Charity ‘let down’ by deputies’ no-show

Ageing Well in the Bailiwick invited every States member to discuss the findings of a 50-page survey of public opinion which took months of preparation and cost £10,000 to put together.

The charity revealed that a small number of deputies sent apologies for their absence from the event on Tuesday last week, but the other 32 either said they would attend and failed to turn up or ignored the invitation altogether.

‘While I received half a dozen apologies because of diary clashes, nobody else had the decency to attend, despite some saying they would,’ said the charity’s chairman David Inglis.

‘It’s disheartening when the hard work of a charity, especially one operating on donations, is dismissed or ignored by those in positions of power who could help amplify its impact. These people are, or should be, providing support to members of the community who don’t have a voice and have voted for individuals to represent them.’

The survey, run for the charity by research company Island Global Research, provided extensive information about local residents’ needs and expectations in retirement, particularly about housing, income, employment and leisure time.

It discovered that about four out of every 10 people expect to continue doing paid work after they have retired from full-time employment.

Among 619 retirees who took part in the survey, one in three said their home was larger than they needed. Among 1,054 residents who have not yet retired, one in four expressed concern that their current home may not meet their future needs in retirement.

‘It was a year’s work with a £10,000 cost and a team of eight people, who have been let down,’ said Mr Inglis.

‘We put a lot of thought and work into preparing such an important presentation on a topic as meaningful as retirement and ageing well.

‘It was frustrating and disappointing not to have the turnout we were expecting.’

Mr Inglis thanked the only people who did turn up for the event – Island Global Research managing director Lindsay Jeffries, three journalists, including one from the Guernsey Press, one civil servant, and Peter Harwood, who led a working party on supported living and ageing well when he was the island’s chief minister between 2012 and 2014.

Ageing Well in the Bailiwick was set up some years ago in response to a request by the States for a third sector partner.

Mr Inglis questioned current deputies’ interest in the issue, towards the end of a political term in which the Policy & Resources Committee and Health & Social Care Committee have backed out of a project aimed at sorting out the future of long-term care.

‘Maybe there are follow-up strategies or alternative ways to get our message across, such as inviting local media or organizing smaller and more targeted discussions, because sometimes persistence and adapting the approach can make a big difference,’ he said.

‘But if there is no interest then I can divert my efforts and input elsewhere.’

Proposals are expected imminently from the Employment & Social Security Committee about the funding of private care homes.