Services for Later Life conference

Age UK is hosting its annual Services for Later Life Conference on 12 July 2012 in London. The event will bring service professionals together to explore the opportunities and challenges in designing, commissioning and delivering high quality services for older people.

Services for Later Life 2012 will focus on how service commissioners, developers and providers can rise to the challenges faced in the current economic climate with the changing landscape of health and social care. Often the hardest of times can be a catalyst for the best and most innovative changes and Age UK says delegates will hear from high profile speakers covering a range of issues including refining services, integrating health and social care and the latest views on Social Impact Bonds (outcomes-based contracts).

Delegates from across the public, private and voluntary sectors will be able to find out more about how best to provide services for older people, whether they are free, charged for or co-produced. The speakers will include:

 Lord Adebowale the chief executive of social care organisation Turning Point and Dan Corry, chief executive of New Philanthropy Capital, who will talk about how the not-for-profit sector is responding to the challenges of cuts and public sector reform

Phil Hope the director of Improving Care, who will speak about social impact bonds and how they will effect service provision and Dr Gabriella Spinelli the director of the business strategy and innovation programme at Brunel University, who will discuss the importance of service design

Michelle Mitchell, charity director general at Age UK, said: “Despite tough economic times and sweeping changes to the health and social care sector, the outlook for services for older people doesn’t have to be bleak. The hardest of times can bring out interesting, innovative and novel changes in the way these services are provided. Age UK’s Services for Later Life Conference 2012 provides a timely opportunity for debate.”

To book a place and to get more information about Age UK’s Services for Later Life 2012 Conference see website www.ageuk.org.uk/SFLL.