Toolkit

CFOA Ageing Safely Week 29th September – 5th October 2014

featuring

UK Older People’s Day 2014 Wednesday 1st October

Toolkit for participating

fire and rescue services

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1. Introduction Thank you for supporting CFOA’s Ageing Safely Week, taking place from 29th September to 5th October 2014, which includes UK Older People’s Day on October 1st. It is hoped that Fire and Rescue services (FRSs) in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man, will participate in this national week of activity. This will help get across our message, stressing the important role of older people in our communities, and our commitment to protecting them, particularly those who are vulnerable and may be most at risk. Why a week of activity focusing on older people? Because the risk of dying in a fire for those aged 65 and over is more than twice as high as the average risk for all ages. Across the country, fire and rescue services identify those who are most at risk in their community, and undertake targeted prevention and protection activities. With an ever-increasing elderly population demographic – 23% of the UK will be aged 65 and over by 2035 – work with older people is likely to be an increasingly large part of the Service’s offering. We know that FRSs carried out 274,000 home fire safety checks in households with a person over 65 years in 2012-13, but that the service’s commitment extends way beyond this. This week allows you to showcase the work that you do with older people, to raise awareness in your community of the services offered, and to build and develop new and existing partnerships. If you are looking for new ways in which to engage with older people, there are a number of ideas in this toolkit for activities that other services have found to be successful, which you might consider launching either during the week or on Older People’s Day on 1st October. We know that the fire service already works with partners to protect older people. Many fire and rescue services are members of Age Action Alliance, an organisation which aims to improve older people’s quality of life through partnership working between member organisations and older people, creating communities where older people feel secure, valued and able to contribute to society. Partnership working allows us to share resources and expertise, extend the reach of our protection activity, and deliver integrated, holistic services to support our communities. For this reason, we are delighted to develop a closer bond with The Silver Line, the charity set up by Esther Rantzen CBE, which runs a free confidential helpline providing information, friendship and advice to older people and, like the fire service, is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Esther has kindly provided a message of support for Ageing Safely Week, and I would encourage services to supply The Silver Line leaflet to older people in their communities who may be in need of this support. I wish you all the very best for a successful Ageing Safely Week 2014.

Paul M Fuller President, Chief Fire Officers Association

A note about inclusiveness The PPRS directorate aspires to focus on inclusiveness in all its thoughts and actions. This goes beyond equality and diversity, to allowing people to be themselves in society and at work, valuing their difference, and letting them know that their contribution is valued and that they are not excluded in any way from our community risk reduction measures. At its most basic level inclusiveness is about ensuring that no one feels left out because of their age, gender, race, nationality, religion or belief, sexual orientation, physical or mental differences or social background. If you believe that any aspect of this toolkit does not meet this aspiration, please contact us and let us know, so that we can improve this in the future.

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2. The Silver Line A message from Esther Rantzen CBE, founder of The Silver Line helpline

Ageing Safely is a crucial campaign because, as this report emphasizes, older people are more at risk from fires in their homes than any other sector of the population. The majority of those over 75 live on their own, and loneliness erodes confidence so seriously that it can lead them to neglect themselves, and put themselves in danger. When I was fact-finding before The Silver Line Helpline (0800 4 70 80 90) launched in November 2013, among the experts I consulted were Fire Officers. They explained to me that often vulnerable older people are very reluctant to allow strangers into their homes, but that a fire officer with a recognisable uniform, and a fire engine parked outside, can offer to check a fire alarm, sit down and have a cup of tea, and win the confidence of an older person who may not have spoken to anyone else for weeks.

So while you are absorbing the fascinating, valuable information in this report on ways of celebrating Ageing Safely Week, may I ask another favour? The Silver Line offers free, confidential information, friendship and advice all day and every night, 365 days a year. But it may take a trusted contact like a local Fire Officer to suggest to older people that they could pick up the phone and talk to us. Our team loves chatting and listening to older people, can share a joke or a memory, and link people back into their communities. But we fear that many older people may not phone us because, as they constantly tell us, they don’t want to “be a burden”.

