Dementia Carer voices November newsletter

Celebrate Carers' Rights Day with Dementia Carer Voices Friday 29th November 12-2:30PM The ALLIANCE, 349 Bath Street, Glasgow To mark this year’s Carers’ Rights Day, taking place on Friday 29th November, Dementia Carer Voices is holding an event for Carers of People with Dementia in partnership with the Scottish Dementia Clinical Research Network. The main focus of the session will be about highlighting the rights you are entitled to as a Carer and we are delighted to confirm Jim Martin, Scottish Public Services Ombudsman as our guest speaker. There will be opportunities for you to discuss any carers’ issues that you would like to raise, as well as find out more about becoming involved in research through the Scottish Dementia Clinical Research Network. A sandwich lunch and refreshments will be provided and a small budget is available to cover carers’ travel expenses by public transport.  To register for this free event, or for further information, please contact Laura McCulloch on 0141 404 0233 or laura.mcculloch@alliance-scotland.org.uk. Care Inspectorate Conference Dementia Carer Voices was involved in Care Inspectorate’s recent staff development conference in Dundee, with Programme Director Irene Oldfather participating in workshops alongside Chief Executive Anette Bruton to consider the implications of Health and Social Care integration for carers and people who use health and social care services. The ALLIANCE’s thinkpiece on the subject, Health and Social Care in Scotland : Integration or Transformation is available to view here. Project Engagement Lead, Tommy Whitelaw shared aspects of his journey as a carer with inspection staff.  The session was filmed and has been made available on the Care Inspectorate’s Intranet system for use as a staff training resource. You can watch the video here, to hear about what person-centred care means for people with dementia and their carers. Project Extension Following a successful meeting with Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Alex Neil to report on project activity to date, the Scottish Government has extended the project to December 2016. ALLIANCE Chief Executive Ian Welsh said “the ALLIANCE welcomes the news that the Scottish Government will extend the Dementia Carer Voices Project to 2016. It is an endorsement of the reach and impact the project has been able to demonstrate in a short space of time.” Programme Director Irene Oldfather added “Dementia Carer Voices advocates a rights based approach to those living with dementia and encourages professionals to think about how they can make a difference every day. We look forward to working in partnership with colleagues across the sector to raise awareness and improve lives.” NHS Highland Visit Dementia Carer Voices Project Engagement Lead, Tommy Whitelaw will be embarking on a short tour of NHS Highland from the 12th-14th November, including a number of visits and talks. This promises to be a busy few days, and a chance to find out about work being undertaken across the area to support people with dementia and their carers. There will also be opportunities to discuss with staff the issues carers raise through the Dementia Carer Voices project.  The ALLIANCE would like to thank Ruth Mantle and Maimie Thompson of NHS Highland for hosting the visit. You can keep up to date with Tommy’s progress over the next few days on Twitter and the Tommy on Tour blog. What is the soundtrack to your caring story? As part of the Letters, Life and Love Stories Gala Concert and Reception we are reaching out to carers and the individuals, groups and communities who support them to explore their journeys with those they have cared for and the motivation behind their caring role. Building on the musical theme, and as music is often such a powerful link to emotions, people or places, we are asking people to identify a song that resonates with their own particular story or experiences. We have 40 tickets to give away, and by sending your song, you will automatically be entered into a ballot to win a pair of tickets to the event. For more information about how you can get involved, click here. Tommy said "Every day I am lucky to meet remarkable, caring people and hear the most inspiring of stories, whether it’s from carers, volunteers or professionals. I truly believe that these are people worth celebrating.”  Links 'No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted' (blog post, Chris Butler) 'Concert to honour legions of unpaid family carers' Tommy's nomination for Herald Public Campaign of the Year Award Project Team Irene Oldfather, Programme Director -irene.oldfather@alliance-scotland.org.uk Tommy Whitelaw, Project Engagement Lead - tommy.whitelaw@alliance-scotland.org.uk Christopher Doyle, Policy and Information Assistant - christopher.doyle@alliance-scotland.org.uk Laura McCulloch, Administrator – laura.mcculloch@alliance-scotland.org.uk Tel: 0141 404 0231 http://www.alliance-scotland.org.uk/get-involved/view/dementia-carer-voices/ For more, please visit alliance-scotland.org.uk »

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