership

The membership of the partnership will be composed of the following:

• Key agencies and sectors responsible for the planning and commissioning of services to older people.
• Representation from the Tameside Older People's Forum which is part of the Community Empowerment Network which links through Tameside Voice to the Tameside Strategic Partnership Board.
• Local people who have been elected onto regional or national Better Government for Older People's groups.

The partnership may, from time to time co-opt other partners onto the group for specific issues. Membership will be determined by consensus.

5. Roles

1. Role of Chair:

   The chair will ensure that:

   • Meetings are conducted in a fair, transparent and business like fashion
   • Decisions are clear and people identified to action decisions
     
     
2. Role of Members

   Members will ensure that:

   • They are able to and do represent the views of the organisation and/or partnership(s) they report to.
   • They report back on any actions agreed that they undertake from the partnership
   • They contribute to the development and delivery of the strategy