The Activity Academy was an incredible event that united leading care experts and cultural organisations to explore new opportunities to support people living with dementia to lead fuller, happier lives.
Academy of FAB Stuff readers are invited to learn from this event by downloading or streaming an exclusive podcast that shares key insight from the day.
About the event
The Activity Academy was delivered in partnership by Widnes Vikings – the Super League rugby league club that delivers award-winning community programmes, Community Integrated Care – one of Britain’s biggest and most successful social care charities, with NHS Halton CCG and Halton Borough Council. It brought together care home staff from across the region to share best practice in delivering activities and promoting person-centred care in dementia care settings.
With contributors as varied as leading sector bodies like Skills for Care and My Home Life, and cultural organisations including museums, art galleries and professional sports teams, the event offered fascinating discussion and insight.
Enjoy the Insight
You can watch an amazing video (below) and listen to a podcast from the event.
Speakers at the event included:
- Lindsey Dawson, North West Locality Manager, Skills for Care - Exploring how care service leaders can identify the talents and assets of care home staff, residents and community groups.
- Martin McGuigan, Director of Quality and Innovation, Community Integrated Care – Sharing key techniques that enable carers to understand how people want to be supported and enable them to follow their passions.
- Phil Benson, Service Manager, Community Integrated Care - Phil manages EachStep Blackburn, named Dementia Care Of the Year at the National Dementia Awards, and has been awarded the prestigious Dementia Care Home Manager of the Year accolade. He shared his care philosophy.
- Tom Owen, Director, My Home Life - Showcasing ‘Care Home Friends and Neighbours’, a unique community engagement programme developed by this respected national organisation.
- Dave Sweeney – Executive Implementation Lead for Cheshire and Merseyside NHS – Discussing the importance of community engagement, person-centred care and activity in care settings.
- Alan Howells, Freelance dementia training expert – Alan is one of Britain’s leading experts in dementia care and has been bestowed the prestigious Laing Buisson Lifetime Achievement In Dementia Care award. He shared his top tips on using arts and literature in dementia care settings.
- John Hughes, Director of Communications and Digital Engagement, Widnes Vikings – Sharing experiences of creating sports programmes in social care social care settings and the principles behind the Activity Academy event.
- Terry Caffrey, Poet: The esteemed professional poet, who has worked with a number of community and care settings, showcased the use of poetry for activity and reminiscence.
It also featured workshops from:
- House of Memories – Showcasing the House of Memories reminiscence app and the dementia programmes at Museum of Liverpool.
- Live Music Now!: Live Music Now deliver music programmes in care and community settings. They shared their ‘Choir In Every Care Home’ programme and the impact of music therapy.
- Open Eye Gallery: The Liverpool-based photography gallery shared their Life Beyond Diagnosis project, which saw people living with dementia share their experiences in unique photography series. They also offered advice on how to use photographs and photography in your care home.
- Widnes Vikings: Providing a practical session on how to deliver chair-based exercises and games in care home, as well introducing their Chemics Café – a free social event for people affected by dementia.
- Norton Priory: The local museum shared the importance of their care home outreach programmes and efforts to be a dementia-friendly value.
Please listen to and share the podcast to benefit from their incredible insight.
Event Impact
With post-event feedback from the event demonstrating that 100% of attendees felt inspired to deliver new activities and identify opportunities to be more person-centred, the Activity Academy had a great impact. We hope it inspires members of the Academy of FAB Stuff community!
Acknowledgements
Special thanks are given to the University of the West Of England, Bristol, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council, in partnership with FACT, Liverpool, who helped to fund the Activity Academy programme.
We would also like to thank Matthew Roberts, from Halton FM’s Halton & St Helens VCA Show, for producing the brilliant event podcast.