Recently I received an email which proved that we, like you, can save lives:

“Dear Silver Line, I just wanted to write to say “thank you” for help you recently gave to my aunt who phoned you in the middle of the night – she was panicking, alone and very frightened about a particular situation. All is now OK but the help provided to her by you was absolutely invaluable, in fact you possibly saved her life. Her situation was awful, she thought her daughter was dead as she couldn’t contact her and you gave her a voice of reason and someone to talk to when she felt totally alone in the world and very lost. She was treated with dignity, respect and taken 100% seriously even though she was very muddled. I cannot thank you enough.” Thank you for all the incredible work you do, and for caring about the vulnerable older people who need our help so badly. With best wishes, Esther Rantzen CBE Founder/President of The Silver Line Helpline

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3. What is Ageing Safely Week? Whilst several Fire and Rescue Services took part in activities for UK Older People’s Day in 2013, this is the first year that CFOA’s Ageing Safely Week has taken place. The week has been set up to build upon the goals set out in the Ageing Safely Strategy, and to showcase and promote the work that Fire and Rescue Services do every day to protect older people in their communities. UK Older People’s Day is an initiative set up by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and coincides with the UN International Day of Older Persons. The DWP is again championing the day this year, with the theme ‘Full of Life’, which aims to celebrate the achievements and contributions that older people make to our society and economy, and to challenge negative attitudes and outdated stereotypes. Last year 28 FRS ran, or took part in, a range of successful and engaging events for UK Older People’s Day 2013. We hope that this year, many more of you will consider running an event or activity during the week, or on UK Older People’s Day. Taking part This toolkit has been designed to provide you with information that may be helpful to you in showcasing your work with older people. We would invite you to set up an activity, or activities, with older people during Ageing Safely Week, or on Older People’s Day and to publicise it in your community. The cumulative impact of a large number of targeted activities taking place across the country will, it is hoped, help to raise the national profile of the fire service and the great work that it does – with both older people and with all members of its communities. Amongst the resources included in this pack are:

• Details of the Ageing Safely Strategy, and how the activities undertaken by FRSs last year contributed to its goals

• Facts and figures – a range of statistics about: o Deaths and injuries to older people from fire o The Ageing Population o Population Projections o Costs of Fire o Health and Safety o Loneliness

• A project planner • Activity suggestions • Flyers – to encourage partnership working, and to provide details of The Silver Line services. • A list of useful contacts, national organisations that work with older people • Communications tools – including a template press release which you may wish to use, and

some suggestions for potential Tweets • A list of potential evaluation questions that we would ask you to complete after the week, to

enable us to produce a report showing the work undertaken and the successes achieved by fire and rescue services.

If you are planning to take part in either Ageing Safely Week, or UK Older People’s Day, could you please let us know, via communications.department@cfoa.org.uk. Links Older People’s Day 2014 website International Day of Older Persons website Page 4 of 24 Ageing Safely Week 2014 Toolkit FINAL

3. The Ageing Safely Strategy Although UK Older People’s Day is rightly focused upon celebrating older people’s achievements and contributions, we cannot ignore the fact that older people are most at risk of dying or being injured in a fire. CFOA’s response to this challenge is the Ageing Safely strategy, which sets out ways in which fire and rescue services can stabilise the number of deaths and injuries among older people over the next six years and better support those who have experienced fire. The strategy sets out 10 main objectives. Below we look at how some of the activities that FRSs undertook for last year’s Older People’s Day helped to work towards those objectives.

1. Prevent fires through interventions targeted at those aged 50+ Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service used the opportunity of Older People’s Day 2013 to talk to older people about getting chimneys swept, the safe use of electrical heaters and cooking safely. Staff hosted an electrical blanket swap-shop, and awarded 15 £150 ‘On Fire Fund’ grants to groups to run activities for mostly housebound individuals who would have spent the day alone.

2. Work in partnership to provide help and guidance where it is most needed In partnership with 18 local and national organisations, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service organised a marketplace event for 50 older people and their carers. They learned about a range of services including those designed for people living with dementia.

3. Prevent fire through provision and dissemination of information, advice and guidance Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service joined forces with partners from Age UK, Wightcare, Warmer Wight, Bobby Scheme and Trading Standards, in displaying information and giving advice to local residents at Newport Community Fire Station.

4. Continue to build meaningful and productive relationships with the local community Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service held a range of activities across its stations:

• 150 older people attended an open day at Birkenhead Fire Station • Knowsley Fire Station brought together three Age UK clubs for an afternoon of activities

including a buffet lunch, quizzes, games, tai chi and home fire safety • Sefton supported a community club bringing older people together for lunch, a

photographic exhibition of the area, quizzes and fire safety advice • Headquarters’ staff arranged for several Age UK groups to visit the heritage centre for a

presentation, choir performance, a vintage afternoon tea, a home fire safety presentation and a speaker from Daisy UK.

5. Protect older people by giving them access to assistive technology Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service used Older People’s Day 2013 to raise awareness of kitchen safety, as the majority of injuries in the home are attributed to cooking, providing stove alarms to help older people identify hazardous hob temperatures.

