The Strategic Director of Place will submit Document “T” which informs the Committee how the work of the Shipley Area Co-ordinator’s Office and the Alzheimer’s Society is contributing to the creation of dementia friendly communities within the Shipley constituency.

Recommended –

That the work to support communities within the Shipley area to become Dementia Friendly be noted and welcomed.

(Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee)

(Paula Truman – 01274 437146)

The Strategic Director of Place submitted Document “T” which informed the Committee how the work of the Shipley Area Co-ordinator’s Office and the Alzheimer’s Society was contributing to the creation of dementia friendly communities within the Shipley constituency.

The Ward Officer and Dementia Champion, who had attended the meeting dressed as an Elf, explained that this was in aid of Elf Day; to raise money to support people with dementia and their families.  Although the official Alzheimer’s Society Elf Day was 8 December, the Shipley Area Co-ordinator’s Office had decided to expand this over the week.  Members were invited to the Shipley Area Co-ordinator’s Office on Friday 15 December 2017 to join in with a number of fundraising activities.

Members were informed that:

·         The Dementia Friendly training session lasted 45 minutes to one hour; five key messages about Dementia were taught, as well as small steps that could be taken by participants.  It was a fun session, put together by the Alzheimer’s Society.

·         Dementia Friendly was included in the Ward Plans for the Shipley Constituency.

·         The Menston and Burley in Wharfedale areas had dementia friendly communities groups set up and Burley in Wharfedale was doing particularly well.

·         It had been a struggle to get this initiative off the ground in the Shipley area but there had been some positive engagements during the Shipley Christmas lights switch on.

·         Burley in Wharfedale had won a national Dementia Friendly Award and had attended a ceremony in London on 29 November 2017 to receive it; they were the only voluntary group nominated in their category.

·         One of the key successes of the Burley in Wharfedale group was to have people living with Dementia as part of the group who could make recommendations for improvements from their first hand experiences.

·         The Burley in Wharfedale group had a great working relationship with the local GP surgery, which referred people to some of their provision; one being the Memory Tree, for the later stages of Dementia at which peer support was provided for carers.

·         Over 250 Dementia Friends sessions had been delivered in Burley in Wharfedale, one of which was at a local primary school, following which people with Dementia were invited to the school’s dress rehearsal for their School of Rock summer play.  This was great on an intergenerational level and was well received.

·         Work had been undertaken with churches and other organisations around sensitive event programming that people with Dementia could enjoy.

·         A presentation had been given to the Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee, with a representative from the Alzheimer’s Society, on Dementia; the Committee had resolved to recommend to Council that all elected Members receive Dementia Friends training.

A Member, who was also the Chair of the Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee, confirmed that the recommendation from that Committee had been presented to Full Council.  Full Council had resolved that Dementia Friends training would be provided for Members and, although it was not mandatory, Members were strongly encouraged to undertake it.  A Member who had previously undertaken the training stated that it was very informative.

The Chair stressed the need for better links within the Council on officers undertaking work around Dementia and suggested schools would be a good resource.  He praised the work on Dementia being undertaken in Burley in Wharfedale and spoke of the need to capture good practice and encourage other communities to follow an established ‘route plan’.  The Ward Officer agreed and stated that things like existing templates could be duplicated to make it easier for other communities to follow in the footsteps of the good work done in Burley in Wharfedale.  Another Member suggested an open event in Burley in Wharfedale to help showcase the work there and show others how it was done.

Resolved –

(1)       That the work to support communities within the Shipley area to become Dementia Friendly be noted and welcomed.

(2)       That the voluntary bodies who undertake this work in the Shipley Constituency, helping to enrich the lives of carers and the cared for, be thanked.

(3)       That the Burley in Wharfedale Dementia Action Group be congratulated on winning a National Dementia Friendly Award.

OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE: Corporate

ACTION: Strategic Director, Place