Leeds Irish Health & Homes

We are a health and well-being organisation with many years experience of supporting people across a wide range of issues. Originally focussing on the needs of the Irish community our success in developing individual tailored support now also enables us to provide high quality services to the wider community too.

Updated:
11 October 2018
Location:
Yorkshire and Humber
Sectors:
Health, Housing Sector, Voluntary Sector, Community organisations
Local Alliances:
Yorkshire & Humber Dementia Action Alliance, Leeds Dementia Action Alliance

1. Action Plan

1. The National Dementia Declaration lists seven outcomes that the DAA 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?

I sit on the Dementia Strategy Board in Leeds as representative for Volition which is a mental health umbrella organisation. We are also represented on the BME Dementia Forum to ensure Irish people are included in the debate. We run a group for Irish people with dementia at the local Irish centre.

We are developing a dementia care service to enable people with dementia to get good quality care in order to maximise their health and well-being. We are members of the Cuimhne campaign run by Irish in Britain. We have undertaken staff and volunteering training on dementia. We are looking to make the Irish community in Leeds dementia friendly

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

Ensuring we have the right people to provide high quality support and care within a positive ethos for people experiencing dementia. Ensuring the cultural needs of Irish people form part of their holistic needs assessment

Member website

www.lihh.org

2. Actions

  • To train all staff in Person Centred Dementia Awareness

    We will provide high quality training for all staff within our organisation by 30 June 2017. This training will enable participants to explore in greater depth the nature and affects of dementia upon individuals. It will identify the principles behind person centred care and will help participants to identify ways in which they can apply person centred care in practice. The course will focus on effective communication skills, practical and effective ways of responding to behaviours and emotions, the concept of the unmet need, why potentially “challenging” behaviour occurs and how to work more positively with people with dementia and their carers.

    Status:
    Completed

    2017 - Second Quarter Update

    24th May -Front line staff received Reminiscence Skills training.

    14th June -All staff received Person-Centred Awareness Training. 

    2017 - Second Quarter Update

    We have consulted with a number of trainers and have selected one who we feel will provide excellent training in Person Centred Dementia Awareness to all staff. She will also provide Reminiscence Skills training for all our front line workers and their managers.

  • Set up a high quality home support service for people with dementia by 30th August 2017

    We wish to pilot a scheme which supports, amongst others, people with dementia and allows them to have a good quality of life. We want to ensure that people have choice and dignity within this support and aim to have well-trained, motivated and caring staff.We are concerned that current provision is under-resourced and therefore see this as a pilot scheme to see if it is sustainable.

    Status:
    Completed

    2017 - Third Quarter Update

    The Service Manager continues to promote Aran Home Support among a variety of organisations including the Memory Services, Social Workers, and Neighbourhood Networks.

    Referrals are received from family, occupational therapists, social workers, joint care managers, service delivery managers and patient liasion advisors.

    2017 - Second Quarter Update

    We appointed a Dementia Services Development Manager who was tasked with setting up a Home Support service for people with dementia and Memory Loss.

    We set up Aran Home Support, a not for profit, self-paying, culturally sensitive service offering support in the home for those with dementia and memory loss.

    We have recruited Dementia Home Workers all of whom have expertise in this area.

    We have developed the referrals and assessment process.

    We have produced a separate staff handbook specifically for this service which includes the Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England and relevant NICE quality standards, because we want to ensure that our staff will provide the highest quality care.

    We consulted with Leeds Beckett University in order to have access to the most up to date information in relation to developments around the treatment and impact of dementia.

    We ran a marketing campaign in December 2016 delivering our message about Aran Home Support in person to our Luncheon Clubs, our Tenant’s Christmas party, the NHS Memory Services, Leeds North Clinical Commissioning Group, the Dementia Strategy Board, Alzheimer’s Society, Carer’s Leeds and Shared Lives to name a few. This campaign continues with flyers being delivered to the Wellbeing Co-ordinators for Connect Health, GP surgeries, Care Centres, Dementia Cafés, Churches, Resource Centres and Day Centres and One Stop Centres around Leeds.

    We currently receive referrals through Adult Social Care and from private individuals.

  • We will work with other BME groups in Leeds to ensure that the needs of Irish and other BME people with dementia get access to culturally relevant support

    Through membership of Leeds Dementia Strategy Board and the BME Dementia Forum we will raise awareness amongst providers, policy-makers and the public of the needs of Irish and other BME community members for the need for culturally apporpriate support

    Status:
    Being implemented

    2017 - Third Quarter Update

    The Dementia Services Manager attended the most recent BME Forum and is building relationships with the other members.

    2016 - Third Quarter Update

    We presented our report on Memory Loss and the needs of the Irish Community Leeds to the Dementia Strategy Board.

    We hosted an event at the Leeds Irish Centre raising awareness about the importance of culture when delivering services to individuals with memory loss and dementia. 

  • Set up a Memory CafĂ©

    We have drawn up a project plan to assist us with setting up a Dementia Café for the Irish and Wider Community in North Leeds. We anticipate a launch date of 1 September 2017.

    Status:
    Delivered

    2018 - Second Quarter Update

    We closed the Café at the end of March due to a lack of attendance.

    2017 - Fourth Quarter Update

    Our first Café took place on Monday 23rd October between 2:30 and 4:30pm @ Montague Burton Resource Centre, Banstead Street West, LS8 5 RU. 

    Remaining Cafés will take place on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the Month. This is a pilot project until the end of March 2018. The Café is run by a Development Worker supported by the Dementia Services Manager and volunteers. Everyone is trained in dementia awareness. 

    A warm welcome, tea, coffee, cake, activities, music, song and signposting awaits. 

    A contribution of £2.50 is requested each visit.

    This service is for the Irish and wider community of Leeds. 

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