Agenda item

Report of the Chief Officer for Community, Public Health, Environment and Prosperity on the theme of ‘Loneliness in Devon’ and a presentation from Wellbeing Exeter.

The Board considered a Report from the Chief Officer for Communities, Public Health, Environment and Prosperity on a campaign around loneliness, focusing particularly on high-risk populations and the development of local projects and interventions to reduce loneliness in Devon.

The Report highlighted the considerable impact of loneliness on individuals’ health and wellbeing, with a greater risk of ill-health and a lower quality of life. Recent local and national studies on loneliness reported on certain characteristics associated with feeling lonely, including being female, being single or widowed, being in poor health, living in rented accommodation, having a weak sense of belonging to a neighbourhood; and with 5% of adults who reported feeling lonely, with those aged 16 to 24 feeling lonely more often when compared to older age groups. 

The Board also received a presentation from Wellbeing Exeter on easing loneliness and social isolation, which looked at the root causes of isolation, practical action, obstacles to engagement, and the overall aim of bringing people together to prevent loneliness.  The presentation highlighted several case studies to demonstrate the diverse effects of loneliness and focussed on collective solutions to build interdependence. 

The Board also received a further presentation by Health Watch Devon which had carried out an independent inquiry into loneliness in Devon and found that the three top factors that people felt caused loneliness were life events and trauma, personal circumstance and their psychological responses. The inquiry revealed the importance of social group membership in preventing loneliness and the top three interventions included spaces where people could be with others, one off community events and opportunities, and social group drop-ins such as coffee mornings. The presentation also recommended an alliance between local organisations on the issue of loneliness to drive a local response to the issue.

The Board discussed and asked questions on the following;

·         the need for greater communication and awareness on the effects of loneliness, which was currently a hidden topic, specifically highlighting the impact on mental and physical health;

·         raising awareness of how loneliness impacted on policy and organisational plans;

·         that loneliness and isolation had a significant impact on young people, especially young carers, as well as the older population;

·         the importance of community involvement in preventing loneliness;

·         the use of technology in helping to prevent loneliness, especially given the geographical nature of the County;

·         understanding where the high-risk areas were in the County (risk profiling), such as rural market towns, and to focus a campaign to meet the needs of the local population;

·         the use and accessibility of public transport to help connect people in rural areas; and,

·         the impact of loneliness on anxiety and depression.

It was MOVED by Councillor Leadbetter, SECONDED by Councillor McInnes, and

RESOLVED

(a)    that a campaign around loneliness be led and supported by the Board with the communications teams;

(b)    that consideration be given to the relationship between indicators of loneliness and health risk profiles; and

(c)    that a six-month update report on actions to combat loneliness be bought to a future meeting of the Board.