News

Solace is delighted to have signed up to the Age-friendly Employer Pledge – a new nationwide programme run by the Centre for Ageing Better to make workplaces age-friendly.

We are among the first businesses and organisations in the country to sign the pledge to show our commitment to older workers.

We will be working with the Centre for Ageing Better to improve our recruitment, retention and development of workers aged 50 and over.

Being a part of the pledge means we draw on a wider pool of applicants for each job. It means older workers can continue to thrive and contribute in our organisation. And having a multigenerational workforce helps us to boost innovation and productivity.

We have committed to taking one action a year to improve the recruitment, retention and development of older workers. Under the initiative, we will also identify a senior sponsor for age-inclusion and ensure that age is specifically named within our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies.

The Centre for Ageing Better will support us as part of a network of Age-friendly Pledge Employers by providing an action framework of suggested actions and offering opportunities to learn effective age-friendly practices.

We will also report back to Ageing Better on an annual basis detailing how our age-friendly actions are progressing.

This all builds on our recently published Statement of Intent and accompanying report on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.

Graeme McDonald, Managing Director at Solace and Solace in Business, said: “As the UK’s leading members’ network for local government and public sector professionals, Solace is committed to ensuring diverse talent is encouraged, supported, nurtured and recognised.

“We are passionate about councils cultivating diverse workforces that reflect the communities they serve so it is only right that we live and breathe those values too as we seek to influence more than 400 local authorities across the UK to adopt similar values and practices.

“Diversity takes many forms and age is a key factor when, in fact, older workers have so much to offer. Creating teams with a mix of skills, experience, and ages can not only help boost productivity but develop the leadership pipeline of the future too. And at a time when the labour market is tight, the ability to attract and retain talent of all ages will help keep local services going.

“That is why Solace is proud to be among the first organisations in the country to have signed up to the Age-friendly Employer Pledge.”

Dr Carole Easton, Chief Executive at the Centre for Ageing Better, said: “The current labour shortage has been called the most urgent problem facing the UK economy with its impact driving up prices, wages and inflation. Workers in their 50s and 60s are a key, but currently overlooked, solution to resolving the UK’s employment crisis.

“Older workers can bring much-needed skills and experience to an organisation. Businesses with a 10% higher share of workers over 50 than the average are 1.1% more productive – and multigenerational teams are the most innovative.

“We are delighted that Solace has joined the growing number of organisations committing to helping their older workers to prosper by signing our Age-friendly Employer Pledge.

“The pledge has been designed to support businesses to go on a journey at a pace that works best for each organisation. By taking manageable and measurable steps, each employer will learn over time what steps are needed to make the biggest difference in their own organisation.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Solace

Solace is the UK’s leading membership network for public sector and local government professionals. We currently represent more than 1,600 members across the UK, and have regional branches across the country which play host to a number of events such as regional development days, skills days and networking opportunities.

Our business comprises two key teams. Solace is our parent charity which covers everything from membership and development to policy and events. Solace in Business is our profit for purpose subsidiary focusing on Executive Recruitment & Assessment, Interim Management, Business Partnerships, and Sponsorships.

Our objectives are:

• To provide excellent opportunities for current and future professional leaders of local government to learn, develop and network with each other
• To influence the debate about the future of public services and to ensure that policy is informed by the experience and expertise of our members
• To build the integrity and reputation of public service leadership

 About the Centre for Ageing Better
Everyone has the right to a good life as they get older and our whole society benefits when they do. But far too many people face huge barriers that prevent them from doing so. As a result, many older people are living in bad housing, dealing with poverty and poor health and made to feel invisible in their communities and society.

The Centre for Ageing Better is pioneering ways to make ageing better a reality for everyone. Its key areas of work include challenging ageism and building a nationwide Age-friendly Movement, creating Age-friendly Employment and Age-friendly Homes. It is a charitable foundation funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and part of the Government’s What Works Network.