To receive a verbal update on the Isolation and Loneliness Project from Rosanna Sansom and Jen Hardy of the Communities Team.

This item was moved up on the agenda due to the officer presenting the Broadway Car Park item not being ready.

Lynne Lidster and Amanda Gregory left the meeting at 12:15pm.

Jennifer Hardy, Transformation and Communities Partnership, opened the item and explained how the Campaign to End Loneliness defined loneliness as a subjective feeling of lacking companionship, resulting from a mismatch between desired and actual social relationships, while social isolation referred to the objective measure of contact quantity. Loneliness was considered a normal part of life, with fluctuations over time.

Jennifer Hardy gave some updates on some of the projects being undertaken by the communities’ team. The first project involved a new carer's initiative in collaboration with Slough Borough Council and Bracknell Forest Council as part of an East Berkshire Consortium focused on innovative support for carers. RBWM's role was to examine community support for carers, addressing specific challenges they faced and promoting integration. This included raising awareness about carers, facilitating access to information and support, and preventing carers from experiencing loneliness and isolation. Collaboration with the wider community and local businesses was essential to address these challenges effectively.

Rosanna Sansom gave insight on the Community Information Hub project that aimed to revamp the existing events directory on the RBWM website and to serve as a central resource for community events and group information. Working closely with the libraries team, the project sought to provide accessible and up-to-date information for residents, with a planned release in April. It emphasised the importance of dynamic and easily navigable resources to promote community connectedness and support for various groups, including carers and domiciliary care recipients.

Rosanna Sansom explained another initiative, led by the adult social care front door teams, involved leveraging a software to refer individuals to community resources for support. This collaborative effort with community and voluntary groups aimed to ensure that support services were seamlessly integrated and accessible. Furthermore, the council offered volunteering opportunities for individuals and supported voluntary and community groups across the borough. Rosanna Sansom said the volunteering offer was being refreshed to ensure the availability of up-to-date information and support for residents and businesses alike, with a scheduled release in April. It was noted that questions or updates on these projects could be addressed in future meetings.

Jennifer Hardy said the RBWM Together project, in collaboration with Ellen McManus Fry, Equalities and Community Engagement Officer, and Councillor Moriarty, aimed to utilise RBWM Together as a platform to address loneliness and social isolation. Currently, efforts were underway to create a hub like the "Here to Help" pages, focusing on providing advice and support related to loneliness and social isolation, including personal stories to raise awareness and combat stigma. This ongoing project would be promoted by the communications team in the coming months, with opportunities for feedback once the site was live.

Jennifer Hardy summarised that these key projects linked to loneliness and social isolation were part of RBWM's efforts to support prevention in the borough. Utilising asset-based Community Development (ABCD) principles, the council aimed to co-produce solutions with communities and ensure projects met the needs of residents, council colleagues, and the voluntary sector. Addressing loneliness and social isolation required a multifaceted approach, involving various initiatives and collective efforts from the community, local businesses, and the council. Jennifer Hardy said that everyone could contribute, whether through small gestures like checking in with neighbours or participating in larger cross-council partnership projects.

Councillor Hill left the meeting at 12:23pm

The Chair asked how individuals who were lonely and isolated with no online facility would be able to access to directory? Rosanna Sansom said they were collaborating with the libraries and organisations supporting digital literacy to address this issue. However, they emphasised the ongoing need to reassess and adapt the project to reach all sections of society, indicating a commitment to inclusivity and continued improvement.

The Chair said the potential of the directory was huge and asked how it would be updated?

Rosanna Sansom said that responsibility for maintaining the accuracy of information on the directory lied with the groups themselves. Events would be removed once their date had passed, while group information would be retained for a year as per data protection best practices. Groups would receive reminders to review and update their information annually, ensuring the directory remained current and reliable.

Councillor Price said that information about local organisations was also shared in the residents' newsletter, expanding awareness of available resources. Additionally, a paper-based directory of Windsor groups, supported by the Public Health Innovations Fund, was being launched to address the needs of those without digital access. This initiative complemented existing efforts and emphasised the role of the library as a resource hub. Councillor Price furthermore explained that the community champion, Councillor Jack Douglas, played a vital role in promoting volunteering opportunities and fostering community engagement. These interconnected initiatives contributed to a comprehensive approach in addressing loneliness and social isolation.

Rosanna Sansom explained that they had collaborated with the developer of the Windsor directory as part of the initiative and with volunteering efforts they had coordinated closely with Councillor Douglas. Rosanna Sansom said if there were other individuals or groups that should be included, they were open to expanding their collaboration network.

The Chair suggested that the communities’ team could provide an update in six months time as it would be interesting to hear how things were going and being rolled out.