Issue - meetings

Following a request from the Community Development Group in September 2018 the Principal Community Development Officer presented the report of the Executive Manager – Communities which provided the Group with information regarding the actions the Council and its partners were taking to ensure that Rushcliffe was a dementia friendly Borough.

The Health Development Officer delivered a presentation which focused on how the Council delivered responsive services and customer care outlined in The Equality Framework for Local Government. The presentation covered:

·         What makes us healthy

·         Context

·         Dementia in the UK

·         Dementia in Rushcliffe

·         What the Council has done

·         Dementia Action

·         What we plan to do

·         Dementia Friendly

Following the presentation the Group asked several specific questions regarding activities in place in order to increase the prevention of dementia. The Health Development Officer noted that he was currently working with care homes to help them introduce a physical activity programme in partnership with Ashfield District Council.

Questions were also asked regarding training for staff and councillors in order to increase their understanding of dementia. The Health Development Officer informed the Group that staff based at the Rushcliffe Community Contact Centre were to receive dementia friends training and agreed with the suggestion raised that dementia friends training should be delivered to refuse staff.

Members of the Group were pleased that that the Council was delivering a Planning and Health Workshop which would include how the Council could deliver ‘healthy houses’ that would include noise reduction which is known to prevent dementia.

The officers agreed to send members of the Group the Council’s Dementia Action Plan so that they could be provided with the timescales, projections and the different outreach activities available to residents who were suffering from dementia. The Group were also encouraged to attend the Dementia Action Event which was taking place at Rushcliffe Arena on Friday 24 May 2019. The Group also agreed that the Council working in partnership with other organisations such as local authorities, Nottinghamshire Police and the Alzheimer’s Society was the best approach in order for the Council to spread awareness about dementia, due to the Council’s limited role and resources. 

The Chairman thanked the officers for delivering their presentation and for answering the Group’s questions.

It was RESOLVED that

a)    The report of the Executive Manager – Communities be noted.

b)    The actions taken by the officers to raise awareness about dementia be endorsed.   

c)    Dementia Friendly training be delivered to Rushcliffe Borough Council refuse staff.

d)    The Group be sent the Council’s Dementia Friendly Action Plan with the different activities, time scales and projections.