Age Friendly Leeds Strategy and Action Plan 2025-2030

Age Friendly Leeds
Working across city wide ambitions
Supporting the team Leeds approach
Why age friendly is important
Ensuring Leeds is an age friendly city
Our plan
Regional national and international partnerships
Strategy and action plan summary

Age Friendly Leeds

The ambition for Age Friendly Leeds is to be the Best City to Grow Old in: A place where people (age 50+) age well, lead healthy, connected, fulfilling, independent lives and are valued, feel respected and are recognised as assets.

Age Friendly Leeds plays a preventative role to increase the proportion of our lives that we spend in good health in later life. Age Friendly places, communities, and services support everyone, including those with health challenges, to lead vibrant, connected, fulfilling, and independent lives. As a result, this helps to prevent, reduce, and delay the need for reactive services.

Our first Age Friendly Strategy was developed in 2015 which placed people in later life at the heart of our strategies, ensuring their diverse voices shape Leeds initiatives. This builds on previous work and a long history of engagement dating back to 1994.

Working across our citywide ambitions

Best city ambition

Age Friendly Leeds plays a key role in contributing to delivering the Best City Ambition.

For partners and services, supporting the delivery of the Age Friendly Strategy and Action Plan should be entirely complementary and consistent with supporting the Best City Ambition and the ‘Team Leeds’ approach.

Delivering across all four ambitions in the Best City Ambition:

Health & Wellbeing and the vision to be a healthy and caring city for all ages, where people who are the poorest improve their health fastest. Age Friendly has remained a priority in the Leeds Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2023 to 2030. This strategy also includes several priorities that are linked to supporting people to age well, such as fostering ‘strong, engaged and well-connected communities’; ‘improving housing for better health’; creating ‘a strong economy with good local jobs for all’ and ‘a city where everybody can be more active more often’.

Inclusive Growth and the vision to create growth in our economy that works for everyone, where people and businesses can thrive, and we work together to tackle poverty and inequality, ensuring people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy access to education and skills development. The Inclusive Growth Strategy recognises the challenges that older workers experience in relation to employment, as well as the need to make sure that people in later life are valued in work or as volunteers and carers. Inclusive recruitment, better jobs and healthy workplaces help to support people to age well in work.

Zero Carbon and the plan to tackle climate change, with Leeds aiming to become the first net zero city in the UK. This will be delivered by creating a more walkable city; promoting a resilient food economy; making the homes we live in healthier, more environmentally friendly and cheaper to run; protecting and investing in our public spaces and infrastructure to prepare Leeds for future climate impacts. Considering the impact of these areas on people in later life is directly linked to the Age Friendly Leeds Strategy as older people are among those groups most at risk from the effects of climate change.

Strong Communities are at the heart of a city where people feel safe, welcomed, and empowered to shape the decisions that impact their lives. Together, we are creating clean, connected neighbourhoods that enable people to live healthier lives and enjoy the diverse social, cultural and sporting offer of our vibrant city. The Age Friendly Strategy supports this by enabling people in later life to be active, included and respected.

Supporting the ‘team Leeds’ approach

The delivery of the Age Friendly Leeds strategy aligns to the ways of working within the Best City Ambition ‘Team Leeds’ approach by championing community power and putting people in later life at the heart of our strategy, focussing on prevention and strength-based approaches, and building a healthier society where we pursue equity for people as they age to tackle poverty and inequalities. Reviews of the Best City Ambition will continue to dovetail into the delivery of the Age Friendly Strategy and Plan.

Fairer healthier Leeds: A marmot approach

Age Friendly Leeds and the commitment to Leeds being a Marmot City (i.e. Fairer, Healthier Leeds) both require the collaboration of strategic partners to address the social determinants of health, emphasising the shared goal of improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities within Leeds. There is a joint aim to create a more equitable society for all.

Age Friendly recognises the impact that social determinants have on ageing well and applies an approach that:

systematically puts fairness and health at the centre of our decision making
ensures services and resources are prioritised in a way that is proportionate to people’s needs
ensures individuals’ voices are effectively heard and considered through consultation, data, evidence, and insight

Child friendly

The ambitions of Child Friendly and Age Friendly Leeds complement one another, to be the best city for children and young people to grow up and the best city to grow old in. This is about creating a city that is welcoming and inclusive for and values people of all ages, ensuring their diverse voices shape all Leeds initiatives. The wishes of children and young people and the expectations of people in later life are aligned – with shared issues that both groups want to improve. Child Friendly Leeds and Age Friendly Leeds will work together with partners on these issues.

Healthy Leeds plan

This work also contributes to the following outcomes in the Healthy Leeds Plan:

healthy Adults - people in Leeds are physically and mentally healthier for longer; people in Leeds are supported to live well and have a standard of living which supports their health and wellbeing
long term conditions - people with a LTC return to and maintain their normal activities and lifestyle in ways that matter to them
frailty - living and ageing well defined by ‘what matters to me’ (such as being independent, active etc)

Why is age friendly Leeds important

Our data shows there is much more we can do to reduce the time people spend in poorer health in later life.

