| Campaigns
and Issues The
Forum through its representations, newsletters and meetings raises issues
that effect many older people in Enfield. Some of these issues are reported
below:
Life Long Learning
The result of a survey launched by the
Older People’s Thematic Action Group (OPTAG) placed the opportunity to
pursue adult education classes at the top of the activities people would
undertake if they had the chance. The survey, based on 266 replies, showed
that 35.5% of those responding wanted adult education classes.
Our campaign for more funding for adult
and community learning has been taken up by London Assembly member Joanne
McCartney. She has tabled the following question to the Mayor of London:
“You have previously agreed with me that
access to Lifelong Learning for Older Londoners plays an important part in
helping them lead an active, healthy and independent life. Because of flawed
funding, Enfield pensioners are being treated as second class citizens
compared with those in Haringey and Waltham Forest as they are being forced
to pay the full costs for part-time further education unless they receive
means-tested help - consequently the number of older learners in Enfield has
fallen by 49%.
“Although there are 44,000 pensioners
living in Enfield, compared with 28,800 in Waltham Forest and 25,000 in
Haringey, the total 2006 / 7 grant for adult and community learning in the
three adjoining boroughs is: Enfield £443,809, Waltham Forest £1,764, 816
and Haringey £2,131,411. In your role as Chair of the London Skills and
Employment Board are you able to step in and take action?”
The Mayor responded to Joanne saying:”
the inequitities in distribution that you have pointed to appear to be so
stark that I have written to the Director of LSC to seek an explanation.
The Forum’s chair and secretary have had
a useful meeting to press our case for more equitable funding with council
leader Michael Rye and chief Executive Rob Leak, together with Mary
Vine-Morris, the Learning and Skills Council area director, who in effect
holds the purse strings.
Watch this Space!
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Freedom Pass Threat - November 2007
We are supporting the National Pensioners’ Convention petition expressing
concern on the attacks being mounted on the Freedom Pass. Forum Chairman,
Monty Meth writes " Since I became the Forum’s chairman over seven years ago
I have zealously and jealously ensured that we steered a non-party political
course, fervently believing that we have to work with everyone, whatever
their political, religious or other beliefs, for the common good.
"So I’m reluctant to point the finger at Conservative and Lib-Dem MPs who
voted to abolish the Mayor of London’s right enshrined in law to guarantee
the scheme we have today. I cannot understand how people who shout from the
rooftops about giving more power to local people and local councils, now
want to give the final say on the Freedom Pass to the faceless people in
Whitehall, in the form of some unspecified Minister in a government of an
unknown political complexion.
"We have the best free transport scheme in the country. The only logical
reason why some people want to take the Mayor’s prerogative away must be
because they want to cut the cost of the scheme and that means cutting back
on the use we currently make of the Freedom Pass. The fact that Tory and
Lib-Dem MPs forced this issue to a vote in the House of Commons convinces me
this is a serious threat to the Freedom Pass as we know it. So don’t sit
back and say you didn’t know. Please get copies of the petition and collect
as many signatures as you can.
Council Backing for Freedom Pass
"Enfield has every intention of supporting retention of the Freedom
Pass", says Councillor Michael Rye, Leader of the Council in an important
written statement to our Forum.
The statement is crucial because the Freedom Pass is paid for by the 33
London Boroughs and remains in effect until terminated by their UNANIMOUS
decision. Changes can, however, be made with the agreement of two thirds of
the local authorities. We are not aware of any proposals to change the free
travel scheme for elderly people but just to make sure we are asking every
Forum in London to ask their Council leader to give them the same assurance
that we have received from Councillor Rye
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Get fit and live longer - November 2007
Monday is the special Over 50s day at the new Edmonton Leisure Centre and
following a “taster day” early in October attended by 60+ people the
campaign is on to make it a regular Monday get-together with a programme
that will interest everyone.
The organisation by staff is first class and all participants have a lot
of fun and leave very inspired. Things are looking good for the on-going
programme which includes swimming sessions at 9am and 12.15 and Aqua fit in
the pool at 2pm. There’s badminton, table tennis and short mat bowls in the
lavish sports hall from 9am-3pm and the fitness gym opens at the same time.