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6. Protect older people in residential and nursing homes or sheltered accommodation Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service had 220 staff involved in Older People’s Day 2013, engaging with 2,150 people. They attended a number of ‘Full of Life’ events, and visited sheltered housing complexes to talk about avoiding false alarms.

7. Respond to diverse individual needs including culture, religion, language etc. Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service used Older People’s Day 2013 to highlight its commitment to those living with dementia. A news release was issued to launch the Service’s Dementia Action Plan in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Society.

8. Respond to fires and extinguish them quickly, effectively and efficiently States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service opened the doors of its headquarters station to 20 older people, who were treated to chip pan fire and road traffic collision demonstrations, a fire safety presentation and tea and cakes with the duty watch.

9. Be responsive and assist people to recover from their experience of fire Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service teamed up with Stoke City Football Club to talk to older fans about the importance of testing smoke alarms: at half time a fire safety video, produced in conjunction with Stoke City Old Boys Association, was shown to the 25,000 fans in attendance.

10. Learn from emergencies to refine and improve this strategy going forward Falls caused by accidents in the home are often preventable, so Dorset Fire and Rescue Service teamed up with the Dorset Partnership for Older People Programme and other partner agencies to host an event for around 100 older people. The aim was to raise awareness of potential dangers in the home, including faulty or damaged electrical equipment that can lead to domestic fires and injuries caused by slips, trips and falls.

Links Download the Ageing Safely Strategy from the CFOA website Age Action Alliance – the national network for partnership working on older people’s issues, of which CFOA and many fire and rescue services are active members.

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4. Facts and Figures

Deaths and injuries

There were 271 fire deaths in Great Britain in 2012/13, of which 168 (62%) deaths were of people aged 60 or above.

During 2012/13, people over the age of 60 were 10 times more likely to die in a fire than those aged 17-24.

More older women died in fires than men during 2012/13.

In 2012/13 almost 100 more people aged over 60 died from burns and/or asphyxiation than those under 30.

Smoker’s materials (e.g. cigarettes, cigars or pipe tobacco) were responsible for the largest share of deaths in dwelling fires, and caused 671 injuries.

Fire statistics Great Britain 2012 to 2013

Population Projections

The UK population is projected to increase to 68.0 million by mid-2022 and to increase to 73.3 million by mid-2037.1

The number of people aged 80 and over in the UK is predicted to more than double to 6 million by mid-2037. 1

In England and Wales, it is projected that 45% of men, and 58% of women aged 65 will live to be 85.2

In Northern Ireland, the number of adults aged 65 and over is projected to increase by 63.5% between 2012 and 2032.3

1ONS. National Population Projections, 2012-based projections, Dec 2013 2ONS. Interim Life Tables, England and Wales, 2010-2012, Oct 2013

3OFMDFM, A profile of older people in Northern Ireland, November 2013

Ageing Population

In 2011, 9.2 million people in England and Wales were aged 65 and over.1

Of these, 1.25 million people were aged 85 or over, and women outnumbered men in this age group by 2:1.2

In Scotland, 20% of the population (889,783 people) were aged over 65 in 2011, with 109,314 over 85.3

In Northern Ireland, the number of adults aged 65 and over increased by 2.6% between 2011 and 2012, to 272,800.4

1ONS. What does the 2011 Census tell us about older people? Sept 2013 2ONS. What does the 2011 Census tell us about the “oldest old” living in England & Wales? Dec 2013

3 Population Statistics, General Register for Scotland 4 OFMDFM, A profile of older people in Northern Ireland, November 2013

Costs

The average cost of a domestic fire in England is £44,523.

A single fire fatality costs £1.6m.

The economic cost of fire: estimates for 2008 (PDF)

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Health and Safety

Half (50%) of all England and Wales residents aged 65 and over reported very good, or good, health in 20111, and 60% of those in Scotland did so for 2008-10.2

For those aged 85 or over, 31% of men and 25% of women in England and Wales considered their health to be good or very good.3 For over 85s in Scotland, 55% of men and 52% of women evaluated their health as good or very good in 2008-10.2

In 2011 14,000 men and 27,000 women aged 85 or over did not have a form of gas, electric, solid fuel or other type of central heating which generated heat for more than one room, suggesting that they were relying on individual heating sources such as plug-in electric fires, open fire or paraffin heater.3

One in five people aged 75+ are living with sight loss.4

About 6.4 million over 65-year-olds have some form of hearing loss.5

There are an estimated 10 million people in the UK suffering from arthritis.6

Dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide.7 The Alzheimers Society says that 800,000 people across the UK have dementia, including one in six of those aged over 80. By 2051 it is projected that 1.7million people in the UK will have dementia 8

43% of adults over 60 have a mobility difficulty, including 31% of those aged 70+.9

1ONS. What does the 2011 Census tell us about older people? Sept 2013 2The Scottish Health Survey: Topic Report: Older People's Health 2011, Table 1.1

3ONS. What does the 2011 Census tell us about the “oldest old” living in England & Wales? Dec 2013

4Access Economics 2009, from Action for Blind People website 5 Action on Hearing Loss, Facts and figures on hearing loss and tinnitus, 2011.

