Building a Dementia Friendly Community

1. Building a Dementia Friendly Community Our North Lanarkshire Story “Numbers satisfy the analytical part of the brain but stories touch the heart” Sandra Shafii AHP Dementia Consultant @AHPRunRideTeddy

2. Start with a Thank You! • For inviting me • For being interested in our work • For seeing it as a key component of your local strategy “The person and their carer are enabled to live a full life with personalised, high quality and well-coordinated support within a community that values them.”

3. The only time you should look back is to see how far you’ve come

4. What do we mean? A dementia friendly community is composed of the whole community - shops, public services, faith communities, organisations, businesses, emergency services, transport and community leaders - who are committed to work together and help people with dementia to remain a partof their community and not becomeapart from it. This involves learning about dementia and doing very simple and practical things that can make an enormous difference. 4

5. In the beginning………. • We listened to what people with dementia were telling us • They told us about what was important to them • About who was important to them • And where was important • And why staying connected to their personal and local communities was important

6. A Perfect Storm • Match with policy and strategy • Match with health and wellbeing indicators • Match with “Quality of Life”

7. Where have we got to? • Working all 6 North Lanarkshire Townships • South Lanarkshire catching on!!! • Shared learning with 23 other areas in Scotland • Dementia Friendly Community Toolkit on Alzheimer Scotland website (www.alzscot.org ) • Presenting at Alzheimer Europe Conference and Masterclass • Shared our work UK nationally, with Europe and beyond (conferences and workshops) • Writing a report for publication in October

8. Recognition • COSLA Award for Excellence “One to Watch” category 2013 • Highly commended in UK MJ Local Government Achievement Awards 2013 “Achieving Better Outcomes” category • Scottish Dementia Award for Best Dementia Friendly Community Initiative 2013 • EFID Award - March 2014

9. Setting up for Success • People - Partnerships • People - Teamwork • Preparation • Planning • Passion • Shoe leather!

10. Working Group Built on Partnerships • Critical foundation • Statutory, public and third sector, people living with dementia and more! • Link up the work with national and local policy and strategy – this is real 20/20 vision!!!! • It resonates with coproduction, asset-based approaches and community capacity • Clarify the mandate and level of decision making that each team member brings • Discuss funding support and sustainability early on • Recognise that it is not about control!!!!!

11. The Right People in Your Team • Qualities and attributes • Knowledge and skills • Expert communicators • Willing to work flexibly • Visionaries ….plus…… • Lovers of Detail • Practical hands-on people • Warm, friendly, engaging, energetic and inspiring

12. Preparation is everything! • Define your community and research it….what do you know? What are the local social and community issues? • Gather population facts and figures (data) • Find out about any other projects and initiatives underway…think about links • Who are the community leaders and activists? • Hold focus groups….what matters to local people living with dementia? What, who and where are important to them? • Explore your chosen community based on the above • Draw up your list of targets!!!!

13. Plan your campaign! • Prioritise your list • First wave – what’s manageable? • What would have the biggest impact? • Who might want to be the first? • Research your businesses. What do they stand for • Use what’s happening elsewhere to your advantage! • Make promises!!! Go for the Win/Win!!! • Publicity, training etc….. And build these new relationships!!! Everyone will benefit!

14. Publicise your success • Talk about any success you have locally – get excited!!! • Talk about what is going on across Scotland and beyond • This gives credibility to your work and helps build confidence in your businesses • Keep building on your achievements • Use a wide range of media including social media

15. Proof of Concept????It is definitely a good idea! • Good ideas have legs. They travel well! • Good ideas have heart. They get to us at our values and connect us around what matters • Good ideas have hope. They are about possibility and potential • Good ideas are powerful. They can shift thinking and behaviour, have impact and can bring sustainability

16. Leading with passion will inspire others to action

17. Putting Promises into Practice • We have the policy and emerging health and social care partnerships • We have the policy promises • We need to translate policy into an “on the ground” reality for people • We need to breathe life into the fine words! • We need to feel we are truly changing the world That’s why you are in the room today!!

18. Passion AND Shoe Leather • Hard work? Maybe!!! But rewarding! • Dementia is an agenda that unites us all…be prepared to hear the stories! • You need energy and enthusiasm • You need creativity • You need to believe that you can make a difference…and you can! • Now you need to get out there and Just Do It!

19. NEVER DOUBTthat a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world.Indeed it is the only thing that ever hasMargaret Mead

20. Go Aberdeen!