title: Establishing a community of practice for dementia champions (innovative practice).
abstract: This discussion paper considers the currently evolving roles of dementia champions and describes an initiative designed to support their activities. The aim of this initiative was to establish a county-wide group that has a shared group identity and sufficient critical mass that is able to identify and implement dementia training and development needs for the health and social care workforce. The approach used to achieve this aim was a Dementia Champion Community of Practice Project, which involved dementia leads in various NHS Trusts. Whilst this approach might be effective at practitioner level, the Dementia Champion Community of Practice Project experience suggests that if such initiatives are to be sustainable they need to be strategically placed within networks that can bring together service providers, educators and commissioners.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Primary and Community Care (CRIPACC), University of Hertfordshire, UK a.mayrhofer@herts.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mayrhofer
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Primary and Community Care (CRIPACC), University of Hertfordshire, UK.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.affiliation: School of Health & Social Work, University of Hertfordshire, UK.
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Holman
mesh_terms: D019058:Community Networks; D003704:Dementia; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D013663:Teaching
keywords: Community of Practice; dementia alliance; dementia champions