The Joint Strategic Assessment 2024 looks at the current and future health, social care needs of people living in Leeds. Its purpose is to inform and guide priorities and the planning and commissioning of health, wellbeing and social care services. The ‘Ageing Well – Age Friendly Leeds’ section reflects key findings and recommendations identified in the Director of Public Health Annual Report 2023 – Ageing Well: Our Lives in Leeds. This provides a range of information and insights, exploring how healthy people, places, and communities all contribute to ageing well in Leeds, which have informed the Age

Friendly Leeds Strategy review for 2025-2030.

Some of the findings in the report show that:

1 in 3 people living in Leeds are aged 50 and above
as well as an expected increase in the 70+ age groups, the older population (50+) is growing in the most deprived areas and becoming more diverse (e.g. ethnically diverse and LGBTQ+)
2 in 10 people aged 50+ (51,600) are living in the most deprived areas and 16% of people aged 60+ experience income deprivation
more than 1 in 2 people aged 50+ are living with 2 or more long-term conditions. There is more we can do to support people with health challenges to lead connected, fulfilling and independent later lives
life expectancy of people living in our most deprived areas is around 9 years less than the least deprived areas
people living in our deprived areas spend around 11 more years in poor health and this starts in their early 50’s (compared to around 70 in least deprived areas). This is particularly relevant, as in Leeds we have 1 in 4 of our total population living and ageing in the most deprived areas
most people in later life are not lonely (64.8% hardly ever or never lonely). Over 1 in 2 people mentioned that strong, positive community and social connections enabled them to age well (e.g. activities, groups and the local community)
older people in Leeds saw later life as an opportunity to be more active and stay healthy
2 in 3 people aged 50–64 are in employment, with 40,000 people aged 50–64 years being economically inactive due to caring responsibilities, health conditions, retirement or because there is a perception that suitable work is not available for them
there are an estimated 51,000 homes in Leeds with health hazards. Half of these homes will be occupied by someone aged 60+
nearly 2 in 3 people aged 65+ would like to stay in their own home, with support when needed and only 3% (aged 65+) are living in a nursing or care home
over 1 in 2 people talked about access to green spaces, theatres and libraries as positive features of Leeds that enabled them to age well
people aged 65+ are 12x more likely to be non-digital users
driving, walking and travelling by bus are popular amongst people in later life. However accessible and appealing roads and pathways would better enable active travel and uptake of bus passes in some of the most deprived areas of the city is low (60% compared to 80% citywide)
people in later life experience negative stereotypes, ageism and discrimination. Experiences of people in later life, their health and wellbeing outcomes and access to services or support are impacted by stereotypes, ageism and discrimination

Ensuring Leeds is an age friendly city has been identified as a priority area by people in later life themselves

Since 2015, engagements and consultations in Leeds have ensured we put people in later life at the heart of our strategy, helping to develop, inform and enhance Age Friendly Leeds.

Recent activities include:

December 2021 - The State of Ageing in Leeds: What life is like for people aged 50 and over in Leeds sets out data and stories about what it’s like to grow older in Leeds. This included consultation with 44 residents aged between 50 and 102. The report supported individuals and organisations to consider priorities to make Leeds Best City to grow old in and also informed the development of the Age Friendly action plan
July 2023- The Leeds Older People’s Hub managed by Leeds Older People’s Forum provides a space and support to ensure that older people’s voices are heard and helps officers from across #TeamLeeds to meet with people in later life and discuss any consultations, proposed changes to services and supports the co-production of new initiatives
December 2023 - Publication of the Director of Public Health Annual Report 2023 – Ageing Well: Our Lives in Leeds. The report heard from 945 residents aged 50+ and 53 professionals working with people age 50+ around what impacts their ability to age well, both positive and negative

The opportunities and challenges presented by an ageing population are well rehearsed.

People in later life contribute in countless ways to Leeds’ rich and vibrant communities – through the skills and knowledge that they bring to their local communities, high levels of volunteering, acting formally and informally as community connectors, intergenerational interactions, unpaid caring roles, and through the skills and experience they bring to their workplaces.

However, inequalities exist in later life and there are opportunities to increase the time spent in good health in later to enable people to live healthy, fulfilling and independent lives. This provides the focus for our Age Friendly Leeds Strategy and Action Plan.

Our approach

This strategy encompasses key topics (domain) areas and cross-cutting themes that underpin our approach.

Our topic (domain) areas

These six topic (domain) areas have been adapted for Leeds from the Age Friendly City domains developed by the World Health Organisation:

active, included and respected
employment & learning
healthy & independent ageing
housing
public & civic spaces
travel & road safety

Our cross-cutting themes

The following cross-cutting themes underpin our approach to delivering the Age Friendly Leeds strategy and are aligned to the Best City ambition team Leeds approach:

Team Leeds approach:

Age Friendly is everyone’s business, so this involves collective action around embedding the consideration of Age Friendly into all of our policies and services, and challenging negative stereotypes relating to ageing. We place people in later life at the heart of our strategy and ensure their diverse voices shape all Leeds initiatives, while providing timely feedback, ensuring contributions are not only valued but also lead to meaningful impact. We also use data, evidence and research to focus on what matters to people in later life, collaborating with academic partners to enhance age-friendly initiatives