And you can chose Pilates for an hour from 10.30 or an easy line class at
9.30. Demand for this easy line class has been so heavy that they are now
having two sessions. There's a meeting room to chat and play board games
where you have lunch.
The whole day costs £6, but if you buy an energy discount card the price
is cut to £3 and better still if you are a Forum member with an annual £280
Leisure Centre membership or a monthly £28 direct debit - when the day and
the use of any other of the Trust’s centres is free! But to get the special
rate for Forum members you must produce your Forum membership card and
contact the Leisure Centres sales office on 020 8245 5191.
Popular Forum member Roger Biss, who has been a tower of strength in
getting the Southbury Leisure Centre Over 50s day on Wednesdays well and
truly launched, is now helping and hoping to get the Edmonton Monday Over
50s sessions equally popular.
Council urged to become an Age Positive
Champion (2006)
We are now awaiting the Enfield Council Cabinet's decision on the
detailed plan submitted to it by the special projects scrutiny panel to help
prepare local employers for the planned ending of age discrimination in
employment by 2006. The plan includes a proposal that Enfield Council should
become an Age Positive Champion and it should consult with the wider
business community on ways of breaking down the age barriers to older people
continuing to work full or part-time if they wish to do so.
The Council is also being urged to make sure that their sub-contractors
take account of the need to have an aged balanced workforce - all measures
that will help to generate more money into the local and national economy
which will be good for everyone. The Council is currently reviewing its
recruitment policies and a report is expected to go to Cabinet by the end of
the year on the age profile of council employees and job applicants.
We have asked the Council to look at its job advertisements in comparison
with those of Barnet Council which are much more age positive and have a
much firmer commitment to equal opportunities. We asked the Council to look
at the employment opportunities for older people because final salary
occupational pension schemes are declining, private pension schemes are
yielding disappointing results and the state retirement pension is currently
too low to live on.
People are in general living much longer, but they are often working for
fewer years. So they cannot save enough for an extended retirement which can
perhaps last for 30 years or more. A fairer deal for older workers will be
better than forcing many of them on to income support when they are fit and
healthy and willing to go on contributing to the community
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More Loos Campaign
FIRST FLUSH OF SUCCESS
Councillor John Boast, chairman of Enfield
Council's environment, parks and amenities scrutiny panel, has welcomed the
Forum's proposals for improving public toilets and promised that "all the
points they make will be investigated". Writing in the Enfield Gazette,
Councillor Boast says: "Without wishing to prejudge our research, my
initial reaction to their proposals is that most of them look good to
me........ I will continue to fight for proper toilet provisions in the
Turkey Street / Hertford Road area".
Because some 15 public toilets have closed in the
last five years, the Forum put a six-point plan to rapidly improve
facilities.
Conveniences in the Palace Gardens shopping
precinct should be open for the same hours as the car park and shops.
Supermarkets, shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs
that already have customer toilet facilities should display a small sign -
devised by the Council - indicating they have them.
Withhold planning permission unless toilets for
customers are installed in new stores, restaurants etc.
Get Transport for London and the rail operators
to open toilets at all stations in the Borough.
Examine putting in pop-up urinals at a cost of
£15,000.
Reopen the Turkey St. / Hertford Road toilets.
Over to you Councillor Boast !
T oilets:
We're beginning to move - Nov 2007
Not only has the Turkey Street £100,000 automated
public convenience at long last opened its doors, but Enfield Council and
the local business and retailers association (EBRA) have got their act
together and sent out letters inviting support for the community toilet
scheme long advocated by the Forum.
The letter says that the Council wishes to team up
with local businesses to provide clean and safe toilets in our town centres.
The community toilet scheme is a practical way of making shopping in these
centres a more convenient experience for residents.
Businesses taking part in the scheme will display
a sign to let people know they can use a toilet on the premises, whether or
not they are customers of that business. Each business participating in the
scheme will receive £600 a year to cover its costs.
Enfield Council promise to inspect the toilets on
a regular basis to ensure they meet health and safety accessibility and
hygiene standards and retailers would be able to use their discretion and
deny entry to anyone suspected of anti-social behaviour. People interested
in the scheme are invited to contact John Haslam, head of economic
development at Enfield Council on 020 8379 3779.