6Arthritis UK website http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk 7World Health Organisation Fact Sheet No362, April 2012

8Alzheimers Society website http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/ 9National Travel Survey 2013, Department for Transport

Loneliness

Over a quarter of all people aged 65-74, and half of all people aged 75 and over live alone.1

Over-65s are estimated to spend an average of 80% of their time in the home – rising to 90% of their time for people over 85.2

9% of older people feel trapped in their own home. 30% say they would like to go out more often.3

One million people aged 65 plus describe themselves as always/often feeling lonely.3

6% of older people (nearly 600,000) leave their house once a week or less.4

Extreme loneliness can increase an older person’s chances of premature death by 14%. Feeling isolated from others can disrupt sleep, elevate blood pressure, increase morning rises in cortisol, the stress hormone, increase depression and lower overall subjective well-being.5

In the first quarter of 2014, 4.78 million people aged 65 have never been online.6

1ONS. General Lifestyle Survey 2011, Table 3.3. 2Older People, Decent Homes and Fuel Poverty, Help the Aged, 2006

3TNS Loneliness survey for Age UK, April 2014 4 Age UK website

5Prof John Cacioppo, Presentation: ‘Rewarding Social Connections Promotes Successful Aging’, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 16 Feb 2014. http://news.uchicago.edu/article/2014/02/16/aaas-

2014-loneliness-major-health-risk-older-adults#sthash.UqvFHWg3.dpuf 6ONS. Internet Access, quarterly figures, Q1 201, May 2014

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5. Planning your event The range and number of tasks you will need to complete will depend entirely on the type of activity you decide to organise. To help you draw up a simple project plan, here are some of the very general actions you may need to include. We have also suggested some timescales by which you should aim to complete them. OVERALL PROJECT MANAGEMENT Inform CFOA of your participation

At project start-up

Appoint project lead and task group Involve fire authority member with relevant interest or portfolios Determine main objective of the day Establish what budget is available GOVERNANCE

Refer to service policy on running public events and complete: At start-up

health and safety checklist and/or risk assessment Once event defined equality impact assessment, if required

internal business case, if required At start-up

Ensure public and employee liability insurance is in place Once event defined Agree how progress will be reported to service management At start-up PARTNERSHIPS

Think about who you might team up with (see Section 9):

local bluelight services

As soon as decision is made on whether to

use the day as a partnership opportunity

local services for older people, day centres, social care services national groups such as Dementia Friends, The Silver Line residential or sheltered accommodation providers assistive technology providers local groups for older people Appeal to partners join in through a stakeholder briefing TARGETING THE INTERVENTION

Review corporate intelligence on home safety visits to older people, attendance at incidents where older people live (including individual properties, residential care and sheltered housing)

To help determine aim of intervention

Define target audience: where are they located? what are the key risks affecting them? what are the best ways to reach them?

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EVENT LOGISTICS

Book venue(s)

As early as possible before your event

Mark the dates in senior officers’ and members’ diaries Arrange transport or travel if required Guest list and invitations Catering and refreshments ADVANCE PUBLICITY

Produce posters, leaflets or other materials to promote event (Materials/Resources are available from partners – see Sections 6 & 7)

As early as possible before your event

Proactive news release to the local media Paid-for advertising in local press or commercial radio Article on website, promoted through social media Internal briefing for colleagues and members Stakeholder briefing for key partners PUBLICITY ON THE DAY

Seek support from the Service’s communications team

In the final two weeks before your event

Think about a creative photo or filming opportunity

Talk to communications team about consent issues

Nominate a spokesperson and work with communications representative to ensure he or she is briefed on key messages

LEGACY

Develop evaluation forms or surveys to measure success Ensure feedback is gathered within a week

of the event Think about how the success of your events might live on afterwards Inform CFOA about the results of your events

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6. Suggestions for activities Older People’s Day 2014 There are free branding materials for Older People’s Day 2014 events available at http://olderpeoplesday.co.uk/organise-an-event/free-branding/ including click-through links that you can add to emails, A4 and A3 poster templates Activity ideas Below are some ideas for activities that you could carry out, either during Ageing Safely Week or specifically on Older People’s Day, depending on available resources. Many are based on successful events that services held for Older People’s Day 2013: some are ‘quick-fixes’, others allow the development of longer-term partnerships with local stakeholders, or additional engagement with older members of your community. You could hold a big event, involving all your support staff, or run a few mini-events with just a few members of staff. Obviously, all the ideas below could be adapted to your Service’s specific circumstances.