Inequalities, equity & financial inclusion:

focusing on the most deprived areas, addressing barriers faced by people in later life and acknowledging age as a protected characteristic intersecting with other factors like ethnicity and gender. This includes aligning our work towards being a fairer, healthier Leeds/Marmot City to address the social determinants of health, embedding equity, fairness and age-friendly considerations into all policies and services, ensuring services and resources are prioritised in a way that is proportionate to people’s needs

Effective communication & digital inclusion:

providing age-friendly information that is clear, easily accessible, and available in various formats, while supporting the use of digital formats

Social & intergenerational connections:

ensuring there is a strong focus on being socially connected and connected across generations. This involves embedding opportunities to increase social connections and reduce social isolation in later life into all of our policies and services

Our plan

For each topic (domain) area we have an action plan with:

outcomes - what we want our end result to be
objectives - what we are focusing on to achieve our outcomes
actions - what actions we will take to deliver on our Age Friendly ambition, outcomes, objectives and crosscutting themes
older people’s expectations - what people in later life have told us they expect from Age Friendly Leeds
topic (domain) Lead(s) - people that lead on objectives and actions under each topic

Governance: the Age Friendly Leeds board (AFLB)

The board is chaired by the council’s elected Older People’s Equality Champion.

The role of the board is to:

provide political leadership and set the strategic direction for the Age Friendly Leeds work programme
ensure the approaches, objectives and actions in the Age Friendly Strategy & Action Plan are being met through oversight of quarterly highlight and flash update progress reports from officers across the council and their partners
provide strategic direction and guidance to topic (domain) leads to ensure the needs of people in later life are being met
hear the voices of people in later life and respond to data, intelligence and research to ensure actions are evidence based
nurture the ‘Team Leeds’ approach, providing an opportunity for collaboration and collective action
build on existing work around people in later life
share progress updates with the Age Friendly Leeds Network

Membership includes the representatives from the council, Leeds older people’s forum and West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and reports to both the Executive board and the Health and Wellbeing Board where appropriate. This work also contributes to Healthy Leeds Plan on improving population level outcomes for healthy adults, people with long term conditions and people living with frailty.

Key performance indicators

A framework to measure the impact of the action plan was developed with support from the centre for ageing better. Reporting was previously through the Best City Ambition but due to changes in that, reporting is currently being reviewed. These indicators are:

indices of deprivation affecting older people
disability free life expectancy by gender at birth and at 65
healthy life expectancy by gender at birth and at 65
the number of new build properties built to accessible standards M4 (2) and M4 (3) (reported to the Infrastructure, Investment & Inclusive growth Scrutiny Board twice a year)

The Age Friendly Leeds Network (AFLN)

The network is co-chaired by the Head of Public Health (Ageing Well), Leeds city council (LCC) and the Chair of Leeds Older People’s Forum.

The role of the network is to bring together statutory, voluntary and private sectors to:

hear the voices of older people and identify priorities in local data in relation to making Leeds an age friendly city
address the identified priorities from older people and local data in order to make Leeds an age friendly city
raise the profile of Age Friendly Leeds priorities and actions
to support age friendly initiatives in our communities and other broader initiatives which help us to work towards Leeds becoming an age friendly city
empower partnership members to develop and put Age Friendly actions in place

The AFLN meets quarterly and reports on successes and challenges to the Age Friendly Leeds Board. Each meeting is themed around a topic or theme from this action plan, prioritised by AFLN members.

Membership is open to any organisation that has an interest in and is committed to making Leeds an age friendly city.

Regional national and international partnerships

Leeds is recognised as an example of good practice for our age friendly work and is a member of:

World Health Organisation (WHO) Age Friendly Cities - established to foster the exchange of experience and mutual learning between cities and communities worldwide.
Eurocities - Through the council’s membership of the Eurocities network which has a ‘Wellbeing & Ageing’ group.
UK Network of Age Friendly Communities - A group of communities from across the UK that are collaborating to bring about change in the way that we respond to population ageing. Managed by the Centre for Ageing Better.
Yorkshire & Humber Healthy Ageing Community of Improvement - A network of public health leads in the region with a healthy ageing/Age Friendly remit which enables collaboration and sharing of best practice. The Head of Public Health (Ageing Well) in Leeds co-chairs this meeting.
Yorkshire & Humber Age Well, Live Well Network - Which brings together social care, NHS and public health leads in the region with an ageing well remit to enable collaboration and sharing of best practice.

Leeds was one of three places to have a strategic partnership with the Centre for Ageing Better to further test and apply ‘what works’ to make Leeds a better place to age. Our formal partnership with the Centre for Ageing Better ran from October 2017–2022 and since, Leeds continues to maintain strong links with the centre to:

support the adoption (and early adoption) of evidence-based practice.
support the understanding of how evidence lands in the context of ageing in place. Amplify the voice of people in later life in Leeds through national platforms.
raise the profile of Age Friendly Leeds through the UK Age Friendly Cities Network.
e a critical friend to each other’s work.

Get involved

Consider what actions you can take as an individual or as a community, at home or at work, or what your organisation can do to make Leeds an Age Friendly city. Age Friendly is everyone’s business, we can all benefit and play our part in making Leeds the best city to grow old in.

