'Vital service' for elderly under threat in Brighton and Hove City Council cuts

The cuts come as Brighton and Hove City Council faces the pressures of a £100 million funding gap during the next five years.

But supporters and members of the OPC said it fulfils an essential role by providing a voice for Brighton and Hove’s older population.

The council was set up in 2003 following consultations and discussions which began in 1999.

In its 12-year lifespan, it has successfully campaigned to make Brighton and Hove a World Health Organisation Age Friendly City, establishing an annual older people’s day and designing and helping to implement a medical card carried by thousands of the city’s elderly.

The council has also worked to lobby for affordable housing for the elderly, worked on the palliative care project with hospital trusts, campaigned for more public toilets, held transport workshops and public meetings and worked closely with the local branch of Age UK. They also represent the elderly on council scrutiny panels.

Council bosses said the future of the OPC is only “one of many difficult decisions” to be made before the final budget decisions of the next fortnight.

Some councillors questioned the need for an elderly specific council, citing the number of members in the full council who are already retired.

The OPC is believed to be the only elected body in the country that works to represent the views of the elderly with their local authority and supporters argue they fulfil an essential role.

Their remit is to act as a consultative and scrutinising body to represent the views of the city’s elderly to the council and other statutory bodies.

There are an estimated 36,000 people aged over 65 in Brighton and Hove and the OPC often works with other elderly people’s groups in the city.

Members of the OPC said the elderly have become increasingly vulnerable to cuts in public services and, therefore, having an elected voice is more important than ever.

They have also criticised the council’s report, which recommends their closure, and said administrative costs had been overestimated.

Council officers said cutting the OPC would help save nearly £50,000 in administration costs.

But members said the first they heard about closure was when they read it in The Argus.

Mike Bojczuk, OPC chairman, said: “I think we are the only elected body that represents older people this close to the council so we were extremely surprised like everyone else.

“We have our own constitution so in a way we are in charge of ourselves, but I think we have been doing a good job.

“Without us there would not have been the Age Friendly City initiative and we were very taken aback when we looked at the reasons they were cutting it.

“It was a big surprise that the reasons were surrounding costs, as we basically do not have any budget at all. All we can do now is wait and see what happens.”

One of the expenses highlighted by the council was a £9,000 cost for an officer to work with the OPC to record minutes of their meetings and assist with administration.

But Mr Bojczuk said this officer only had to offer a “day and a half” a month to support them.

One of the council’s suggestions is to replace the OPC with an older people’s consultative forum.

Members argue this would be less effective than the council as it would be unelected and thus would not have the same commitment their current members do.

Penny Morley, OPC secretary, said: “We are not party political and our only objective is simply to pursue the interests of older people.

“We are a bit startled by the fact that we found out about the proposals in The Argus.

“There has been no substantive financial breakdown and we have been left confused by it all.

“We are allocated a member of staff for about a single day a month but mainly we are self-serving.

“The money we get for this staff member will continue to go to a new consultative body, which would not have the same autonomy.

“We are the cheapest committee on the council and the only reimbursement we get is if someone has to go on the train, but that does not happen very often.”

The OPC works with the Somerset Day Centre in Kemp Town to help run events and activities specifically for the elderly.

It helped to launch the Older And Out monthly programme for the city’s elderly LGBT residents.

A spokesman for the day centre said: “They are very important and they are a voice for older people within Brighton and Hove.

“They put on many different and informative events for older people and it would be a great shame if they were not funded.

“Older people do not have many places for their voices to be heard.”

Neil Duncan-Jordan, of the National Pensioners’ Convention, said older people rely on a group that can speak up for them and speak directly to the council.

He said: “It is important for people to be elected by their peers so they can properly represent the views of older people.”

Greens want reprieve

Caroline Lucas, Brighton Pavilion MP, and Davy Jones, Green parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown, are both calling for the OPC to be saved.

Ms Lucas said: “The older people’s council is an important part of our local democracy which is needed now more than ever.

“It makes a real difference to the lives of many local residents, and I’m fortunate to have seen that first hand. It would be a huge loss if it had to close and it deserves every effort to save it.”

Mr Jones said: “The OPC is trying to maintain its position for being an elected and responsible voice for older people on matters like social care.

“The OPC disputes how much its activities cost and argues that it is far less than the council claims.

“I feel that in times of major service cuts it is more, not less important, that we hear the voices of those in the community who are affected.

“It is more important that they have the opportunity to express their views and that we do not close down dissent.

“Along with Caroline Lucas MP I oppose the proposed closure of the group on the grounds of democracy and community participation.

“I will be campaigning alongside the OPC and the local branch of the National Pensioners’ Convention to save this important resource for older people.”

Positive results for pensioners

Since its inception, the OPC has worked on a number of campaigns to improve the lives of pensioners in the city.

It established an annual older people’s day, with a local pensioners’ forum which attracts 1,000 members each year.

The council also campaigned to secure free bus travel for the elderly within the city and also helped set up the independent radio company Grey Matters Radio.

The OPC also spearheaded the campaign to make Brighton and Hove the UK’s second Age Friendly City as part of a World Health Organisation initiative.

Members of the council also provide representation for Brighton’s elderly on the South East of England Forum on the ageing policy panel.

'A number of difficult choices'

The Conservative group in Brighton and Hove has questioned the need for the council.

Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, leader of the Conservative group, said: “I am not convinced that having separate councils representing different groups of people in the city is necessary or desirable.

“There are 54 elected members of Brighton and Hove City Council many of whom, including me, are retired and I believe we are very well qualified to represent the best interests of ‘older people’, whatever that means.”

The local Labour group described the role of the OPC as “vital”.

Councillor Warren Morgan, leader of the Labour group, said: “For the last four years, we have been opposed to the salami-slicing of the budget.

“Four years ago, the Green administration should have laid out a long-term budget for a proper review of services. This would have averted the need to cut services in this way.”

A decision on the council’s future will come along with a number of other budget cuts next month.

Green Councillor Ollie Sykes, lead member for finance, said: “It’s one of a number of difficult choices councillors will have to make as the authority seeks to close a funding gap of £100 million in the next five years, caused by a reduction in grant funding plus increasing costs.

“This is a decision for councillors at forthcoming meetings on the budget.

“The current proposals are consultative and the administration will release updated proposals for the next meeting of the policy and resources committee on February 12.”

Residents express their views

John Hunt, 92, of Warmdene Road, said: “I have not heard of the Older People’s Council and I have lived in Brighton for more than 50 years.

“The council has to work within their own economy and cuts need to be made in all areas.

“There’s just not enough money to go around.”

Doreen Peake, 68, of Hollingbury Road, Brighton, said: “I have never heard of the Older People’s Council. If people knew about it, it would be valuable to the community.

“It is something that, now I know about it, I would use in the future.”

Joan Kirby, 81, of Elsted Crescent, Brighton, said: “I have heard of the Older People’s Council but I thought it had been cancelled already and I’m not sure what they actually do.

“I suppose if it helps old people it should be kept, but I wouldn’t know where to contact them.”

Hamish Mackenzie, 63, Newick Road, Brighton, said: “I think the Older People’s Council does a good job. When you’re older you need all the help you can get.

“There are a lot of charities to help older people and the council needs to cut money somewhere.

“It is better to cut this than cutting a children’s home or old folks home.”