The Turkey Street automated toilet is light and
roomy. There is thorough washing of the floor and toilet after each use.
Supply of soap and toilet roll is constantly monitored by computer and an
automated report is compiled daily, so it should never run out of either.
Councillor John Boast, LBE’s older people’s
champion, said the Turkey Street toilet had been closed for 11 years, one of
the many closures of council toilets because staffing costs were
prohibitive.
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Let's Make Pensions Work for Women
The Forum is supporting the Fawcett Society and Age Concern to campaign
for a fairer deal for women in the pensions field. The aims of the campaign
are:
a system that will guarantee every woman an adequate, independent
retirement income.
to remove the unfair barriers which prevent women from receiving a full
basic state pension and to increase the level of pension so it covers
basic costs.
better opportunities for women to build up higher value company and
personal pensions
To sign up as an individual supporter call: 08457 00 99 66 and ask for
more information.
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk
www.ageconcern.org.uk
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Fairs Fair For Homecare Services or Is
It? (2006)
We have highlighted previously the concerns of many older people with the
proposed changes in homecare and other non-residential social care charges
and, in particular, the extra burden that will be placed on those with
modest private pensions and/or savings of more than £19,500. Despite
repeated requests, we have been unable to obtain a clear guide on the
charges that will be imposed on the grounds that there is no guide and that
current users of the services will need to be assessed on their ability to
pay by the Council before a revised rate is set.
Why is it that when we make a call to Hammersmith and Fulham Council we
can get a leaflet setting out clearly the charges they will set - a leaflet
incidentally produced in consultation with their local Better Government for
Older People organisation.
However, a draft consultation document sent out by Enfield Council
included four examples of what the charges might be. The revised charges
below are for individuals receiving 21 hours of home care a week
and will apply in Enfield from January 2004
and we set them against the charges currently applying in Hammersmith.
Weekly Charges
| |
Enfield |
Hammersmith |
| Single pensioner on
income support |
£6.24 |
£0.00 |
| Single pensioner on
income support with £15000 savings |
£21.14 |
£0.00 |
| Married Pensioner on
High Income No savings |
£81.33 |
£30.00 |
| Pensioner on Very High
Income |
£261.39 |
£150.00 |
We think Enfield Social Services should come clean and publish their list
of charges for home care services so that people can judge whether they are
getting best value for their money. Ability to pay those charges is a
separate issue and we cannot see why the Council is linking the two -
unless, of course, it has something to hide.
We also think that people being asked to pay up to double what they are
now being charged should be given a list of council charges to see if they
can get the same service at lower cost elsewhere. We are also concerned
about what will happen to those people who feel the new charges are
prohibitive.
Who is going to see they are properly cared for?
Could they end up being hospitalised at greater cost to the community?
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Council urged to become an Age Positive
Champion (2006)
We are now awaiting the Enfield Council Cabinet's decision on the
detailed plan submitted to it by the special projects scrutiny panel to help
prepare local employers for the planned ending of age discrimination in
employment by 2006. The plan includes a proposal that Enfield Council should
become an Age Positive Champion and it should consult with the wider
business community on ways of breaking down the age barriers to older people
continuing to work full or part-time if they wish to do so.
The Council is also being urged to make sure that their sub-contractors
take account of the need to have an aged balanced workforce - all measures
that will help to generate more money into the local and national economy
which will be good for everyone. The Council is currently reviewing its
recruitment policies and a report is expected to go to Cabinet by the end of
the year on the age profile of council employees and job applicants.
We have asked the Council to look at its job advertisements in comparison
with those of Barnet Council which are much more age positive and have a
much firmer commitment to equal opportunities. We asked the Council to look
at the employment opportunities for older people because final salary
occupational pension schemes are declining, private pension schemes are
yielding disappointing results and the state retirement pension is currently
too low to live on.
People are in general living much longer, but they are often working for
fewer years. So they cannot save enough for an extended retirement which can
perhaps last for 30 years or more. A fairer deal for older workers will be
better than forcing many of them on to income support when they are fit and
healthy and willing to go on contributing to the community |
