This document summarizes a partnership between UHI Millennium Institute and the University of Aberdeen to enhance knowledge exchange between higher education institutions and local authorities in order to improve dementia care services in rural areas of Orkney and the Scottish Borders. The project aims to build capacity for using evidence to inform practice through placements, research, training, and developing improvement plans. Findings so far indicate a lack of relevant research on rural dementia care and that successful service innovation depends on the local demographic, geographic, and community context. The project is working to more closely align the knowledge exchange process with practitioner needs and culture.

1. UHI Millennium Institute and The University of Aberdeen working in partnership
ESRC Engaging Local Authorities Scheme
Building Capacity for Evidence
Informed Practice in Rural and Remote
Island Social Service Delivery

2. UHI Millennium Institute and The University of Aberdeen working in partnership
Aims
 Enhance KE between HEIs and LAs to improve services
 Use evidence to improve dementia care in Orkney & Borders
 Build capacity for longer term evidence use in Orkney & Borders
 Learn lessons about interaction between researchers and LAs
 Build capacity of researchers to respond to LA needs
 + NHS, Independent Sector, users, carers and communities

3. UHI Millennium Institute and The University of Aberdeen working in partnership
Dementia Care
Identified by LAs as a challenge
Rising demand - 69,000 people in Scotland
Financial Constraints
Changing Policy context
Rural service challenges:
Higher % of older people
Costs – distance, travel time, sparse pop.
Recruitment and retention of skilled staff
Thin market for care services

4. UHI Millennium Institute and The University of Aberdeen working in partnership
What EIP is Doing
LA Placement
Literature Search
Seminar
Literature
Research
Synthesis
Report
K4P Training
Programme
Mapping
Evidence Use/
Local Research
Placements
Engagement
Seminar
All Evidence
Improvement
Plans
Evaluation
Dissemination

5. UHI Millennium Institute and The University of Aberdeen working in partnership
Challenges
• How project came about
• Different local contexts of LAs
• People!
• Communication:
– No of partners, distance, use of ICTs
• Operational priorities of LAs
• Gap between needs and culture of LAs and
researchers
• Research evidence lacking in key areas

6. UHI Millennium Institute and The University of Aberdeen working in partnership
FINDINGS TO DATE
Lack of relevant research evidence on rural and
remote dementia care services:
People with dementia can express views
But engagement practice lags behind norm
Diversity of: location/needs/impact of rurality
Providers face common rural challenges
Innovation includes peripatetic/outreach, mobile
services, hub models
Demographic, geographic and community context
heavily influences successful service innovation

7. UHI Millennium Institute and The University of Aberdeen working in partnership
Findings to Date
 KE process needs to be strongly aligned to practitioner
needs and culture from start
 Funding processes
 Team approach at all stages
 More receptive if evidence generated by those perceived to
understand practitioners – i.e. other practitioners
 Research needs to address practitioner concerns and extend
thinking
 Research needs to be communicated by good communicators
 KE methods need to take account of local context –e.g.
operational priorities
 Focus on networks rather than individuals to maximise impact

8. UHI Millennium Institute and The University of Aberdeen working in partnership
PROJECT IMPACTS
 ‘Significantly improved’ knowledge base for participants:
 Engagement methods
 Research skills
 KE theory and practice
 Confirmed ‘tacit’ knowledge of best practice in dementia
care – evidence to back up approaches
 Learning disseminated to others but greatest impact on
small no of participants
 Learning influencing practice in some areas
 Information on user/carer preferences influencing service
planning in some areas
 Dialogue between different levels of staff
 Inter LA learning and networking