NDTi has worked with the Department of Health on the development and design of the Achieving Age Equality Toolkit – a web based resource which is intended at assist people working within the health and social care communities to audit and assess their readiness for the implementation of the Equality Act 2010, with regard to age discrimination and age equality.
This work grew out of the report by Sir Ian Carruthers and Jan Ormomdroyd, published in October 2009, which highlighted the need for “greater consistency across all locations and all services covering both young and old to tackle what some people call “hidden” or “covert” discrimination. Whilst the report found plenty of evidence of excellent services and care, it also noted “we have heard of inappropriate things said, especially to older people – this was neatly summed up as the phrase “what do you expect at your age?”
A specific Recommendation (2) within the report was that “Every provider and commissioner of mental health services will need to consider how to achieve non-discriminatory, age-appropriate services….” and the work that NDTi has recently commenced (November 2010) in partnership with the National Mental Health Development Unit (NMHDU) is to trial the use of the Toolkit within 2 Strategic Health Authority areas (but working with a wide range of agencies, both statutory and voluntary) with specific regard to it’s application for older people and mental health.
NDTi is developing a range of responses to achieving age equality and we would be happy to discuss how we might be able to assist your organisation in achieving this aim.
Helen Bown
Email: helen.bown@ndti.org.uk
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