Friendly communities newsletter

Become an Age Friendly Ambassador or Age Friendly Organisation

Join the Age Friendly Leeds Network

Want to find out more?

Contact us:

Leeds city council

Email - agefriendly@leeds.gov.uk

Telephone - (0113) 3783831

Twitter - @AgeFriendlyLDS

Leeds Older Peoples Forum

Email - Info@opforum.org.uk

Telephone - (0113) 2441697

Find out more about the Leeds older people forum

Bluesky

Strategy and action plan summary

Age Friendly Leeds aims to be the ‘Best City to Grow Old In’, where people aged 50+ lead healthy, connected, fulfilling and independent lives whilst feeling valued and respected.

The Age Friendly Strategy and Action Plan brings together key services with a focus on prevention to increase the number of years people spend in good health. By doing so, it seeks to reduce or delay the need for reactive services.

Public and civic spaces

Support people in later to access and enjoy outdoor spaces in Leeds by:

ensuring parks and green spaces are accessible for everyone who wants to use them
providing and promoting a wide range of opportunities for people to get the health benefits of spending time in green spaces
working with communities and having a positive, open and collaborative approach in delivering the Parks and Countryside service
creating high quality and well-connected places that are age inclusive and promote physical, mental and social wellbeing in later life

Healthy and independent ageing

Supporting people in later life to live healthy and independent lives in the community by:

further developing ways for people in later life to keep active and stay healthy, with a focus on supporting people to age well in more deprived areas and ethnically diverse communities
developing Leeds as a Mentally Healthy City for people in later life
promoting financial inclusion to support financial health and wellbeing
sustaining community-based approaches that empower people in later life to live independently, to thrive and age well whilst engaging in their neighbourhoods

Active included and respected

Encompassing several areas to promote inclusion and participation in public and community life by:

raising the profile of Age Friendly Leeds to promote a positive attitude towards ageing and incorporating intergenerational work
enabling older people in Leeds to have the opportunities, freedom, and support to live the life of their choice
working with people in later life across the city to capture a diverse range of voices, with a view to shaping policy and action
supporting people in later life to engage with a diverse citywide cultural offer as participants, audience and creative practitioners
providing opportunities and resources for social and intergenerational connection within welcoming community hubs and library spaces in the heart of communities
providing volunteering opportunities in the city that are inclusive and equitable for people in later life
ensuring older People in Leeds have equal opportunity to use digital tools, technology, and services in the right way for them
ensuring older people in Leeds are safe and feel safe in their homes, in the streets, and the places they go

Employment and learning

Supporting people in later life in the workplace, improving access to the workplace and to stay in work by:

supporting people aged 50+ back into the workplace, to stay in work and explore career change and upskilling
supporting people aged 50+ to have access to education and learning opportunities
hiring and developing the 50+ workforce within Leeds city council
supporting the health, wellbeing and benefits of the 50+ workforce within Leeds city council
promoting an age positive culture and flexible working within Leeds city council and wider

Travel and road safety

Providing accessible travel options to enable people in later life to get out and about by:

ensuring people in later life have a choice of transport options and can chose a mode that is most appropriate for each journey
ensuring transport is affordable and accessible to everyone
eliminating road deaths and serious injuries by adopting a Vision Zero approach
supporting and motivating people in later life to make healthy travel choices

Housing

Ensuring housing supports people to stay living independently, comfortably and safely in later life:

increasing public and agency awareness of information and advice on housing options with preventative focus
improving housing quality and access to adaptations to support independence
increasing provision of age friendly housing options including accessible new housing and specialist housing with support

Cross cutting themes:

team Leeds approach
inequalities, equity & financial inclusion
effective communication & digital inclusion
social & intergenerational connections

Working in partnership with:

best city ambitions and team Leeds approach
the ‘marmot city – fairer heathier Leeds’ programme
child friendly Leeds, creating a city that is welcoming and inclusive for all ages
healthy Leeds plan

Active, included and respected

Objectives and actions

Objective A

Raise the profile of Age Friendly Leeds to promote a positive attitude to ageing, incorporating intergenerational work.

Actions:

work with businesses and organisations to be more age and dementia friendly and increase the number of businesses involved
work with the Preservative Party at Leeds Museums and Art Galleries to tackle the effects of ageism on all age groups
work with schools and colleges to promote a more positive attitude to ageing.
offer ‘Wise Up to Ageism’ training to Adults & Health workforce and commissioned services within the current capacity
deliver communications through newsletters, case studies, partnership and networking opportunities within Leeds and wider
explore opportunities to promote social cohesion by strengthening intergenerational connections and dialogue
continue to explore opportunities for strengthening intergenerational work and alignment with Child Friendly Leeds to create an inclusive city for all ages

Objective B

Enable older people in Leeds to have the opportunities, freedom and support to live the life they choose.

Actions:

build confidence and motivation in older people to travel independently through the Travel with Confidence project
work with local taxi companies to promote age and dementia friendly training into their driver training programme
work with statutory partners to promote access to health and social care for healthy ageing - staying healthy for longer
review of emerging Leeds city council customer transformation programme to consider Age Friendly principles

Objective C

Work with older people across the city to capture a diverse range of voices, with a view to shaping policy and action.

