dementia action alliance

1. The National Dementia Declaration lists a number of outcomes that we are seeking to achieve for people with dementia and their carers. How would you describe your organisation’s role in delivering better outcomes for people with dementia and their carers?

Barnsley Independent Alzheimer's and Dementia Support (BIADS) is committed to achieving better outcomes for people with dementia and their carers in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley.  BIADS provides services for people with dementia and their carers that will help them to live well with dementia in Barnsley and also works in partnership with local statutory services.  BIADS has been involved with the planning of Barnsley’s Dementia Strategy from its inception and has been able to involve carers and people with dementia throughout the process.  We have a place on the Barnsley Dementia Strategy Monitoring Group so that we can ensure that all of the objectives of the national strategy are addressed within the agreed local plan.

BIADS support services include Carer Support, Befriending for people with dementia, befriending for carers, peer support groups, Jabadao exercise for people with dementia, Cognitive Stimulation Therapy, Circle dancing, BIADS' Singers, holidays, day trips and social events and a dementia cafe.  We hope to continue these much needed services and also work to provide more innovative support in line with the needs of our members.  We will continue to work in partnership with local memory services, occupational and physiotherapy services, library services and seek to work with other community groups and statutory bodies.

2. What are the challenges to delivering these outcomes from the perspective of your organisation?

To provide BIADS' services and support systems the primary challenge will continue to be funding in these difficult financial times, however, we are positive that we will continue to have the support of the people of Barnsley to use local funds on local services. We will build on our successful funding and grant history as we believe that the reasons for the work we do are compelling.

BIADS has made a big impact in Barnsley but we need to continue to raise our profile and an awareness of dementia through everything we do. 
Although we have an excellent volunteer base we need to be constantly recruiting special people to facilitate the provision of good quality services.

As people are now being diagnosed earlier in Barnsley BIADS has to look to ways of encouraging referrals to our services in these early stages, cutting down and where possible removing the stigma attached, historically to the illness.

Our success locally and the dementia strategy work on awareness and earlier diagnosis combined may lead to capacity issues for our services.

3. What are your plans as an organisation to respond to these challenges between now and 2014?

• BIADS will continue to develop our fundraising strategy locally whilst raising awareness of the illness and the support available.
• BIADS will seek funding where available by evidencing the compelling nature of the need to continue our work and the positive outcomes experienced by our members, helping them live well with dementia in our community.
• BIADS will continue to provide the foundation services of carer support and befriending and develop innovative services as needed by our members as their needs change.
• BIADS are recognised for having a positive attitude towards this devastating illness and will continue to work on this reputation so that more people will feel comfortable to come forward for help and support.
• Our volunteers come, at the moment, mainly from our former service users and are experts by experience and therefore crucial to our services and we will work to inspire younger volunteers to support our befriending work for the future. 
• BIADS will develop services suited to those people coming for support in the early stages of the illness and our new befriending for people with dementia service will lead the way in this area.
• BIADS will continue to provide support for all who seek it, providing excellent quality services whilst using our resources in the most financially effective way. 
• BIADS will continue to work to form partnerships with local care homes, domiciliary providers and extra care housing to reach out to those affected by dementia.