Older people have their say about risk

7 December 2005

A group of older people who use services talked about independence and risk with senior members of CSCI at an event in Leicester last month.

The older people, along with carers and some service providers, discussed the issues in depth with our Chair, Chief Inspector, commissioners and senior management team.

There were also speakers at the event from the Greater London Forum of Older People, the National Pensioners Convention, and the Alzheimer's Society.

Mary Grant, an older person who co-chaired the event, spoke about the improvements in services she has seen over the years. She reminded us that what people value most in life are their relationships with other people.

CSCI is doing a lot of work around promoting independence and balancing risk. We held another meeting earlier in the year to get the views of people with a learning disability.

We are planning a report for social care professionals about independence and risk and will use the feedback from these meetings to help shape it. The report will be published next year.

If you would like to give us your views on independence and risk, email carolyn.denne@csci.gsi.gov.uk