Actions:

expand and develop the Age Friendly Steering group to become more diverse and have a wider reach into all communities of Leeds
continue to develop and facilitate the Older People’s Equalities Hub involving the full range of older citizens of Leeds. Providing space and support to ensure people in later life are listened to
conduct the Trending Elders quarterly survey with Leeds Older People’s Forum members to gather up to date intelligence on the issues affecting older people in Leeds, using it to amplify the voice of members and the people they work with
lead the people’s history of Leeds project in partnership with Leeds Museums and Galleries, to tell the story of the city through the voices of its citizens who have lived through it

Objective D

Supporting older people to engage with a diverse citywide cultural offer as participants, audience, and creative practitioners.

Actions:

provide older people with opportunities to engage in an annual calendar of cultural programming within Council-run venues
provide older adults with opportunities to have a say in cultural decisions and to participate in cultural programmes
Leeds Museums & Galleries sites to take steps towards becoming Age and Dementia Friendly
collate and promote activity across the funded portfolio that engages older people across the city
deliver a Creative Healthy Ageing Programme by utilising creative approaches to engage with people in later life to support ageing well
strengthen links between Age Friendly Leeds and Leeds Art Health & Wellbeing Network’s (LAHWN) ‘creative ageing’ strand and collaborative working with West Yorkshire’s ‘Creative Health System’ programme

Objective E

Offer opportunities and resources for social and intergenerational connection within welcoming community hubs and library spaces in the heart of communities.

Actions:

expand partnership working to open up more opportunities for activities and networks of connection
embed an Age Friendly approach across our city-wide network of community hubs and libraries
seek opportunities to reach those who may not otherwise be able to access library and community hubs’ physical spaces
increase awareness of the wide range of books, reading, information and cultural opportunities and support that can be accessed through community hubs and libraries

Objective F

Providing volunteering opportunities in the city that are inclusive and equitable for people in later life.

Actions:

review the Inclusive Volunteering Toolkit with best practice (such as CfAB resources on volunteering and AF recruitment) to identify if these are inclusive and equitable for people in later life
support Volunteer Managers to put in place Age Friendly practices such as through person networking and development of guidance/‘top tips’ that can be hosted on the inclusive volunteering toolkit
develop resources and campaigns that showcase the contributions of older volunteers such as Volunteers of Leeds campaign and through volunteering actions delivered through various domain areas of this strategy/plan
seek opportunities for working with academics to gain a better understanding on the scale and contribution of volunteering in later life in Leeds
explore opportunities to review the age friendliness of Leeds City Council (LCC) volunteer recruitment work

Objective G

Ensuring Older People in Leeds have equal opportunity to use digital tools, technology, and services in the right way for them.

Actions:

increase community capacity amongst organisations supporting older people to develop sustainable digital inclusion interventions
support digital inclusion to be embedded into organisation service offers amongst organisations supporting older people
increase opportunities for older people to access digital equipment and connectivity
increase opportunities for older people to develop digital skills and confidence
promote the digital offer available through the Leeds Community Hub and Library network. This includes digital learning sessions, access to free WIFI, Free public PCs and I-pad lending amongst other opportunities

Objective H

Ensuring older people in Leeds are safe and feel safe in their homes, in the streets, and the places they go.

Actions:

engage and consult with communities through the Community Committees on themes within the Community Safety Strategy. Establish local priorities (that affect later lives where appropriate) with the Community Committee chair and localities officer and identify key service contacts who will actively participate in the themed programme of work
gaining a better understanding around community safety and later life through reviewing existing and future insights
deliver actions to prevent and respond to hate crime against older people

Older people’s expectations - active, included and respected

I have access to a range of opportunities to be socially connected and don’t feel lonely.
I can easily find out about events, groups and opportunities in my community and have access to a range of diverse activities.
I volunteer some of my time to helping my community, friends and family.
I feel supported and respected by my community, interacting with people of all ages and can ask for help when I need it.
I can access digital information/services, but I also have alternatives to platforms that are exclusively digital.
I feel both safe in my community and whilst I’m out and about.

Outcomes - active, included and respected

No-one is lonely; there are a range of opportunities people can participate in to help them live healthy, active and fulfilling lives.
Ageing is promoted positively, and older people feel worthwhile and valued as citizens of Leeds.
Leeds is a city where all people in later life feel, and are, safe.

Employment and Learning

Objectives and actions

Objective A

Supporting people aged 50+ back into the workplace, to stay in work, explore career change and upskilling.

Actions:

employment advisors based in job centres and community venues that are Age Friendly, accessible, and are delivered alongside other services for people aged 50+. Advisors to form links with other services to publicise the employment support offer.
work in localities, focussing on IMD 1 & 2, with housing associations and local groups for people aged 50+ to reach those furthest from the workplace and avoid travel to access support.
ensure employment support for people 50+ by embedding Age Friendly principles, including valuing life experience and transferable skills, building confidence and self-esteem, and recognising the need for flexibility, particularly when people have caring responsibilities or long-term health conditions.
deliver an Age Friendly employment/recruitment roadshow.
west Yorkshire Combined Authorities (WYCA) Work, Health, and Skills Plan and programmes and plans that feed into it to recognise the needs of people in later life and commitment to working with all partners to ensure the best possible outcomes for all residents including people in later life.

