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The Centre for the Older Person’s Agenda (COPA) is based in Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, Scotland.

The Centre’s vision is to provide multi-professional and multi-disciplinary expertise, dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of older people through research, practice development and education which includes:

• Working together with older people
• Listening to and responding to their agenda
• Turning the political rhetoric into reality

All of the above is underpinned by a strong humanitarian philosophy.

The Centre for the Older Person's Agenda and Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, gratefully acknowledges core funding from The Royal Bank of Scotland through its Community Investment Programme from 2003 - 2008.

Mission Statement

To work in partnership with older people and professionals to undertake research, development and education in order to facilitate empowerment and participation, and to influence policy and practice that makes a difference to the lives of older people.

Centre Aims

COPA is an established research and educational HUB for older activists in Scotland with the overall aim of promoting the systematic and meaningful involvement of older people in Scottish society, including those hard to reach.

The Centre contributes to the evidence base regarding involvement of older people and also, through research and education, empowers older people to make a difference in Scottish society, both in East Lothian and beyond.

Involvement Policy

One of the key skills with regard to meaningful involvement is to ensure that the older person does not feel that their involvement is a problem by having to receive special treatment.

Link to our Involvement Policy

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Key Activities include:

The HUB - development of a well resourced and trained group of older people who are involved in key aspects of the work of the Centre, including developing and delivering on COPA core activities (Advisory Panel) but also focusing on research, education and financial activities (Panels contained within the HUB coming together on a project by project basis - see below).

Education - Rolling out the Education for Participation courses across Scotland - with a focus on 'hard to reach' older people, including ongoing methodological evaluation of the impact of Education for Participation and involvement on the quality of life of older people. Plus, the Senior Learners Programme including combined programmes for older adults and professionals who work with older adults using innovative approaches where possible.

Research - a programme of research stemming from the concerns of older people and involving older people that builds on partnership research across QMU and externally.

Dissemination - of best practice in involvement of older people to research, policy, practice, educationalists and older people and writing of academic papers and reports.

The HUB has the following aims:

• To confirm COPA as the leading organisation in the field of involvement of older people in Scotland (and UK).
• To build the skills and confidence of older people to make a difference to Scottish society through participation in education, research and decision making in policy and practice in their own communities and beyond.
• To build capacity amongst policy makers, practitioners and researchers in truly involving older people.
• To contribute to the evidence base and methodological discussions around the involvement of older people.
• To support activists to build capacity amongst themselves and to work together to set an agenda for older people, future activism, policy, practice, education and research.

The Centre’s work is firmly rooted in practice. A core feature of current research programmes is evaluation of initiatives and services, and the dissemination and utilisation of findings in health and social care contexts. Educational initiatives, such as work-based learning and action learning, which are flexible and responsive to the culture and context of the workplace, are a priority. Practice development is therefore supported by both the research and the educational programmes. Older people are supported through educational programmes to identify their needs and to shape the policy agenda.

The work of the Centre complements and further supports the work of the health, social and voluntary care sectors. In particular, the Centre offers:

• Opportunities for collaborative work
• Multidisciplinary perspectives
• Research expertise
• Innovative educational programmes
• Routes for information dissemination

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© Copyright The Centre for the Older Person's Agenda, 2007