Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care presented a report and the recommendation of People & Health Overview Committee of 15 September 2025.

(a)           That Dorset’s application for Age Friendly accreditation by the World Health Organisation (WHO), be endorsed.

(b)           That the integration of Age-Friendly principles into whole council strategy and planning considerations including Adult Social Care locality practice, commissioning and strategic planning, be endorsed.

(c)           That, through the Council’s OFC programme (Commissioning & Procurement & Community Partnerships Programmes), age friendly principles, be integrated into design of infrastructure, transport, housing, and public spaces.

(d)           That Dorset promotes Age Friendly Communities through local charities, businesses, faith groups, and local councils.

Reason for the decision

According to recent research, nearly one-third of Dorset’s population is aged 65 or over, significantly higher than the national average of 19%, with a median age of 52 compared to 40.5 nationally. Dorset also had the highest proportion of residents aged 85+ in the UK, and an old age dependency ratio of 537 (vs. 297 nationally), meaning there were 537 people aged 65+ for every 1,000 working-age adults.

As a result, Dorset Council faced growing financial pressures, with adult social care accounting for £159.6 million, over 38% of the 2025/26 net budget. Rising demand, particularly for complex care, combined with limited national funding, highlights the urgent need for preventative approaches. Delivering community programmes, such as Age Friendly Communities offered a strategic solution to reduce future demand, delay formal care, and improve outcomes, whilst delivering long-term sustainability and value.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care set out the progress in developing Age Friendly Communities under the “Communities for All” priority of the Council Plan 2024-29. With 30% of residents aged 65 and over, Dorset faced significant demographic and financial pressures, particularly in adult social care. In presenting the report, the Cabinet Member shared a short information video.

Members were advised that the Council had registered its intent to become an Age Friendly County with the Centre for Aging Better, aligning with the World Health Organisation’s eight domain framework.

In response to questions, the Cabinet Member confirmed that the work and paper was enabling, and the approach was evidence-led, community-driven, and designed to deliver long-term sustainability, inclusion, and cost avoidance across health and care systems.

Cabinet welcomed the report and the Age Friendly Communities programme.

It was proposed by Cllr S Robinson and seconded by Cllr C Sutton

Decision

(a)           That Dorset’s application for Age Friendly accreditation by the World Health Organisation (WHO), be endorsed.

(b)           That the integration of Age-Friendly principles into whole council strategy and planning considerations including Adult Social Care locality practice, commissioning and strategic planning, be endorsed.

(c)           That, through the Council’s OFC programme (Commissioning & Procurement & Community Partnerships Programmes), age friendly principles, be integrated into design of infrastructure, transport, housing, and public spaces.

(d)           That Dorset promotes Age Friendly Communities through local charities, businesses, faith groups, and local councils.

Reason for the decision

According to recent research, nearly one-third of Dorset’s population is aged 65 or over, significantly higher than the national average of 19%, with a median age of 52 compared to 40.5 nationally. Dorset also had the highest proportion of residents aged 85+ in the UK, and an old age dependency ratio of 537 (vs. 297 nationally), meaning there were 537 people aged 65+ for every 1,000 working-age adults.

As a result, Dorset Council faced growing financial pressures, with adult social care accounting for £159.6 million, over 38% of the 2025/26 net budget. Rising demand, particularly for complex care, combined with limited national funding, highlights the urgent need for preventative approaches. Delivering community programmes, such as Age Friendly Communities offered a strategic solution to reduce future demand, delay formal care, and improve outcomes, whilst delivering long-term sustainability and value.

To consider a report by the Corporate Director for Commissioning and Improvement.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care introduced the report which encompassed a vision for Age Friendly Communities. It would build upon the work of the Thriving Communities programme. There would be differences to the implementation of Age Friendly Communities across the county, due to the differences between local areas. The Corporate Director for Commissioning and Improvement outlined the recommendations in the report.

Members discussed the report and raised the following points:

·         How the age-friendly communities programme would be promoted.

·         How decision-making could become more age friendly.

·         There was a strong funding case for age friendly communities.

·         External funding for specific age-friendly work was available.

·         The vision for outcomes was that older people felt part of society more. Suggestions to measure this were social participation, better use of community transport, volunteer engagement rates, and the key performance indicators for entering into care.

·         There was a concern that there was not enough meaning to age-friendly communities, and there needed to be more resources for it to be meaningful.

·         There was an aspiration for a site in Bridport to be built as an age-friendly community.

During the discussion, the committee made the following recommendations.

Proposed by Cllr R Holloway, seconded by Cllr A Fuhrmann.

Decision: To recommend to Cabinet that it promotes Age Friendly Communities through local charities, businesses, faith groups, and local councils.

Proposed by Cllr A Fuhrmann, seconded by Cllr R Holloway.

Decision: To recommend that an Age Friendly Wheel be a part of every council report in the same way as equalities and environment is currently presented.

The recommendations set out in the report were proposed by Cllr R Holloway and seconded by Cllr J Atwal.

Decision:

That the committee recommend to Cabinet that it:

1. Endorses Dorset’s application for Age Friendly accreditation by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
2. Endorses the integration of Age-Friendly principles into whole council strategy and planning considerations including Adult Social Care locality practice, commissioning and strategic planning.
3. Through the Council’s OFC programme (Commissioning & Procurement & Community Partnerships Programmes), integrates age friendly principles into design of infrastructure, transport, housing, and public spaces.