Our 2025 - 2030 Strategy

This first aim is all about managing our finances well so that the organisation continues to exist 'to support people in their later life to live their best life every day', our Mission. It follows that if as an organisation we are financially in good shape that we can continue to employ local people who will then spend their money in North Tyneside.

This aim does not mean that we always have to save money, it means expanding our services and investing to make ourselves more efficient too. We also try and support local initiatives, like North Tyneside Council's Climate Plans, to reduce carbon emissions. We can do this by using local suppliers or by walking, cycling, or under normal circumstances using public transport to get us to work.

As a key Aim, we have developed a Financial Strategy to ensure we keep a strong focus on our finances which includes the following:

Aim: We aim to increase our financial sustainability and contribution to the local economy

Strategic Objectives:

1. Diversifying funding sources and exploring new income streams
2. Increasing financial efficiency
3. Expanding public awareness and fundraising initiatives to generate additional revenue and engage with a broader audience.
4. Managing the financial risk to the organisation
5. Increasing contribution to local economy

This year runs from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.

This Aim is all about how we can support people to have a better life as they grow older, by providing the support and services they want and need.

To achieve this Aim we have identified the following strategic objectives:

1. Improving access to our services. For this we want to improve and increase our outreach efforts. This can look like visiting more people in their own homes, Community Centres, or increasing the amount of people who access our services online. 
2. Providing safe and well designed affordable housing. By meeting all compliance targets we hope to influence the plans for well designed, affordable housing. 
3. Strengthening the voice of people in later life. We will continue to campaign on issues that affect older people and meeting with key decision makers while representing older people. We are also going to establish an Older People's Network so they can directly have their say and we can influence change.
4. Providing a range of services to improve social participation, isolation, and loneliness. We'll be focusing on older people's mental wellbeing through our Social Activities, Older People in Prisons, and Befriending provisions.
5. Offering opportunities for people to positively contribute to the community. We will be looking at volunteering opportunities and providing chances for older and younger people to come together.
6. Providing opportunities for people to remain living independently at home and connected to their community. It's vital to us to continue to support older people remain and build their independence in their own homes. We will do this by developing our Enabling Service and increasing low level support. 
7. Providing appropriate communication and information. Our Information & Advice Service will continue to support individuals to gain financial independence. Prevention is also a large part of this strategy and so we want to educate a younger audience on preparing for later life and the support available. 
8. Delivering a range of preventative services. Prevention is focal to our 2025 - 2030 strategy. We will be supporting the NHS 10 Year Strategy with a focus on Falls Prevention through Strength & Balance and referrals into CARE Point. This will support individuals to re-engage with their communities. 

We plan to build on our achievements to allow us to reach more older people, and hopefully, by 31 March 2030, we have achieved our ambition to have North Tyneside a registered Age Friendly Community in line with the WHO criteria.

Aim Three is all about our internal processes, which support how we consistently provide our customers with high-quality services. 

We want to maximise our operational effectiveness and inspire loyalty from our customers, if we do that then we should reach more people.

To achieve this aim we have identified the following strategic objectives:

1. To enhance customer experience by proactively engaging with customers and tailoring our services accordingly. 
2. To enhance customer satisfaction. It's important to know if we are doing a good job and what we can do to improve our customer satisfaction. We'll be carrying out more customer surveys and implementing feedback. This way we can retain customers and help them achieve their goals. 
3. To consistently achieve high customer outcomes.
4. To maintain a high level of customer service. By implementing an internal quality framework, we can proactively audit and improve our service areas.
5. To achieve external recognition as a quality provider of services. We will continue to meet standards needed to be an Age UK Brand Partner including CQS, QISS and QAS. 

Aim Four is all about “partnerships” and how by having, and being, a good partner allows people to make more of life because they are better connected and can access more services, and not just those provided by us.

The aim reads very simply as “we aim to be a partner of choice”. To be a partner of choice we must be the best we can and provide high-quality services (Aim Three). Our ambition to be a one-stop shop for people in later life means we need strong and robust partners that we can refer customers to, and who will refer their customers to us.

Under this Aim we have set the following strategic objectives:

1. To identify the number of organisations working on behalf of older people in North Tyneside, and identify the additional services to offer to our customers. We will expand our menu of services by increasing our number of partners. We will also continue to refer to partners and signpost customers to other services which support them. 
2. To work collaboratively to improve the lives of our customers. By networking with professionals, we can support the outcomes for older people across North Tyneside. This will support us to achieve the Age Friendly status for North Tyneside. 
3. To work to alleviate the Climate Crisis in North Tyneside. We're going to continue our work reducing our carbon emissions. After winning the Silver Award in the North Tyneside Council Carbon Reduction Scheme, we're going to work towards achieving gold. We will be reducing our paper use, energy costs, water usage and business miles while increasing recycling. 
4. To work with Partners in Newcastle to identify and fill gaps in services. To develop services in Newcastle, we will meet with key partners and networks in the area. This way, we can support more people across the Newcastle area. 

Under this aim we have identified the following strategic objectives:

1. To recruit, induct and support new staff and volunteers to give them the best possible start. Not much to add here other than to emphasise how we recruit people who naturally share our values and the importance of induction for all new staff and volunteers. Induction is important and is supported through an Induction Map which includes, Group Induction, Service and Role Induction.
2. To invest in training and personal development of our staff and volunteers to help them achieve their full potential. We have always been committed to investing in training for staff and volunteers and consistently achieve our training targets for mandatory training. Our Appraisal process is key to us identifying talent in our staff and volunteers and working with individuals to realise their career ambitions within, or outside of the organisation. Every year the Appraisal information is presented by our HR Team who identify our talent and work with Line Managers and Heads of Service to prepare Development Plans.
3. To communicate regularly with our staff and volunteers. We're keeping our team in the loop with regular Chief Executive Briefings and Core Briefings. Alognside this, regular team and manager meetings help us keep everyone aware of company updates. 
4. To engage regularly with staff. Our staff meet monthly in the Employee Engagement Forum. This gives staff a chance to share suggestions and feedback with the Chief Executive.
5. To improve the health and wellbeing of our staff and volunteers. We're always engaging with our staff for our Better Health at Work standard and will continue to check in on how they're doing mentally and financially. We're also going to increase the number of Mental Health First Aiders and Health Advocates in the organisation. 
6. To identify, invest and support our future leaders. We're investing in our staff and their career journey to make the most of working with us. We often review staff progression and look to promote staff where appropriate. 
7. To recognise and reward our staff and volunteers. Our Employee and Volunteer of the Year Awards give a great opportunity to nominate and reward staff for their dedication and work.

• To maintain an up to date Staff & Volunteer Portal which holds all internal organisational information
• To provide an in-depth induction into the organisation, service and role
• To provide regular organisation and service updates
• To organise and facilitate regular “team” meetings
• To organise and facilitate regular Employee and Volunteer Engagement Forums

Technology will play an increasingly important role in supporting us to achieve these ambitions, as well as communicating and engaging with other stakeholders.