• Only second London borough to apply
• Newham joins nearly 200 other organisations
• Age to be named in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies
Newham Council has secured Age-friendly Employer status, showcasing the local authority’s recognition and appreciation of its older workers. The action is part of a commitment to supporting a multi-generational workforce.
Figures from May 2023 show the Council employs nearly 4,300 people. Of these, approximately 40 per cent are aged 50 and above, with around 35 per cent of those living in the borough.
The Ageing Well Strategy, which was launched last year, is aimed at helping to improve the health and wellbeing of residents aged 50 and above, while also reducing health inequalities.
Councillor Neil Wilson, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care said:
“Obtaining this status is a crucial step in reminding our workforce that we value their wealth of skills and experience.
“We hope this significant step also sets the tone for other businesses in our borough to follow in our footsteps. We will be encouraging local employers to apply for Age-Friendly Employer status to ultimately support older Newham residents to maintain or engage in meaningful employment.
“The work for us does not stop here. We will be building on our efforts to create an age-friendly culture. We are delighted to be on this journey.”
Newham joins nearly 200 other organisations, including a handful of other local authorities, including one other London borough, in pledging to become an Age-friendly Employer. This can involve adapting job adverts so they’re more appealing to older people, assessing data in relation to age and encouraging conversations about menopause.
John Kiernan, Employer Engagement and Network Manager at the Centre for Ageing Better that run the nationwide programme, said:
“We are delighted that Newham has become the latest local authority to show their commitment to older workers by signing our Age-friendly Employer Pledge.
“Signing the pledge is an important step in signalling how highly local authorities value the contribution older workers make in local government as well as hopefully inspiring many other local employers to follow suit.
“We hope that Newham will benefit not only from the insights that Ageing Better as an organisation can share but also learn from the best practice of other local authorities who have signed the pledge.”
The Council has also previously obtained age-friendly community status from the Centre for Ageing Better - joining the World Health Organisation’s global network of age-friendly cities and communities.
You can find out more about Newham’s Ageing Well Strategy here: www.newham.gov.uk/health-adult-social-care/ageing-well-newham
You can find out how to become an Age-friendly Employer here: Centre for Ageing Better | Becoming an age-friendly employer