Objective B

Supporting people aged 50+ to have access to education and learning opportunities.

Actions:

adult Learning offers courses which allow people 50+ to update their skills and progress towards accredited qualifications.
guidance available within Adult Learning to all learners aged 50+ to improve and maintain their mental health and wellbeing.
promotional material to represent people aged 50+.
information, advice, and guidance available to all 50+ learners to access work, volunteering and further educational opportunities.

Objective C

Hiring and developing the 50+ workforce within Leeds City Council.

Actions:

develop pathways for skills and re-skilling older workers; linking to individual objectives, career aspirations and wider service workforce plans – optimising succession arrangements, use of flexible working and flexible retirement and age-friendly hiring.
refine these plans in light of feedback from staff survey.
refine these plans in light of changes to the age profile in LCC.
link actions to LCC Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) pillars: Recruitment/Progression/Data Monitoring.

Objective D

Supporting the health, wellbeing and benefits of the 50+ workforce within Leeds city council.

Actions:

re-procure, adapt and roll-out of programmes to support wellbeing at work and employee benefits – including membership of the pension scheme and uptake of other benefits.
refine these plans in light of feedback from 2025 staff survey.
link actions to LCC EDI pillars: Data Monitoring.

Objective E

Promoting an Age Positive Culture and flexible working within Leeds city council and wider.

Actions:

continue to offer/adapt flexible retirement programmes and flexible working
evaluate and apply the Centre for Ageing Better’s age-friendly employment culture change toolkit
to ensure age related issues are stressed in work being undertaken to promote reasonable adjustments, positive action and equality impact assessments. This will include recognition of correlations with age, health, disability and caring
link actions to LCC EDI pillars: tackling Discrimination and Training
Leeds City Council to advocate for our suppliers to be Age Friendly employers/ organisations as part of adding social value into procurements
review how to strengthen links between health and inclusive employer programmes and the Age Friendly Employer Pledge/Age Friendly Leeds Business Scheme
encourage and support anchor organisations with their commitment to signing up to the Age Friendly Employer Pledge

Older people’s expectations - Employment and Learning

I have fulfilling work and I feel my life skills and experience are valued by my employer.
I have continued opportunities to learn and develop at work.
I have the option to work flexibly or in a way that suits my living situation.
I am supported at work to manage my caring responsibilities and changing health needs.
my work helps me to age well and stay socially connected.
I have access to support to rejoin employment, change careers, upskilling, and other learning opportunities.
I am able to make positive and fulfilling retirement plans.

Outcomes - Employment and Learning

Older people in Leeds actively participate in the city through fulfilling employment and learning.

Healthy and independent ageing

Objectives and actions

Objective A

Further developing ways for people in later life to keep active and stay healthy, with a focus on supporting people to age well in more deprived areas and ethnically diverse communities.

Actions:

deliver an Active Ageing plan to review and further develop ways for people in later life to keep active throughout later life
deliver actions in the Older People & Food Plan to support people aged 50+ to improve their health and wellbeing through eating well and staying hydrated
develop and deliver actions to support people aged 50+ to reduce drinking alcohol at higher risk levels and address challenges relating to drug use
develop and deliver actions to support people to quit smoking in later life
deliver Adverse Weather Health Plan with a focus on reducing vulnerability for those in later life

Work with Leeds city council commissioned providers to promote and embed ageing well and age friendly within services.

Objective B

Developing Leeds as a mentally healthy city for people in later life.

Actions:

develop and deliver actions focussed on mental health promotion and prevention, including suicide prevention
deliver actions to review and increase opportunities for people to be socially connected and ensure reducing social isolation in later life is central to all policies and services
continue to improve access to mental health services for people in later life, with a focus on communities that are under-represented

Objective C

Promoting financial inclusion in order to support the financial health and wellbeing of Older People in Leeds.

Actions:

ensure the city’s response to the Cost-of-Living Crisis reflects the needs of older people most impacted by the increases in the cost of living and energy prices
work across Leeds city council services and partners to promote and increase the uptake of Pension Credit
understand data, intelligence and insight to inform the development and delivery of work relating to older people on low incomes
work with organisations who work with older people to ensure that there is knowledge and understanding of financial inclusion, health and wellbeing to ensure greater financial security in later life
work with members of the Financial Inclusion Steering Group to ensure financial inclusion services are Age Friendly
strengthen partnership working with West Yorkshire Financial Exploitation and Abuse Team (WYFEAT) at West Yorkshire Trading Standards through social work’s role for safeguarding vulnerable adults at risk or who have been the victims of financial exploitation
explore options to strengthen access to information and advice for people who are self-funding who require Adult Social Care and domiciliary support services

Objective D

Sustaining community-based approaches that empower people in later life to live independently, to thrive and age well, engaging in their neighbourhoods.

