Agenda item

[To give pre-decision consideration of the Joint Dementia Strategy and Implementation Plan 2014-16]

Steve Brotherton provided a presentation and report about the ‘Refreshed Joint Dementia Strategy 2014-16 and priority actions and implementation plan’.

Cllr Steve Evans, Cabinet Member for Adult Services advised panel of the commitment and importance placed on becoming a Dementia Friendly City.  He advised that dementia is a disease of the brain that affects mainly older people but can affect younger people. He highlighted the need to establish a person centred approach to dementia, consider every aspect of the person’s life, dealing with everyday situations, going to the shops, to the Doctors or using banking facilities.  He explained that employees have been working with businesses and organisations to encourage them to become Dementia Friendly too, training employees to be aware and to look for symptoms of dementia. He quoted from the Social Model of Disability ‘If you get it right for people with dementia, you get it right for everyone’.  A second quote relating to businesses in the City was given ‘If you make your business dementia friendly, you’ll make it customer friendly’.

Councillor Steve Evans wanted to record his thanks to Steve Brotherton, Santosh Kumari and Grace Forrester for their excellent work and commitment for driving forward the City’s aspiration to become a Dementia Friendly City.

Panel considered that every person with dementia would have good days and bad days. They were advised that Dementia training had been received by Cabinet Members from trainer Jayne James, (Alzheimer’s Association). There followed a period of questions and answers, during which time the following points were considered:

·         There are six dementia cafes in Wolverhampton all are used by people from across the City, whatever the origin of the group they are multi-cultural meetings.

·         The training for all Councillors and employees at all level, but particularly those at the customer face, is really important.

·         Wolverhampton is leading the way in the Midlands; neighbouring Councils do not have cafes or experience of breaking down the barriers and dispelling the myths about dementia.

·         The Councillors should receive more training relating to vulnerable adults and children.

·         Training can be done over time, perhaps through the learning hub and make use of trainers and volunteers in the authority who can roll out the dementia awareness training.

·         Younger people are being affected by dementia but it is prevalent in older people.  Currently 3,600 people living with dementia in the City, but because people are living longer there is a rise in dementia cases and growth is expected to be 5,500 by 2020.

·         Panel recognised the importance of early diagnosis and welcomed the success of the clinical trials with an 87% success rate of early diagnosis.

·         Panel recognised the importance of GPs, clinical commission group, dentists and police being dementia friendly.

·         Panel considered that often people of ethnic background revert back to their first languages and need to receive interpreter services.

·         Safeguarding issues were considered in relation to trusting the persons interacting with dementia sufferers, Tony Ivko advised that this is something that is being picked up by Safeguarding Board, but reassured that the companies coming forward are reputable companies.

·         Panel welcomed the work done so far and recognised that there is a need to promote and to keep getting the message out via Radio WM, Express and Star and City News.

·         Panel welcome the drive and work being done by the University working with GP Commissioning Groups.

·         Panel welcome the project work being done by Wolverhampton Homes relating to dementia.

·         Panel raised several potential areas for the team to consider including, work with credit unions, CAB and voluntary sector organisations.

In summary of the session the Chair thanked the Cabinet Members and employees for the work underway and that which is planned.  She requested that a list of the recommendations be shared with Tony Ivko and Steve Brotherton to brief Councillor Sandra Samuels prior to the Health and Well Being Board, which is due to meet the day after this meeting.

The Chair summarised the recommendations as follows:

Resolved:

1.    That all councillors and employees receive training to become dementia friends, recognising the financial implications of this the Panel further recommend that initial training should be to ‘train the trainer’ and that roll out is through existing training facility and staff volunteering initiative.

2.    To review the Councils Customer Services Strategy to ensure it reflects the organisations commitment to the Dementia Strategy and the need to train employees who interact at the public face.

3.    To include dementia advice in a co-ordinated advice and support strategy for the city and continue to promote wider awareness in communities through existing mechanisms.  The Information Portal and local advice points for people living with, and who have regular contact with those affected by dementia.

4.    Whilst recognising dementia is more prevalent in older people the Panel recommend the need to raise awareness of younger people with dementia.

5.    To address the language barriers the Panel recommend that there should be dementia training for interpreters and that commissioned services are encouraged to undertake dementia training.

6.    That Health Scrutiny Panel or Health and Well Being Board monitor an uplift in diagnosis of dementia to demonstrate that GP training in this field is having an impact in identifying those people as yet undiagnosed. (Currently less than half of those projected to have the condition have a diagnosis).

7.    That Cabinet highlight the importance of recording and sharing information between partners, but also for employees on the front line recognising unusual behaviour or a change that may raise alarm bells and reporting this to managers, highlighting the benefits of early intervention, advice and support.

8.    That Cabinet promote the benefits of early diagnosis of dementia to inform and help prepare the individual, their family and friends.

9.    That Cabinet consider developing work with schools, some dementia work initiatives involving older people and young people can be explored to break down the myths about dementia.  

10. That the Scrutiny Panel receives a report back on 13 January 2015 relating to the progress being made to become a Dementia Friendly City by April 2015.