Older People's Strategy - Newcastle City Council

28There is scope for developing good models of engagingolder people in decision-making within other partner agenciese.g. Nexus; health; and social care planning structures forolder people.RiverboatThe riverboat trip was organised through the West EndCommunity Development Consortium to engage older peoplein planning and decision-making processes. It provided aperfect opportunity to combine a consultation exercise withproviding an enjoyable outing. A trip along the Tyne waschosen because it allowed participants to see at first handthe transformation that had taken place along the riverside interms of housing and industrial change. Expert commentaryprovided information on the changes and stimulated people’sthinking about regeneration. Initial consultation with localresidents had indicated that it would be a popular trip, and soit proved, with about a hundred older people signing up for it.A further benefit of going on a riverboat was that it meanta captive audience. The consultation took place on the wayback upriver. People had been made aware of the purposeof the trip, and were willing and enthusiastic participantsin the consultation. The response rate was 100%, which isquite impressive for any survey. Two separate consultationexercises were carried out. Residents of the Benwell area wereconsulted about their use of and views about their local librarybuilding, in order to inform current plans for a new CustomerService Centre. Other people were interviewed about theirexperience of children’s play – from the point of view ofthemselves, their children and their grandchildren – as part ofa consultation exercise about local play facilities and needs.The findings of both these consultations were incorporated intoreports intended to influence future provision in the west end.