Set up a marketplace event for older people and their carers,

with local and national organisations, showcasing a range of services (including

assistive technology)

Launch a Dementia Action

Plan

Work with groups for the visually-impaired to give out special stove or smoke alarms

Set up user group of older members of your community to identify their prevention and protection needsa

Hand out Fire Safety and The

Silver Line leaflets at local shopping

areas

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Hold a station/HQ open day with

afternoon tea and fire safety quizzesa

Work with partners to hold a healthy and

safe day, with gentle sports activities and

safety demonstrations/talks

Challenge your prevention teams to undertake or set

up a target number of Home Safety Visits during

the week

Visit local supported living

complexes to audit common

areas

Arrange an electric blanket swap shop

or testing day as the weather gets colder

Promote local initiatives such as ‘Driving Safer for Longer’ courses during the week

Arrange for operational and

support staff in your service to train as Dementia Friends

Organise a party with demonstrations by

your Fire Cadets to a lunch club or older

person’s social group

Launch a local prevention strategy,

or an awareness campaign about a

specific hazard, e.g. falls, heaters

Promote and demonstrate water misting or sprinkler systems to housing

associations which work with older peoplea

Set up a photo exhibition or

memory box and share with local day centres or groups

Visit day centres, coffee mornings and libraries to promote Home Safety Checks

or initiatives

Visit sheltered housing

complexes to talk about avoiding false alarms a

Organise a tea dance, or a table tennis, bowls or

skittles tournament for older people

Join in with the Trading Standards month of action on illegal money lending. Visit www.facebook.com

/stoploansharksproject for details

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7. Flyers Stakeholder Flyer The flyers below have been designed to promote your work with older people to potential partners, and with a ‘call to action’ to get in touch. The PDF versions of these flyers, in A4 landscape or A5 (two to a page) are attached as appendices to this toolkit. If you have Adobe Acrobat, you will be able to add your contact details – if not, please contact me with the details that you would like added (e.g. contact name/number) and I will add these and return them to you as a PDF or jpeg file. The Silver Line Flyer This flyer highlights the work that The Silver Line helpline does, to help provide information, friendship and advice for people in later life.

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8. Useful contacts The Silver Line The Silver Line is the confidential, free helpline for older people across the UK open every day and night of the year. Its specially trained helpline staff:

• Offer information, friendship and advice • Link callers to local groups and services • Offer regular befriending calls • Protect and support those who are suffering abuse and neglect

Age UK Age UK is the country's largest charity dedicated to helping everyone make the most of later life. The work and support that Age UK provides covers a number of different services, including: information and advice, via a free national information line (0800 169 6565, all year, 8am to 7pm); campaigns; commercial products tailored to the needs of people in later life; training; and funding research, focusing exclusively on later life. The Age UK network includes: Age NI – Northern Ireland Age Scotland – Scotland Age Cymru – Wales Dementia Friends This Alzheimer’s Society initiative helps people to train to be Dementia Friends. It helps people to understand more about dementia, and the small things they can do to help people with the condition. Alzheimer’s Society Alzheimer's Society is a membership organisation which works to improve the quality of life of people affected by dementia in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It provides a range of services including: local information and services to people affected by dementia in their communities, including day and home care for people with dementia, and support and befriending services for partners and families; telephone and online services; training and development services; and campaigning for the rights of people with dementia and those who care for them. Alzheimer Scotland Alzheimer Scotland helps people with dementia, their carers and families. Its members include carers, relatives, people with dementia, professionals, groups and organisations. It employs nearly 800 full and part-time staff, mainly in its service-provision projects around Scotland. Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is a charity and membership body for everyone affected by sight loss, whether losing their sight, or blind or partially sighted. It provides practical and emotional support including advice on staying in work, using technology to help with everyday tasks, or emotional support to help people come to terms with sight loss. British Deaf Association (BDA) The BDA was founded in 1890. Its primary purpose is the status and recognition of the Deaf Community and British Sign Language (BSL) in the UK. As a member-led organisation, its work is focused on achieving equality for Deaf people through community empowerment, membership and campaigning. Mental Health Foundation The Mental Health Foundation is working for an end to mental ill health and the inequalities that face people experiencing mental distress, living with learning disabilities or reduced mental capacity. It focuses on everyone’s mental health and work across all age ranges whatever their condition or circumstance. Page 14 of 24 Ageing Safely Week 2014 Toolkit FINAL

