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Leeds-Lancaster-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership Ltd.

Updated:
13 February 2020
Location:
Yorkshire and Humber
Sectors:
Transport Sector
Local Alliances:
Bradford District Dementia Action Alliance, Lancaster and Morecambe Dementia Action Alliance , Leeds Dementia Action Alliance, Settle Dementia Action Alliance, Skipton & South Craven 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?

Our organisation helps people who do not drive for whatever reason to access a wide range of health
and leisure activities and destinations, keeping people physically and mentally active. We also bring
like minded people together through our strong volunteer capacity, friendly “can do” helpful approach.
As a volunteer centric organisation we can often spend longer with passengers than the rail industry
employees can.
Our ‘dementia and community rail’ project aims to raise awareness among rail staff, volunteers and
the general public alongside producing a rail travel and destination toolkit (to include information
about the stations someone will visit, facilities available etc) in order to support group travel and
tourism along side leisure activities and days out.
By creating an ethos of understanding and compassion, we seek to eliminate any perceived barriers
to travel for someone with a “hidden” conditions such as Dementia.

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

The ‘rule orientated, tight scheduled’ railway industry needs to be educated with the hope of making it
a little more flexible as a result. The current climate in the rail industry also means that adding more
training in the form of awareness session may be taxing however, with the disability compliance
mandate in 2019 this project provides us with a head start.
A further issue we need to overcome is the accessible (or lack thereof) that current rolling stock
provides. Currently at larger stations people who require assistance can book it through the ‘Northern
Assist”scheme, and passengers will be helped even without prior booking.

2. Actions

  • Raising awareness of dementia

    Many people want to help someone they witness struggling. However few people feel confident assisting someone they suspect may have an additional need (such as dementia), they may fear doing the wrong thing and making things worse. This fear then leads the individual to not offer help to the person who is struggling. 

    By educating individuals on theeffects of conditions such as dementia, teaching them how to communicate both confidently and effectively with someone living with dementia - we can make a massive difference (both tothe individual with dementia and the individual wanting to help). As part of our initiative numerous front line staff at the train operator and volunteers from the community have received an awareness session devised by The Bentham Line in association with the Alzheimer's Society to inform people of potential signs of dementia. These members of staff has also undergone 'Dementia Friends' sessions and have been given the chance to sign up to an additional session to become 'Dementia Friends Champions' with the ability to help inform others.

     We  use a wide range of media in our sesssions; including videos provided by the Alzheimer’s Society to show that dementia can affect a wider range of people that the generalpublic tend to think of, including Early Onset Dementia which can affect people in their 30’s and40’s to challenge the perceived “face” of dementia.

    Status:
    Delivery

    2018 - Third Quarter Update

    Several 'Dementia Friends' sessions already undertaken, names listed for first 'Dementia Friends Champion' training. 

  • Supporting Alzheimer’s Society Initiatives locally.

    We took part in Cupcake Day 2017, which was well received by the public and
    raised a total of £91 for the Alzheimer’s Society. We intend to take part in Cupcake Day 2018 as
    well as holding other pop up stalls and community days at stations along the line to ensure that
    each community feels engaged, involved and supported. This will be supported by our social
    media feeds, along with the Association of Community Rail Partnership’s, Northern’s and several
    other partners who have a larger social media following.
    We intend to support as many Alzheimer’s Society events and initiatives as possible in the
    upcoming year.
    !

    Status:
    Delivery

    2017 - Fourth Quarter Update

    New member

  • Improve our understanding of dementia

    Seeking assistance from relevant organisations such as the Alzheimers Society
    and our local DAA, we will provide Dementia Friends Awareness sessions for approximately 100
    members of staff and volunteers who represent our customer facing frontline. Training volunteers
    is particularly important as they are often present on our unstaffed stations and provide a friendly
    face and presence to assist an individual if needed, without the time and resource constraints
    that paid members of staff often face. Middle and senior management will also be encouraged to
    participate in this training as is may not just be the passenger who may need help; employees
    may also face caring responsibilities for family members, possibly even facing a dementia
    diagnosis in the family. Understanding and flexibility is important along with care and
    compassion. We have already given one ‘Dementia Friends session to a group of staff members
    and volunteers, and plan to give many more in the coming weeks and months.

