Collaborative working between local medical centres and Community360 sees dementia café going from strength to strength

We also offer a feedback box so we can gather quantitative and qualitative

feedback.” It has not all been plain sailing though for the café. The Abbey Field dementia café used to run at Foxburrow Grange care home pre-covid, which is opposite the Abbey Field medical centre. After the pandemic, the care home unfortunately could not house the café, so the surgery had to find another venue, the C3 Centre, just next to the surgery. When it reopened though, numbers were poor.

Helen explained: “Whilst on a Dementia Friendly Community (DFC) call, Lisa Russell, one of the assistant practice managers at Abbey Field medical centre, was sharing this experience, when another DFC member organisation, Ambrose Avenue surgery, represented by Tara Jones and she said that they wanted to start a café. So, the two decided that it made more sense to run a joint café and that’s how it all started! Tara, Lisa and I met and thought about activities that we could run at the café – we started reaching out to organisations to ask if they would come along and run their activities for free. Then Ellie Gibbons from Ardleigh surgery got involved too as Ambrose and Ardleigh are in the same Primary Care Network (PCN). This was fantastic as we now had three medical centres behind the project.

Tara Jones, Lisa Russell and Ellie Gibbons are the driving force behind the café. They reached out directly to people on their dementia registers to let them know about the café. When it relaunched in October we had over 30 people walk through the door, now we are up to 56, which is an amazing achievement. Participants love coming to the café, it’s a relaxed atmosphere and the three surgeries are working well together.” “When I started in my role at Ambrose Avenue Group Practice as the Care Coordinator it was clear from the start that something was needed to support our dementia patients.” Said Tara Jones. “I looked at possible venues and tried to get things off the ground on my own, but this was very difficult if not bordering on the

impossible. When I started representing the practice at the DFC meetings it was raised that Abbey fields Medical Centre were having trouble restarting their dementia café post covid.

A new care coordinator Ellie Gibbons had just started at Ardleigh Surgery, and she was also very motivated to offer a dementia café for her dementia patients. The DFC brought us together through Helen Clegg at Community360 and we agreed to try a collaboration. It didn’t matter that we were surgeries from different PCNs we were all just wanting the same thing.” She added: “The café works so well as a collaboration; we all have different skills sets and this also spreads the load of the work needed to keep it running. It has gone from strength to strength through the continued communication between us all. We see patients, carers and family return month after month and can see them starting to build relationships and friendships with others.

This also means that they are supporting each other. Those that attend comment that they no longer feel alone that they know they have support and that they can come to the dementia café for fun, support, laughter, tea and biscuits, games, activities and access to two care coordinators, an assistant practice manager and the dementia lead from community360.

There is also usually someone else on hand from a carer’s organisation or The Alzheimer’s Society. I believe that the collaboration has been the key to the success of the dementia café, and I very much hope that it will continue to support those who are vulnerable and learning to live with dementia.” Ellie Gibbons is Care Coordinator at Ardleigh Surgery and has also been

instrumental is the success of the café. “When I joined Ardleigh Surgery it was one of our main objectives to raise awareness of dementia. We began this by developing the surgery to become dementia friendly with the support of the DFC & Alzheimer’s Society. It was clear that our patients needed further support outside of appointments and within the community. Ardleigh Surgery then joined working in collaboration with Ambrose Avenue Group Practice, Abbey Field Medical Centre and Community360 at the dementia café to provide this much need service for our patients. We are thankful for the enthusiasm and kind feedback we receive from those that attend, and it is lovely to be able to see so many people come together to offer support, receive the help they may need and to see so many smiles.”

Lisa Russell, Assistant Practice Manager at Abbey Field Medical Centre, said: “The staff at Abbey Field Medical Centre have been working towards being a dementia friendly practice for many years now and were always keen to continue and improve.

Working together with Tara, Eloise and Helen has enabled us to utilise all of our contacts and resources and bring so much more to the café. The passion that we all have in bringing people living with dementia together in a safe and understanding environment is shared by us all. I feel a real sense of fulfilment after each café and truly believe that we make a difference to people’s lives. Through general conversations and engagement, we are able to read between the lines and signpost to a multitude of different help and support services that they would have otherwise not realised were available. Ultimately the true benefit of the café is seeing the friendships and support groups that are made, people realising and understanding that they are not alone and that there are many others in their situation. Seeing someone walk in for their first time attending the café looking a little unsure, apprehensive and lost, and being brave enough to admit their concerns and fears with a stranger, to then seeing the same person a few months down the line, offering support and advice to others, often with a smile on their face, will always be

priceless.”

The café welcomes all (including caregivers, family & friends) and promotes that you’re able to live well with dementia. The Abbey Field dementia café takes place the second Thursday of each month at the C3 Centre, Ypres Road, Colchester CO2 7FD, next to the Abbey Field Medical Centre and runs from 10:30 am to 12 noon. Parking spaces available. For further information please contact Ardleigh Surgery – 01206-230224

​Abbey Field Medical Centre – 01206-517100

Ambrose Avenue Group Practice – 01206-549444

Community360 – 01206-505250

Community360 will also be hosting a Health Day on Friday 19th May from 11am -2pm at the One Colchester Hub, Long Wyre Street, where the public can find out more about local dementia services.