Surrey’s innovative Planning for Your Future campaign, which helps residents or their loved ones prepare for later life, has achieved a milestone with more than 3,000 residents attending free information sessions.
This comes just weeks after the initiative was highly commended in the national MJ Awards, which celebrate the best in local government services. The campaign is run by Surrey County Council in partnership with Age UK Surrey.
The social care system can be a puzzle and most people only come into contact with it when something unexpected happens meaning they or a family member suddenly need help. And it’s often at this point – when they’re worried and struggling to understand their options – that they’re expected to make major decisions about care or finances.
Planning for your Future was designed to pre-empt this need. Through accessible sessions in local communities and online evening presentations, the campaign arms people with basic information so they can feel more in control of their immediate future.
It is particularly aimed at the large number of those living in Surrey – or their loved ones – who will need to arrange and pay for their own care.
The talks guide people or those who care for them through topics such as options for care and its costs, Powers of Attorney, tips for maintaining independence, support for carers and more. Once they have a clearer idea of what to expect, attendees are then able to have better conversations with their family about their own situation.
If people can’t make it to a local presentation or spare an hour for one of the monthly online sessions, a dedicated helpline and email address operates every weekday, enabling people to raise questions with Age UK Surrey. There’s also a website with a downloadable checklist which outlines some of the actions people might want to take.
Feedback on the campaign has been overwhelmingly positive, with attendees often wishing they’d come along to one of the presentations much sooner, given the time (and in some cases money) it could have saved them. Typical of the comments are:
- “I was so ignorant of the care system when my mother got ill and then was discharged home that I compare the experience to being pushed off a cliff. Your presentation has, I’m sure, helped very many navigate the system.”
- “The information given was really easy to understand. It was good to have so many things spoken about, some of which I’d not even thought about before.”
- “All the information provides you with a starting point for when you are faced with problems as I wouldn’t otherwise know where to start.”
Sinead Mooney, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, comments: “When we started Planning for Your Future we weren’t sure how people would respond. But with Surrey’s ageing population we believed it could help those who are suddenly expected to make major decisions on care, or simply want to plan for a better later life.
“Having now welcomed over 3,000 people to one of the talks it’s clear that people really value the campaign and accompanying presentations. We’d urge anyone approaching later life – or those who care for them – to find out more.”
- Call Age UK Surrey to ask any questions you may have about support in later life, confidentially. Call 01483 446627 or SMS/Text (for the hard of hearing) on 07593 139560, or email [email protected].
- The next in-person presentations take place from the end of August at a range of locations across Surrey – including Chobham, Hindhead, Caterham, Banstead, Addlestone, Guildford and Woking – with more dates to be added. Visit the Age UK Surrey events page for the full list of sessions and to book a place.
- The next online session is being held on Monday 18 August at 7pm. To book, visit the Age UK Surrey events page.
- To read more about the campaign, and to download the helpful checklist guide, visit www.ageuk.org.uk/surrey/planningforyourfuture.