Independent Age Independent Age is a charity that is an established voice for older people. It was founded 150 years ago and has 1,500 volunteers across the UK & Ireland. All its services are free including: advice- e.g. on getting help at home, moving into a care assessment, paying for care, being discharged from hospital, money, benefits, etc.; Befriending, including one-to-one visits, telephone buddies, telephone book/film discussion groups; and campaigning. Royal Voluntary Service Royal Voluntary Service wants to help create a society where everyone feels valued and involved whatever their age. Its 40,000 volunteers help older people stay active, independent and able to continue to contribute to society by providing practical and emotional help, for example: helping older people get out of the house social occasions or to see friends; popping round for a chat; help with jobs such as doing the shopping, collecting library books, changing a light bulb or fixing a lock; making sure older people are calm and well informed before appointments or a stay in hospital, and checking they are ok when they get home; and campaigning to raise awareness of the issues older people face. Contact the Elderly Contact the Elderly is a national charity solely dedicated to tackling loneliness and social isolation among older people. Supported by a network of volunteers, the charity organises monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties for small groups of older people, aged 75 and over, who live alone, offering a regular and vital friendship link every month. Action for Blind People Action for Blind People is a national charity with local reach, providing practical help and support to blind and partially sighted people of all ages. It supports visually-impaired people in many aspects of their lives, helping them to find the right services and products they need to live independently. Action works with other expert organisations to draw on a wide range of skills and resources and has a close relationship with RNIB, enabling it to provide a unique combination of complementary strengths and expertise to help an ever increasing number of people with sight loss. Older People’s Advocacy Alliance (OPAAL) OPAAL is a national UK membership-based organisation supporting, promoting and developing the provision of independent advocacy services for older people. Its members have empathy with, and an understanding of the things affecting the lives of, older people. Advocacy supports and enables people who have difficulty representing their interests, to exercise their rights, express their views, explore and make informed choices. Rights 4 Seniors (Northern Ireland) Rights 4 Seniors is a social justice project created by Advice NI. It is a rights reference for older people in Northern Ireland, as well as those who work with or care for them. As well as support from Advice NI’s member organisations, it brings together expertise in the Age Sector including Access to Benefits, Age NI, Age Sector Platform, CARDI, Engage with Age and Belfast City Council.

Citizens Advice Bureaux The Citizens Advice Bureaux aims to provide the advice people need for the problems they face and improve the policies and practices that affect people's lives. It provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities, values diversity, promotes equality and challenges discrimination.

Citizen's Advice Bureau Northern Ireland Citizens Advice is the largest advice charity in Northern Ireland, meeting the information and advice needs of over 89,000 people per year in bureaux and over 310,000 people online via Adviceguide. Its bureaux deal with over 305,000 issues across a wide range of advice categories including benefits, debt, consumer, employment and housing issues. They also represent the public at almost 2700 social security appeal tribunals a year.

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9. Spreading the word How often has a friend, family member or even a colleague from a partner agency been surprised when you’ve told them about the range of work an FRS does? We need to make sure that the people who can help spread the word are kept in the loop, so they can help share information in the best way possible to raise awareness. Identify the people most likely to be able to help you to publicise your participation in CFOA’s Ageing Safety Week 2014 and enlist their knowledge and experience to help you. If you intend to tweet in the lead up to, or during, Ageing Safely Week then please mention

@CFOAfire, and the hashtag #AgeSafe We will be asking for retweets from national organisations, MPs and celebrities during the week. Please consider asking your local MP to tweet/retweet, and if you have developed a relationship with an organisation or a well-known figure who you will be asking to re-tweet about your activities, please let us know so that we can also re-tweet their support.

Although CFOA is raising awareness of Ageing Safely Week among FRSs and stakeholders,

it’s your event too and, as such, we encourage you to undertake your own local media activity without reference to us. If you manage to secure any regional TV/Press coverage, we would very much like to hear about it.

CFOA will lead on securing coverage of the FRS’s involvement in the national media and

trade press. If you would like a list of the media contacts that press releases have been sent to, please contact Rebecca at the CFOA Comms Team.

Reference in your communications to your involvement in a nationwide week by FRSs, in

collaboration with partners, across the country will help reinforce the scale of our joint endeavours. Please consider using the generic (and specific) press statements circulated, to add a age-related safety angle when possible to your press releases and media responses.

Core text/structure for a news release, briefing or newsletter article is provided on the

following page for you to use if it’s helpful. We will be partially evaluating the success of the event by monitoring the amount of media coverage generated – so any publicity you secure will count.

