Active inclusion of marginalised communities

Our aims

• To establish a network with engagement partners from across our underserved, diverse communities locally and with partners nationally. This will enable us to share best practice, resources and will support us to take forward priorities for Greater Manchester wide projects.
• We’ll take forward lessons learned from the Greater Manchester wide projects that are already up and running eg:
  • Greater Manchester’s LGBTQ+ Dementia Online Support group The development of this group has been evaluated and the report contains a set of clear system wide recommendations
  • Our work to translate the Greater Manchester delirium leaflet into 16 languages is an example of co-development with diverse community groups and co-production with lived experience.
• Collate and review evidence based public facing resources and ensure that all resources are available within our Greater Manchester Dementia Care Pathway and shared widely
• Scoping out a model to engage with marginalised community groups and looking for opportunities where we can be harnessing Greater Manchester’s partnership working across all ten localities
• Scoping out work taking place nationally that’s looking at collecting accurate data and work with locality partners to consider if there’s any learning that’s useful for our work in Greater Manchester

Why this matters

The 2011 census demonstrated that a growing proportion of the black and minority ethnic population in the UK is now aged over 65, with particular growth taking place in the 75+ age group (NOMIS, 2011). Due to the long history of discrimination experienced by many LGBT+ people when accessing mainstream services, LGBT+ people are often wary or reluctant to access services today. We also know that having dementia is of itself can be a source of inequality and exclusion.

There have been a number of reports that highlight the variation and lack of support across the journey from pre-diagnosis to end of life for people from diverse communities:

• Greater Manchester – A fragmented Pathway https://www.tide.uk.net/resources/bame-resources/a-fragmented-pathway-by-shahid-mohammed/
• Nationally eg the Alzheimer’s Society report From diagnosis to end of life: The lived experiences of dementia care and support

We also have anecdotal evidence from our LGBTQ+ online dementia support group that tells us that LGBT+ people living with dementia face particular challenges when accessing services.

Dementia and diversity – a guide for leaders and managers (skillsforcare.org.uk) and LGBTQ+ learning framework (skillsforcare.org.uk) both highlight the importance of training for all staff supporting people living with dementia from diverse and underserved communities.

The Alzheimer’s Society’s recommendation from their pathway report is that evidence-based, post-diagnostic support interventions should be provided for people with dementia and their carers. It also recommends that these must be appropriate and tailored, considering age, ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual orientation

What we’ve achieved so far

• We established the Dementia United’s Greater Manchester LGBTQ+ online dementia support group for people affected by dementia, family members and care partners.
• We also commissioned LGBT Foundation one day a week to support and promote the group and to evaluate its development. The evaluation report demonstrates that we’ve been able to meet our objectives in establishing the group with excellent partnership working across all ten localities.
• We commissioned the African Caribbean Care Group to complete an appreciative inquiry to look at the needs of Black, African, and Caribbean communities. The appreciative inquiry highlighted the need for culturally appropriate care, training, and the importance of Ethnicity Data capture.
• We commissioned the translation of the delirium public facing leaflet in to 16 languages Making delirium information more accessible in Greater Manchester
• The lived experience groups and networks which are at the heart of the Dementia United programme reflect some of the diverse communities across Greater Manchester. These groups ensure that we hear from people’s lived experiences
• We funded partners in the Manchester locality partners to develop resources for the South Asian community in order to raise awareness. You can find out more about this project here 

Dementia Posters

• Urdu
• Hindi
• Gujarati
• English
• Bengali
• Making your place of worship Dementia Friendly – temple
• Making your place of worship Dementia Friendly – mosque

Dementia Videos

The videos are available on YouTube: Through the eyes of dementia: View the full play list

These resources are also on our Dementia Care Pathway: Fostering a dementia friendly society is inclusive and accessible for all (gmdementiaresources.org.uk)

What’s next?

Diversity and inclusion is a cross cutting theme that applies across our programme – Dementia and Brain Health Delivery Plan 2023 to 2025

We’re also working closely with our Lived Experience Group, Dementia Carers Expert Reference Group and partners across Greater Manchester to take this work forward

You can find out more about our Lived Experience Group here

You can find out more about our Dementia Carers Expert Reference Group here

If you would like further information or to get involved with this project, please email gmhscp.dementiaunited@nhs.net and we will direct you to the relevant project manager.