What are cookies?

Our site uses cookies. A cookie is a small text marker stored on your computer that enables us to track the use of our website. We use cookies to help us understand what our users' interests and preferences are to ensure the website is as user friendly as possible.

This site only uses cookies in order to provide a service to visitors. No personal data is stored in cookies and cookies are not used in order to provide advertising. Cookies are used for the following purposes:

Learn more about cookies on aboutcookies.org

If you have any concerns about the processing of your personal data by the Dementia Action Alliance, please contact the Secretariat, c/o Alzheimer's Society, 43-44 Crutched Friars, London, EC3N 2AE.

Accept and continue

Cooperative Food, Vernon Road, Greenmount

Local convenience, great value food and ethical trading are what the Cooperative Food is all about. At The Co-operative we encourage new ideas to tackle issues that are important to our members – from helping the community to changing the world.

Updated:
30 January 2015
Location:
North West
Local Alliances:
Bury 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?

As a community retailer we want to deliver our services with a high level of good customer service to all sectors of the communities we serve.   We recognise that people living with dementia can have additional difficulties in using everyday shops and services such as our stores and through staff training and awareness raising, the aim is to enable people to continue to use our stores with as much ease as is possible.

Though much of our work is governed by national policy and branding we will try to influence the wider group to take dementia friendly ideas on board and encourage the roll out of a dementia friendly programme following earlier trials in our Bradford stores.

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

Lack of Awareness - Customer service is very important to us as a group, we know that not all staff have knowledge and/or experience of dementia and so may be lacking in understanding.  Training would help us to bridge this gap and help to maintain our currently high level of customer service.

Time/Capacity - As a retail group trading in challenging economic times, we have to remain fully focused on our retail aims, it can be hard therefore to release staff for training.  (NB: However we are a community retailer and are committed to serving the community.  We see people living with dementia and other vulnerable groups as very much part of the community we serve).

Member contacts

http://www.co-operativefood.co.uk/

2. Actions

  • Dementia awareness

    Intend all staff to participate in Dementia Friends awareness sessions in line with Bradford awareness sessions, e.g. on-line sessions.  This will help to us to improve our service for those with dementia and their carers.

    All staff that have undergone dementia friends awareness sessions will wear their dementia friends badges on their uniform to promote our awareness to all customers

    Furthermore, we intend to reinforce our knowledge by asking staff to read the Alzheimer’s Society ‘Customer Facing Staff’ booklet and signing a sheet to acknowledge this.

    We will ensure we give staff time to be able to do this.

    Status:
    Planning

  • Respond to customers' needs

    In line with our existing customer service policy, all staff will show willingness to respond to the customer’s needs and help/support them where necessary.

    Status:
    Delivery

  • Ensuring tills are supportive and accessible

    • At our tills:

     

    -       We will continue (as policy) to request extra support at the tills when necessary so that all customers (not just those with dementia) don’t feel rushed

    -       We will ensure that where necessary, all customers are provided with a receipt.

    -       We can promote accessibility through displaying a poster reassuring customers living with dementia that they are able to present help cards should they feel the need to

     

    Status:
    Delivery

  • Dementia friendly environments

    • We will aim to keep all aisles clear from clutter 
    • We will ensure signage is clear and easy to read
    • Ask questions about the possibility of changing the colour of the mat in front of loose produce
    Status:
    Delivery

  • Support Bury to become a dementia friendly community

    • We plan to promote Bury DAA and dementia awareness events through our community notice board and staff/customer relations.
    • We plan to donate goods where possible to facilitate local dementia cafes and/or fundraising events, e.g. tea/coffee, etc.
    • Promote dementia friendly communities to customers, managers through displaying the 'working to become dementia friendly' symbol in our window.
    Status:
    Delivery
← Return to members Back to top ↑