    Status:
    Implementation

    2017 - Fourth Quarter Update

    New Member

  • Every step on the journey matters

    Seeking assistance from relevant organisations such as the Alzheimers Society,
    we are in the process of undertaking dementia friendly assessments of all 21 stations along the
    line looking at a variety of aspects including; accessibility, signage, lighting, station atmosphere,
    availability of staff and availability of information. These findings are being complied into reports
    which will then feed into the train operators future improvement schemes.

    Status:
    Implementation

    2017 - Fourth Quarter Update

    New member

  • Supporting Alzheimer’s Society Initiatives locally

    We took part in Cupcake Day 2017, which was well received by the public and
    raised a total of £91 for the Alzheimer’s Society. We intend to take part in Cupcake Day 2018 as
    well as holding other pop up stalls and community days at stations along the line to ensure that
    each community feels engaged, involved and supported. This will be supported by our social
    media feeds, along with the Association of Community Rail Partnership’s, Northern’s and several
    other partners who have a larger social media following.
    We intend to support as many Alzheimer’s Society events and initiatives as possible in the
    upcoming year.
    !

    Status:
    Delivery

  • Improve our understanding of Dementia

    Seeking assistance from relevant organisations such as the Alzheimers Society
    and our local DAA, we will provide Dementia Friends Awareness sessions for approximately 100
    members of staff and volunteers who represent our customer facing frontline. Training volunteers
    is particularly important as they are often present on our unstaffed stations and provide a friendly
    face and presence to assist an individual if needed, without the time and resource constraints
    that paid members of staff often face. Middle and senior management will also be encouraged to
    participate in this training as is may not just be the passenger who may need help; employees
    may also face caring responsibilities for family members, possibly even facing a dementia
    diagnosis in the family. Understanding and flexibility is important along with care and
    compassion. We have already given one ‘Dementia Friends session to a group of staff members
    and volunteers, and plan to give many more in the coming weeks and months.

    Status:
    Implementation

  • Every stop on the journey matters

    Seeking assistance from relevant organisations such as the Alzheimers Society,we are in the process of undertaking dementia friendly assessments of all 21 stations along theline looking at a variety of aspects including; accessibility, signage, lighting, station atmosphere,availability of staff and availability of information. These findings are being complied into reportswhich will then feed into the train operators future improvement schemes.

    Status:
    Delivery

    2018 - First Quarter Update

    Several intial station assessments completed and findings fed back to relevant working group members.

  • Living well with Dementia

    Keeping physically and mentally active particularly in the early stages of dementia
    is important is terms of slowing decline, promoting physical and mental well being as well as
    maintaining an individuals hobbies and interests where still able and appropriate to do so. As
    part of the package we will offer, safe assisted walks which have been audited for being
    assessable and suitable for those with dementia - this will be incorporated as part of the overall
    day trip including travel, food and activity in some form or another; tailored to the interests of the
    group where possible.

    Status:
    Planning

  • Together we can achieve more

    We will strive to network with a variety of different service providers and care
    networks in the local communities that our line serves as possible with the aim of trying to be
    able to signpost people onto organisations who can assist in care, health and leisure activities
    to ensure that people living with dementia have access to opportunities that allow them to live
    active, fulfilled lives for as long as possible.
    A major part of the project will be to promote and support group travel along our line and to
    destinations further afield. With help from our partners our offer will be stronger and working
    with the groups who will become our service users we can tailor our offer to suit the groups,
    sharing experiences, recommendations and suggestions in order to provide the best possible
    assistance for our target audience.

    Status:

  • Dementia Champion

    We will nominate a dementia champion who will have undertaken more detailed training to monitor the location and to arrange one-off events 

    Status:
    Delivered
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