Agenda item

Report of the Director of Adults

 The Board considered a Briefing Note, together with a comprehensive presentation at the meeting, of the Director of Adult Services and Housing and the Director of Business, Investment and Culture, which outlined the overall Commonwealth Active Communities “Coventry Moves” Programme with specific reference to the Adult Social Care area of work. A Year 1 Impact Report was appended to the Briefing Note.

Coventry City Council secured a grant award of £624,624 through the Commonwealth Active Communities funding that is part of Sport England’s wider investment into the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The Coventry Moves programme is a two-year funded programme which runs to December 2023. The programme outcomes are to :-

·  Tackle and reduce isolation.

·  Understand and address how the effects of isolation across the city have

compounded inequalities, exacerbating pre-existing barriers to physical activity.

·  Decrease inactivity levels across the city. Increase activity levels with targeted groups.

The programme has three key focus areas:-

·   Go Parks – encouraging children and young people to get active in local parks and green spaces?.

·   Streets – providing ‘on your doorstep’ activation in targeted communities.

·  Coventry Moves – Adult Social Care – engaging the elderly population in care homes and over 50’s in the community?.

Coventry Sports Foundation (CV Life) were commissioned to lead on the Adult Social Care part of the programme working with residents in nine local care homes and assisted living settings as well as engaging with over 50’s in the community. CV Life have also commissioned four smaller organisations to deliver inclusive activities for the elderly population under the Coventry Moves banner.

The Board were informed of a wide range of activities provided by the programme and an indication of the positive impact on the physical, social and mental wellbeing those activities have had on a range of people, including people in care home and assisted living settings. The impact derived from this work can be evidenced through numerous case studies demonstrating significant impact on local people’s lives and examples of those were appended to the Briefing Note and include:-

·  Sporting Memories returning to Coventry & North Warwick Sports Club

·  Coventry Moves dance classes for residents at retired living scheme

·  Walking Netball with regular attendance of 20 people

·  Walking Rugby with regular attendance of 15 people

·  Slow Zumba classes improving participants ‘mind, body and soul’

·  Gardening club which aims to get more people active across older people housing schemes

The impact assessment of the overall Commonwealth Active Communities programme is being delivered through a national evaluation linked to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in partnership with KPMG.

The Board noted thatthe Council will endeavour to build on the work of the Coventry Moves programme to continue the local impact. Alternative opportunities for further funding to continue the Coventry Moves programme beyond December 2023 are being explored with the potential to bid for further grants to continue the programme to March 2025. Programme sustainability is also being sought through the establishment of ‘social funds’ within care schemes and developing toolkits and equipment boxes for residents to run their own activities without the need for ongoing support from CV Life

The Board asked questions and made comments of a number of issues, including:-

·  The significant effect the programme has had in improving physical, social and mental well being of participants

·  Opportunities for the voluntary sector to support the programme

·  The benefits of the “Transport on Demand West Midlands” service and how this could be utilised by participants using the programme

·  Opportunities to secure funding to continue the programme

·  How the programme is marketed/advertised and how and where information can be found, provided and accessed

·  Engagement with communities, particularly hard to reach communities and how this will be developed going forward

The Board commended all of the work done in this regard and congratulated all those involved in delivering the programme.

RESOLVED that the Board :-

1)  Notes, welcomes and endorses the good work and positive impact of the Coventry Moves Programme on its target audience and its valuable contribution to Adult Social Care, Public Health and Sport, Physical Activity and Wellbeing.

2)  Supports all options being explored to create sustainability and to secure future funding.