Press Release / Briefing / Article

XXX FRS helping older people to Age Safely

XXX FRS is committed to helping older people to age safely during the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) Ageing Safely Week, taking place from 29th September to 5th October 2014. Ageing Safely Week, which is running for the first time this year, has been scheduled to run for a week around UK Older People’s Day on October 1st. Fire and rescue services across the country will be holding a range of events and activities, engaging with older people in their communities, and showcasing the work they do on a daily basis to help keep older people safe.

Your FRS logo

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XXX FRS activities will include:

• [List of local activities/events] Statistics show that the risk of dying in a fire for those aged 65 and over is more than twice as high as the average risk for all ages. And with an ever-increasing older population – 23% of the UK will be aged 65 and over by 2035 – activities to help older people prevent fires and keep themselves safe are likely to form a growing part of the fire service’s work over the coming years. Throughout the UK, fire and rescue services identify those who are most at risk in their community, and undertake targeted prevention and protection activities to help them stay safe. UK fire services carried out 274,000 home fire safety checks in households with a person over 65 years in 2012-13, with [XXX FRS helping (number) of older people to stay safe in our region]. But this is just a small part of the work that the fire service does with older people, including working with partners to share resources and expertise and deliver integrated services to the local community. CFOA President Paul Fuller/Peter Dartford* said: “CFOA Ageing Safely Week gives fire and rescue services the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to protecting older people, particularly those who are vulnerable and may be most at risk. “Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of the NHS, at the LGA conference, recognised the huge part firefighters could play in delivering health and wellbeing interventions in people’s homes. During the week services will be showcasing the work that they do with older people, to keep them safe and healthy, raising awareness of the services available, and building and developing existing and new partnerships with organisations with similar goals.” [If you are planning to distribute The Silver Line leaflets, you may wish to add this paragraph/quote.] XXX FRS will also be using the week to provide information leaflets about The Silver Line, the charity set up by Esther Rantzen CBE, which runs a free confidential helpline providing information, friendship and advice to older people – and like the fire service, is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Esther Rantzen said: “Please make time to suggest to any older person who may be lonely but is probably reluctant to admit it, why not call The Silver Line? 0800 4 70 80 90. As one caller told us, “when I get off the phone I feel like I belong to the human race.”

- ENDS -

*NB – If you are using this quote prior to 15th September, please attribute to Paul Fuller. If you are using this quote after 15th September, please attribute to Peter Dartford. NOTES TO EDITORS For further information please contact: [XXX FRS press contact details] About CFOA The Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) is a professional membership association and a registered charity. CFOA members are drawn from all UK Fire & Rescue Services (FRSs) representing the senior executives and managers of the Service. Through the work of its members the Association supports the Page 17 of 24 Ageing Safely Week 2014 Toolkit FINAL

Fire and Rescue Services of the UK in its aspiration to protect the communities they serve and to continue to improve the overall performance of the fire sector. CFOA provides professional and technical advice to inform national fire policy. About The Silver Line The Silver Line on 0800 4 70 80 90 is the UK’s first free and confidential helpline for older people. It is available every day and night of the year to offer lonely and vulnerable older people information, support and protection from abuse or neglect, or just a friendly chat with someone who is genuinely interested in what they have to say. Social Media The @CFOAfire Twitter account will be tweeting during Ageing Safely Week 2014. Please consider re-tweeting us, or let us know if you are publicising your events so we can give you a re-tweet. Or perhaps you could link to the website – www.cfoa.org.uk/AgeingSafelyWeek2014 from your Facebook account?

If you are tweeting on UK Older People’s Day, 1st October, please also use the hashtag #FullOfLife, to hopefully join the ‘trend’ of other organisations taking part. Some suggested tweets (but do please feel free to make up your own!)

We are supporting CFOA’s Ageing Safely Week 29 Sept-5 Oct to help older people to #AgeSafe www.cfoa.org.uk/AgeingSafelyWeek2014 168 people aged 60+ died in fires last year. We aim to help people #AgeSafe and stay #FullOfLife http://tinyurl.com/ASW14 No of people aged 80+ in the UK predicted be 6mn by mid-2037Your local fire service wants to help you #AgeSafe http://tinyurl.com/ASW14 Worried an older person you know is at risk of fire? Contact your fire service for help/advice. #AgeSafe http://tinyurl.com/ASW14 43% of over 60s have mobility difficulty. Can you help a relative/neighbour test their smoke alarm? #AgeSafe http://tinyurl.com/ASW14 Stay #FullOfLife with tips on safety from your local fire service on how to #AgeSafe. http://tinyurl.com/ASW14 Find out more about help available for those with sight/hearing loss, mobility probs: http://tinyurl.com/oxu4gn9 #AgeSafe 800,000 people across the UK have dementia. Ask your local fire service for advice to help them stay safe. #AgeSafe In 2012/13 people 60+ were 10x more likely to die in a fire than those aged 17-24. #AgeSafe aims to smash those stats http://tinyurl.com/ASW14 Page 18 of 24 Ageing Safely Week 2014 Toolkit FINAL

