Appendix 2
Recommendations to the NationalAssembly for Wales Health and Social Care Committee Residential Care Inquiry into the residential care needs of older people by Wales Progressive Co-operators in December 2011.
That, during United Nations International Year of Co-operatives 2012:
(a) Wales should take an international approach to the pursuit of knowledge and understanding of social innovations in relation to the provision of care services to an ageing population, and a vigorous approach to practical, local application.
(b) Co-operatives in Wales should urgently focus upon the importance of co-operative education to increase awareness and understanding of what is distinctive about co-operative approaches in this sector and increase their membership.Co-operative education should help to engage more people in the debate to build interest in the cooperative model and start to generate a commitment to doing things differently.
(c) Active consideration should be given to the drafting (as in Canada) of ‘Principles for a National Co-op Elder Care Programme’ toensure older people have a democratic stakeholder model;as part of the Third Phase of the Older Peoples Strategy consultation,in April 2012, to give dignity in care. These principles can be found at Appendix One.
(d) Older people, and others, establish a ‘Council of Elders’, as a source of wisdom, to provide mutual support and assistance in enabling the development of Co-operative Home Care Services drawing upon international experience.
(e) Non statutory bodies seeking to benefit from government grants should sign a register to commit to providing ‘controlrights’ to service users so they have a greater say inensuing the needs of service users are central to delivering the service.
Newport 28 April 2013