Actions:

work together to ensure vibrant long-term, sustainable community-based organisations and approaches with resources that can continue to support ageing adults at a local level
increase access to community support, enabling more people to be engaged and that opportunities reflect the diversity and needs of an ageing population
focus on prevention by working with organisations to help older people live at home independently, minimising the need for statutory services and enhancing their quality of life
enhance wellbeing by promoting healthier life choices and creating more opportunities for older people to be part of a vibrant, interconnected community
celebrate the contributions of older people, supporting spaces where they are engaged and valued within their communities
promote volunteering opportunities to all ages, emphasising health benefits, skill development, and confidence building, while celebrating volunteers’ contributions through available data
encourage and support collaboration between community-based organisations and partners to improve the health wellbeing of older people within their neighbourhoods

Older people’s expectations - healthy and independent ageing

I am able to make the most of later life being an opportunity to age well.
I enjoy a good quality of life, living independently for as long as possible.
I have access to preventative support and services that take account of my needs.
I can afford to live well in my own home.
I feel listened to and respected by healthcare settings and my holistic needs are taken into account.
As a carer I am acknowledged, valued and supported in my caring role.

Outcomes - healthy and independent ageing

Older people are able to live healthy lives and remain independent for longer.

Housing

Objectives and actions

Objective A

Increasing public and agency awareness of information and advice on housing options with preventative focus.

Actions:

support delivery of cross housing and health sector training and partnership working and evaluate cross housing and health sector working, ensuring a continued focus on ageing well at home
promote face to face housing support available from Community Hubs across the city – in recognition that not all are confident or able to access services online.
complete development of housing self-assessment toolkit to be included on Leeds Directory, putting it into practice with stakeholders & users and gaining feedback.
develop the relationship between housing and community assets and promote through Leeds Directory.
encourage businesses and services within the Leeds Directory to register as Age and Dementia Friendly.
continue the development of the Directory to help make its content more prominent and Age Friendly.
deliver energy efficiency and fuel bill advice and interventions to support people in later life to manage home energy and address fuel poverty
work to incorporate housing into retirement planning material as part of wider Age Friendly Employment work
develop promotional information for Private Landlords on the ageing population, health hazards people in later life face and challenging negative stereotypes. Include the benefits to Private Landlords of having older tenants living in their properties
gain insights and raise public and workforce awareness of technology in the home to support people to self-care, remain safe and independent with a prevention focus
engage with the West Yorkshire Dementia Ready Task Group to raise awareness of resources they produce and initiatives they are involved in
work with Housing Association partners to develop awareness of ageing issues and the benefits of improving communal spaces

Objective B

Improving housing quality and access to adaptations to support independence.

Actions:

complete and consider options appraisal of Good Homes Hub approach
work to encourage equitable access to the Home Plus service for those experiencing health inequalities and use the Home Plus evaluation to work with partners to develop future strategic plans for the service
ensure that individuals experiencing health inequalities and those with protected characteristics have equitable access to Technology Enabled Care solutions
work with WYCA to deliver on the West Yorkshire Housing Strategy Objective 3, which includes actions on housing quality focusing on issues of non-decency
further development and use of data around housing needs in later life e.g. the Health & Housing Insight Tool, Strategic Housing Market Assessment – accessible homes data and need for affordable homes

Objective C

Increasing provision of Age Friendly housing options including accessible new housing and specialist housing with support.

Actions:

raise the profile of Age Friendly housing within the Health & Housing Steering Group
review local data and champion increases in accessible housing standards with Local Plan update
continue to deliver extra care programme via Housing Partners and LCC monitoring health and housing impacts
undertake evaluation of extra care programme to identify impacts and opportunities
work with Housing Growth Team and Asset Management to identify funding streams with consideration given to recommendations in the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report and the All-Party Parliamentary Group into Outdated Sheltered Housing
progress a strategic service review of the Retirement LIFE Service to strengthen the service offer to customers with the aim to implement in 2026/27. This includes identifying improvements to joint working with partners in Adults & Health and exploring digital opportunities to enhance the customer experience to promote independence for older people
work with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to deliver on the WYCA Housing Strategy Objective 2, to increase levels of accessible and adaptable homes, making the case based on need for specialist provision through any future devolution settlement within any future Affordable Housing Programme funding package

Older people’s expectations – Housing

I am supported to live safely and comfortably in my own home.
I am confident and well-informed about my future housing options.
A variety of Age Friendly housing options are available to me.
I feel able to plan ahead and make positive and proactive decisions about my housing situation.

Outcomes – Housing

Older people can access the help, support and housing options they need to live independently in their place of choice.

Public and civic spaces

Objectives and actions

Objective A

Supporting older people to access and enjoy outdoor spaces in Leeds by ensuring that parks and green spaces are accessible for everyone who wants to use them.

Actions:

get accurate, up to date information about all our city parks and the Arium on Euan’s Guide website
to develop a process for auditing the accessibility of our sites
install a Changing Places toilet as part of new developments at Tropical World
new city centre park (Aire Park) will include accessible public toilets
conduct accessibility audits for our community parks assisted by our Leeds Quality Park assessment process and our community groups
review number of disabled parking bays in parks and bench numbers and locations when putting together plans on a page

Objective B

Supporting older people to access and enjoy outdoor spaces in Leeds by providing and promoting a wide range of opportunities for people to get the health benefits of spending time in green spaces.

