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University pledge to support people affected by dementia

º£½ÇÖ±²¥ has been officially recognised for working to become a Dementia Friendly organisation.

It comes after dozens of staff attended dementia friends sessions to become ‘dementia aware’ and the University has pledged to work with and support those affected by dementia. The Dementia Friendly certification was officially presented to the University by Brian Rowcroft, Project Lead for Dementia Friendly Middlesbrough.

The Dementia Friendly initiative aims to ensure people living with dementia are able to remain active and included members of their communities, maintain their independence for as long as possible, be treated with understanding and respect and receive support when necessary.

Middlesbrough is officially recognised as a Dementia Friendly town and both mima and the Students’ Union are also recognised as working to become Dementia Friendly organisations.

º£½ÇÖ±²¥ holds a number of accolades which reinforce its commitment as an inclusive and supportive employer and organisation. These include Athena Swan membership, Investors in People Gold award, Mindful Employer status, Better Health at Work Gold and being one of Stonewall’s top 100 employers for the LGBT+ community.

Juliet Amos, Director of Human Resources, said: 'º£½ÇÖ±²¥ is proud of its position as an employer which is committed to inclusivity, equality and diversity across our campus and towards all of our students and staff.

'We are extremely proud to be officially recognised as working to become a Dementia Friendly organisation. As one of the largest employers in the region, a high number of our staff, as well as our student population, will be affected by dementia in some way and we aim to do everything we can to support them.'

Brian Rowcroft added: 'We are delighted to recognise º£½ÇÖ±²¥ as working to become a Dementia Friendly organisation and we have been extremely impressed with the work their staff have been doing.

'They have shown a positive commitment and enthusiasm to support people affected by dementia – either directly or indirectly. This kind of commitment sets a positive example which other organisations can follow.'

Emma Shaw, Administrator for º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s Health and Safety Centre, is the University’s Dementia Champion and delivers dementia training to staff. If anybody would like to undergo the training, please email Emma.Shaw@tees.ac.uk.