Contract awarded to secure vital support services for older people across Mid and East Antrim

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is working in partnership with Community Planning partners to provide essential support services to older people across the Borough.

Mid and East Antrim Agewell Partnership (MEAAP) has been awarded the ‘Provision of Ageing Well Services’ contract by the Community Planning Partnership, which aims to help older people in the community feel supported, connected and safe.

MEAAP is a local inter-agency-based partnership aimed at improving the lives of those aged 50 years and over in Ballymena, Larne, Carrickfergus and surrounding areas.

Through the Provision of Ageing Well Services contract, MEEAP currently provides a range of important services including the Good Morning telephone calls, handyman service, home security, community and social engagement, provision of training and technical support and making referrals or signposting to other relevant services.

Five Community Planning partners work together on the Provision of Ageing Well Services contract including Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, NI Housing Executive, Northern Health and Social Care Trust, Public Health Agency and the Policing Community Safety Partnership. Partners meet regularly with MEAAP and work together to identify and meet the needs of older people in the local community using approaches that are both innovative and responsive.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim and Chair of the Strategic Alliance, Alderman Noel Williams, said: “Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is proud to lead on this Ageing Well strategy working alongside our Community Planning partners to ensure older people in our community feel connected, supported and empowered.

“Improving provisions in our Borough is a high priority for the Council and I am delighted to see this contract being awarded.”

Chair of Mid and East Antrim PCSP, Cllr Timothy Gaston, said: “The Ageing Well services in place within the Borough are vital in ensuring the safety of our older people in the community by reducing isolation and providing home security measures.

“This contract with MEAAP will give older people in Mid and East Antrim peace of mind and a sense of safety in their own homes, enabling older people to retain their independence for as long as possible.”

A key objective for the Council – as set out in Mid and East Antrim’s Community Plan ‘Putting People First’ - is that older people are active, respected and supported in their community.

This is achieved through the development of the Ageing Well Model for Mid and East Antrim, which implements a partnership approach within the Borough to support and promote longer, independent and quality living for older people.

Manager of Mid and East Antrim’s Housing Executive, Emma Cassidy, said: “MEAAP is a vital service within the Mid and East Antrim Area, and we are pleased that our community safety funding continues to help residents feel safe and secure in their homes.

“This project works with more than 120 Older People Groups and 90 agencies/larger charities to ensure that they get the best for older people. It is a much needed lifeline to many older people within our community who would otherwise feel isolated.”

Janine Gaston, Interim Health & Social Wellbeing Improvement Manager for Public Health Agency added: “We are delighted to provide commissioning support for these vital services delivered through the excellent provision of MEAPP. This service is an invaluable asset to the community of Mid and East Antrim. Addressing social isolation, loneliness and the safety of residents in their own homes continues to be a public health priority.”

Jenny Marshall, Executive Director for Community Programmes at MEAAP: “Mid and East Antrim Agewell Partnership are once again delighted to have been awarded the contract as lead partner for the delivery of the Ageing Well Service in Mid and East Antrim.

“This service is integral to the work within Mid and East Antrim, needed to support older people to live actively and independently in their own homes for as long as possible.

“With an increasingly ageing population, we are delighted that the Community Planning Partners in Mid and East Antrim recognise the need and value the delivery of the Good Morning Telephone Befriending and Handyperson Services.”

For further information on the Ageing Well services provided across the Borough, please contact MEAAP on 028 2565 8604 or info@meaap.co.uk