National project to roll out life story training

Your Story Matters is a national project developed by The Life Story Network C.I.C in conjunction with the Department of Health which will support the delivery of new ways of working to realise dementia friendly communities with well trained staff. The development and use of Life Stories is one of the keys to delivering person centred care by placing the individual and their biography at the heart of care and support. It provides people with a practical set of tools to help them engage with the real person and see them beyond their illness, disability or diagnosis.

Your Story Matters aims to:

  • Establish a national network of people who are trained to deliver a training course on implementing the use of life story- through the facilitation of a managed learning network utilising action learning, coaching and peer support:
  • Produce a comprehensive set of training materials to embed the use of life stories for paid staff, volunteers and carers;
  • Support learning networks of people trained in using life story with the development of new materials and the dissemination of new and existing products, to intergenerational multi organisation work, voluntary groups, care providers.
  • Deliver awareness and training on the Human Rights Act and the legal duty placed on public bodies to be compliant with the Act

Rolling out the training across England, it is envisaged that this will achieve sustainable transformational cultural change by engaging with leaders in organisations engaged in the training, such that providers will collect robust evidence on the effectiveness in the use of life story work and its contribution to;

  • The reduction in the use of anti psychotics
  • The delivery of the personalisation agenda
  • Embedding a human rights based approach
  • Influencing outcome based commissioning

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said:

“Improving education and training on dementia is key to delivering the National Dementia Strategy. Your Story Matters is an innovative project that will make a real difference to the care given to people with dementia. It will help staff and volunteers see every person as an individual, looking beyond their dementia.”

Full details and online application forms can be found at www.lifestorynetwork.org.uk

Contacts
Jean Tottie – Chair of The Life Story Network C.I.C – mobile 07855 913680 email jean@lifestorynetwork.org.uk
Ruth Eley – Project Lead The Life Story Network C.I.C – mobile 07786 979997 email ruth@lifestorynetwork.org.uk