Actions:

where possible and appropriate, prioritise investment in green spaces in areas of deprivation
with partners, promote the mental and physical benefits of spending time in parks and green spaces
create a measured and signposted walking route in every suitable community and city park
develop and promote walking routes connecting green spaces and communities across the city, prioritising areas of deprivation where the public health benefits of accessing green space will be greater

Objective C

Supporting older people to access and enjoy outdoor spaces in Leeds by working with communities: Having a positive, open, helpful and collaborative approach to delivering the Parks and Countryside service.

Actions:

ensure all Friends In Bloom, outdoor sports clubs, allotment associations and other community groups with an interest in our green spaces have a contact in the Parks Service who can support them to achieve shared goals
continue to organise and support the city-wide volunteer groups such as Leeds Wildlife Volunteers, Leeds Cemetery Volunteers and Volunteer Rangers.
consulting with users and non-users when creating ‘A plan on a page’ for all 65 community parks.
raise awareness of Parks staff of Age Friendly Issues in parks and recruit Age Friendly Ambassadors.

Objective D

Creating high quality and well-connected places that are age inclusive and promote physical, mental and social wellbeing in later life.

Actions:

develop inclusive and Age Friendly places through applying principles within a Marmot City approach (i.e. Fairer, Healthier Leeds)
further develop and embed Age Friendly principles into planning policy, healthy places and spatial planning work

Older people’s expectations - public and civic spaces

Public and green spaces in Leeds are safe, clean and accessible to me.
I can comfortably access toilets and seating when I go out in public.
When I go out, I feel that public spaces are welcoming to me.
People respect the local environment, and it is maintained and appealing.

Outcomes - public and civic spaces

Spaces and places in Leeds are welcoming and accessible for people in later life.

Travel and road safety

Objectives and actions

Objective A

Ensuring older people have a choice of transport options and can choose a mode that is most appropriate for their journey.

Actions:

continue to deliver bus and active travel priority projects
develop infrastructure that enables people to continue cycling into older age, including safe segregated routes, a range of adapted bikes and electric bikes, cycle training. Continue to work with Cycle North to deliver bike training to adults and with the (Community Interest Companies) and bike libraries to help ensure access to free or low-cost bikes
progress the development of Local Area Transport Plans, including review of the findings of consultations from the 10 Community Committee areas
ongoing review of the Connecting Leeds Transport Strategy with reference to Age Friendly
West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) to develop and deliver Local Transport Plan and Mass Transit plan working with LCC to ensure delivery principles reflect Age Friendly and consultation to be informed by the voices of people in later life

Objective B

Ensuring transport is affordable and accessible to everyone.

Actions:

WYCA to deliver the Bus Service Improvement Plan to create an enhanced, inclusive and more cohesive public transport network that is affordable, accessible and delivers Age Friendly principles
WYCA to work with LCC to embed Age Friendly principles in the Bus Reform and consult the Age Friendly Leeds Board
WYCA Bus Passenger Charter to build on equality, diversity & inclusion elements and links to Age Friendly
review how well AccessBus is assisting WYCA in meeting strategic priorities and develop principles, objectives and outcomes to monitor success and continual review, developing potential options for improvements to the service. Stakeholder engagement to involve Age Friendly Leeds Board
progress shared transport hubs
further our understanding around the facilitators and barriers to concessionary pass uptake and usage and put in place actions to increase access

Objective C

Eliminating road deaths and serious injuries by adopting a Vision Zero approach.

Actions:

identify ways to engage with older drivers to find out more about how to prevent serious road traffic collisions involving older people and deliver Mature Driver Appraisal Road Safety Trust Grant funded project
review statistics and actions to improve road safety for road users aged 65+

Objective D

Supporting and motivating people in later life to make healthy travel choices.

Actions:

deliver the Department for Transport funded project on social prescribing of walking and cycling and wheeling in Burmantofts, Harehills and Richmond Hill
further develop and embed Age Friendly principles into planning policy, healthy places, and spatial planning work reflecting the Council’s Transport Strategy ‘Connecting Leeds’
continue ensuring new developments conform to the Supplementary Planning Document and Transport SPD to create accessible, attractive neighbourhoods enabling walking and cycling at all ages
explore the potential use of ageing well, health and vulnerability data within work around highways maintenance/defects
work to ensure that all new public realm proposals consider their impact on older people, for instance in terms of noise, speed of traffic, location of road crossings, sharing of the footway, wayfinding, shade and resting points, utilising the Streets for People criteria and Age Friendly principles
increase our understanding around the barriers to active travel and develop actions to address this.
delivery of WYCA active travel work to promote inclusive cycling and walking to link in with LCC active travel and Age Friendly work

Older people’s expectations - travel and road safety

I can access a range of safe, reliable, frequent and affordable public transport options.
My needs are supported by Age Friendly public transport facilities and staff.
If I need to travel by car, safe roads and parking are easily accessible to me.
I can make active travel choices with access to good pathways, good pavements with dropped curbs, more cycle and walking routes and routes with less traffic.

Outcomes - Travel and Road Safety

Older people can access a broad range of affordable and accessible transport options to get about the city easily and safely.

Printable version

Age Friendly Leeds strategy 2025 - 2030