10. How was it for you? Shortly after 5th October we will be circulating a brief e-survey among participating services to find out how your Ageing Safely Week activity went. Your feedback will not only help shape our future involvement, but also enable us to share information with our strategic partners about the impact we might have made. The survey will ask the following questions, so it would be helpful if you could think early on about how you might collect this information:

• What activities did you run during Ageing Safely Week?

• What was your main aim? • Who were your target audience?

• How many people did you directly engage with?

• How many people might you have indirectly engaged with (e.g. through local media

coverage or through umbrella organisations)?

• How many staff were involved during the week?

• Did you achieve your main aim?

• How much media coverage did you achieve? How useful was information you received from CFOA before the event?

What additional information or support would have been helpful?

• Any other comments...?

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Information, friendship and advice for people in later life

There is no need to be alone

FREE, confidential and open 24 hours

Call in confidence and for freeYou can tell us how you feel and express feelings about your life with complete honesty knowing that your call is treated in the strictest confidence.

We always trust and respect your privacy but if you feel vulnerable, neglected or abused, then with your permission, we’ll guide you to organisations that will help. We work with safeguarding organisations like Action on Elder Abuse and local safeguarding teams.

No problem is too big or too smallIf you’re home alone or feel you have no-one to turn to, don’t struggle with loneliness.

Even if all you need is information or advice, pick up the phone. We will be there for you.

Calls are free

0800 4 70 80 90or from a mobile at local rate

0300 4 70 80 90

The Silver Line is a registered charity in the UK. Registered Charity No. in England & Wales 1147330. Registered Charity No. in Scotland. SCO44467. Company No. 8000807

“ It’s not only The Silver Line but a life line.”

Bob - 92

Help us help more people like youThe Silver Line is a charity and running the helpline, training and the cost of all calls are paid for by donations. £5 covers the cost of each call we receive, £50 will recruit and train a volunteer.

So, please give what you can. Call 0207 224 2020, send a cheque to The Silver Line Helpline, Minerva House, 42 Wigmore St, London, W1U 2RY or go online for details: www.thesilverline.org.uk

Or get involvedMaybe you or someone you know might like to help us support older people. You can volunteer by filling in an application form online or contact volunteering@thesilverline.org.uk

facebook.com/thesilverlineuk @TheSilverLineUK

“ Our volunteer Silver Line Friends can change peoples’ lives for the better and make them feel loved and appreciated.

Thank you.”

CBE (founder of The Silver Line)

www.thesilverline.org.uk

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The Silver Line is here for youThere are many people who go for days without seeing or talking to anyone. Perhaps friends and family are not living nearby or are no longer here. They may be bereaved, isolated, housebound, or caring for someone else and just want to hear a friendly voice at the end of the phone.

That’s where The Silver Line can help.

We are The Silver Line A confidential, free helpline offering information, friendship and advice for older people, open every day and night of the year. There is no question too big, no problem too small and no need to be alone.

If you’re feeling lonelyIt’s important to remember you’re not alone. More than half of people over 75 live by themselves. One in ten suffers intense loneliness but is reluctant to ask for help. It could happen to any one of us, but you don’t have to live with that loneliness.

Always at the end of the phone 24 hours a dayOur Silver Line team is there for you. They can offer you friendship, someone to talk to, someone who cares; and, if you would like to, we can link you to local groups and services in your area.

Chat with someone who caresIt can be as simple as a call in the morning to talk about the day ahead or a quick call in the evening before you go to sleep. It’s the human contact that gives all of us something to look forward to.

Silver Line FriendsIf you would like more regular contact and to build new friendships, our volunteer Silver Line Friends can arrange to call, e-mail, or write to you on a regular basis. So you can talk to the same person - you get to know them, and they get to know you.

You can even join a Silver Circle where you can take part in a regular group call on subjects that interest you.

“ It’s knowing that there is always somebody there who cares that I find so welcoming.”

Dorothy - 84

“ When I get off the phone I feel like I belong to the human race.”

John - 78

“ I see it as an opportunity to make a difference”

Emma(helpline call handler at The Silver Line)

Calls are free

0800 4 70 80 90or from a mobile at local rate

0300 4 70 80 90www.thesilverline.org.uk

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