Our new Rotherham dementia service

In March of this year, we won a competitive tender to provide dementia carer support across Rotherham. Throughout the three-year contract with Rotherham Council, we will provide both one-to-one support and dementia cafes to carers of those living with dementia.

Rotherham is a new local authority for us and although we already have a strong presence in Doncaster and Barnsley, this is a great opportunity for us to share our expertise in dementia care and support in the borough.

The contract will also see us working in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society to coordinate the full quota of services across Rotherham.

A number of the existing local services including Singing for the Brain, Rotherham Activity Group, Carers' Resilience Service, Social Prescribing Service and the Rotherham Dementia Forum will continue to be provided by the Alzheimer’s Society.

"Our two organisations already have a strong working partnership and we will build on this to make the transition period as easy as possible for the people we support, employees and volunteers.

"There is a fantastic team of volunteers in place who are passionate about supporting the service. We will continue to work with them, as well as recruiting more volunteers." – Cath Magee, Area Manager.

Nathan Atkinson, Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning at Rotherham Council, said: “Working with Making Space and Alzheimer’s Society we will help local people who experience dementia, either personally or through a loved one, to access the support they need as easily and as quickly as possible. The dementia cafes offer a safe space for people to come along, have a cup of tea and find out about their support options. They are also a brilliant way to meet new friends and hear other people’s experiences. I look forward to seeing the whole new support pathways, including the cafes, in action over the coming months.”

Donna Craven, Services Manager at Alzheimer's Society said: "Alzheimer’s Society will still be supporting people living with dementia in Rotherham in a number of ways. We will continue to deliver some services across the area and our National Dementia Helpline, is available seven days a week, along with Talking Point, our online community forum.”

One of the main focuses for this service will be to reach out to Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities around Rotherham.

We will also be looking at ways in which we can enhance the reach and impact of the service. For example, we aim to increase support for those bereaved through dementia and our fantastic death cafes can provide an essential source of support for this.