During 2013 we reviewed our work on Ageing to date and, through a broad consultation and analysis of a range of options, we began to design a refreshed programme of work in this area. In my previous posts, I detailed three particular strands we were exploring; transitions in later life, creating all-age-friendly communities, and measuring the value of intergenerational practice.

At the roundtable discussions where these themes were discussed, many expressed a desire to see these ideas align, with some suggesting transitions as an overarching theme. In order to consider this proposition and to learn more about the current state of play, we commissioned Guy Robertson to conduct scoping research on Transitions in Later Life. The full report will be launched at a learning seminar in late Spring.

After reviewing this research and the consultation responses, we now propose a new strand of work on transitions in mid and later life, with a particular focus on what works in supporting people around the time they retire and at how therapeutic techniques can help build psychological and emotional resilience as people age. We feel this is not only greatly needed but also aligns well with our existing work on promoting social connections in ageing societies. Transitions in Later Life Strand Summary describes the purpose and shape of this programme which will run from 2014 – 2018.

We expect the programme to run in three phases: evidence and network building (2014), pilots and partnerships (2015-17) and influencing and legacy (2018). As we are in the early stages of this work, the first year will concentrate on building networks, learning and gathering evidence to ensure the right opportunities and initiatives that our programme might implement are identified. As such, our planned activities for this year include;

• A series of ‘design events’ with key stakeholders in the fields of employment and of therapeutic support to identify actions
• Ongoing funding of existing schemes which explore support around times of transition (Retirement Transition Initiative, for example)
• Partnership building and the formation of a learning community with an interest in transitions across the lifecourse
• We aim to announce new funding opportunities for a select number of initiatives in late 2014/early 2015. In the meantime, we welcome exploratory contact with:
• social sector organisations who have particular experience in supporting people through retirement
• employers who are looking for ways to better support their employees as they age
• therapeutic practitioners (psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors, mindfulness and other trainers, for example) who have experience or ideas of how to support people around later life transitions and build resilience
• those with experience of working to support other life transitions and from whom we might learn, such as transitions to adulthood, becoming a parent, relationship breakdown among others.

We shall also continue to support the work of the Campaign to End Loneliness until 2016 and will seek to share learning across these closely aligned strands. After all, we know that many who experience increased loneliness in later life often do so due to negative experiences and mismanagement around times of change, such as bereavement, becoming a carer or moving home. We support the Campaign’s work as we are convinced of the importance of reaching out to those who are lonely now, and we propose this new strand of work to help people avoid loneliness in the future by building responses which helps them feel happier, supported and more resilient.

For queries or further information please email [email protected]. Please be aware that while we endeavour to respond to queries quickly, we are a small team and may not be able to reply immediately.