What is the Dementia Academy?
The Dementia Academy (DA) was created to help transform the quality of life for people living with dementia and their family / carers. The Academy provides a single point of access for those living and working with people with dementia across Hull to receive information and training and promotes workforce development.Everyone who has direct contact with dementia has the opportunity to undertake some basic awareness training and this is increased in intensity according to the need and speciality. It also provides carers with the opportunity to undertake education and training about living well with dementia.
The Academy consists of four elements
Dementia Care Mapping
Dementia Care Mapping (DCM) is an established approach to achieving and embedding person-centred care for people with dementia, recognised by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). (DCM) is a tool designed to evaluate the quality of life from the perspective of the person living with dementia. It is used in formal care settings such as hospitals, care homes and day care.
The process of using DCM includes briefing those involved about DCM, observing a number of people with dementia over a period of time and recording information about their experience of care, analysing and interpreting this and then feeding it back to staff. This information is then used to draw up an action plan to bring about change and improvements.The home is contacted 3 months later to ensure the action plan has been completed and offer any further support required to achieve the agreed actions, such as further training, advice around support planning and guidance regarding environments.
Afurther service provided by the dementia care mappers is observations, these may be requested following a safeguarding investigation; where a care setting/ partner agency has raised concerns, such as behaviours that challenge staff, or subsequent notice has been served to a service user, putting their placement at risk and when further investigation by observation of the service delivered is considered beneficial to progress understanding and inform remedial planning.
Training and Workforce Development
The Dementia Academy provides accredited and quality assured training; we have established a baseline standard of training promoting a consistent approach across all service provision. A competency framework and structured training pathway will enable individuals to build and develop their skills and knowledge.
This will help us achieve the improvement of the quality of care for people with dementia across all services in Hull to meet the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) standards and the National Dementia Strategy (NDS).
Since 2012 trainers from across our partner organisations have worked together to evaluate and ensure dementia training delivered in Hull is consistent across all services, including health; social care, public services such as the fire service, probation services, Her Majesty’s Prison Hull, transport etc
The benefits/ effects of the dementia training in residential homes and on hospital wards can be measured using Dementia Care Mapping.
Support and Coordination
The Dementia Academy team collect and analyse data, schedule training, organise conferences and awareness raising events.
Dementia Ambassadors
The Ambassadors influence the use of best practice; they use their skills and knowledge to share information, mentor and role model. They enable; support and encourage positive attitudes to change the culture of care. Dementia ambassadors are encouraged to follow the academy on our Facebook page.
Working in partnership
The successful development and implementation of the DA has been possible through a positive approach with all key local organisations. This approach has enabled a strong commitment to taking the model forward with organisations sharing expertise and resources free of charge. Four staff are currently employed within the academy; one dementia academy lead, two mappers, and a support worker, the DA is currently funded from theBetter Care fund.The DA works closely with Hull City Council’s contract compliance team, all contracts with residential care homes contain an appendix specific to developing standards of dementia care, which has been developed in conjunction with the DA.
Co-ordinating the local Dementia Action Alliance (DAA)
The national drive to create a dementia friendly society has increased the need to make more people aware of dementia and how to respond to people’s needs. The DA has started to work with local businesses; community groups and the voluntary sector to raise understanding of dementia, as part of this work the academy have taken over the function of co-ordinating the local Dementia Action Alliance.
Outcomes
The results of the dementia training and the dementia care mapping have seen changes to environments in residential homes, changes in staff approach to service users as they understand how to support the person in a way that makes sense and meets their needs. Staff gain knowledge and grow in confidence and they feel able to implement the training and pass on the support they have received from the academy to others.
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