John Heywood (Chairman)
Margaret Brown (Co-Vice-Chair)
Janet Hawson (Co-Vice-Chair)
David Brooks (Treasurer)
Morag Judd (Secretary)

Marjorie Barnes, Kathleen Hamilton, George Sizer, Peter Brown, Trisha Powell, Ruth Cox, Bob Barnes and Sara Morris

The Photograph was taken at the 3rd AGM.

A committee member attended the Lincolnshire Assembly and is also involved in the planning of the First Contact scheme which will start in East Lindsey in April. This will provide older people with a single access point to a wide range of services in the community. Potential problems will be identified quickly and prevented from becoming worse. The Forum is working within the Quality of Life steering group which is delivering the Lincolnshire Local Area Agreement key outcomes locally and the District’s Local Strategic Partnership.

The Forum initiated the campaign to get a local town bus for Louth. They are now working in a Bus ‘roundtable’ under the umbrella of the ELDC Louth Area committee.

Committee members are concerned at the low Star Rating that the Lincolnshire County Council was awarded for their Adult Social Care services. Five members were involved in the diagnostic assessment process last year and have had feedback from Adult Social Care about this. Another member was interviewed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection, again in connection with Adult Social Care.

The Hospital Discharge policy of United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust was studied by members of the committee, who felt that what was taking place in practice was not matching the Hospitals’ intentions. They are delighted at the new Home from Hospital scheme run by the WRVS and funded by Help the Aged and the Henry Smith Charity. This operates from the Louth Hospital site.

Forum members met Dr Stuart Burgess, Chairman of the Commission for Rural Communities. They discussed with him the provision of public transport in Louth and into the surrounding villages and towns. They received from him notes and reflections from his visit: He is the Government’s Rural Advocate.

Communication was the Audit Commission’s remit when they came to look at ELDC’s interactions with organisations and the public. A member of the Forum participated in their interviews with relevant partners of ELDC.

The Department of Health’s Gateway Review was applied to the Primary Care Trust’s process of consultation (at the PCT’s invitation). As a key partner and stakeholder, a member of the Forum was interviewed and fed into this review.

Forum members studied the LCC’s proposed Carer’s Policy and Carer’s Strategy and participated in the consultation.

Also, Committee members have this last year, participated in:- the Local Strategic Partnership Assembly and interest areas, the East Lindsey Police and Community Forum, the town multi-agency Flood meeting, Penderel’s Trust open event, the Post Office closures meeting, Intergeneration Workshop, Homeless Awareness Networking Day, Louth Town Plan Steering Group and Help the Aged’s national ‘Just Equal Treatment’ campaign as well as attending on occasions the ELDC’s Louth Area Committee and the Town Council.

The photograph shows, John, Morag and Margaret at the London Event against ageism.

If you would like to join this Forum, please get in touch with the Chairman,
John Heywood Tel 01 507 604 182 or email louthseniors@yahoo.co.uk