Ae fond farewell - some final thoughts from Alison

Published in News on 28 May 2015

Yesterday (May 26th) I organised my last event for Iriss. It focused on Achieving A Better Life for People Living with Dementia and was based in part on the DEEP project (Developing Evidence-enriched Practice) funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Case studies from this project (one from North Lanarkshire, one from Gwalia in Wales) were supplemented by inputs from Emma Miller on personal outcomes, from Ann Pascoe on three key dementia challenges, and from our own Keeping it Personal project. The reason I am detailing this content is because, on reflection, yesterday epitomised for me just a few of the key achievements of Iriss over the last few years:

  • Partnership working - DEEP was a partnership project, both between Swansea University (the lead) and Iriss, and with a range of practitioners in each of the six case study areas. Iriss is indebted to our wide range of partners who work with us in a variety of different ways. And of course as we go forward with our next three year strategy, Partnership for the Future - Changing Minds, Changing Cultures, Changing Lives, and into the world of integration the focus on partnership can only increase.
  • Co-design - the input from Keeping it Personal, presented by three family carers, two people living with dementia and the Iriss project manager, both spoke to the co-design approach which was adopted and in their presentation exemplified a co-design philosophy. With the support of our service designers, Iriss has made leaps and bounds in working to our interpretation of a co-design approach, exemplified by the achievements of the SDS Pilotlight pathways.
  • Engaging with front-line practitioners across sectors - those attending yesterday's event came from a variety of local authorities and independent providers and a range of roles, suggesting we are meeting our goal of continually extending our reach.
  • Innovation and improvement - Ann Pascoe's presentation highlighted three innovative developments promoted from the grass roots; moreover her organisation, Dementia Friendly Communities CIC, is itself innovative in concept. The Innovation and Improvement programme at Iriss has progressed over the last five years from a paper plan to sophisticated delivery, confronting the challenges of sustainability and scale.
  • Personal outcomes approach - over more than a decade Emma Miller has been at the forefront of promoting and enhancing a personal outcomes approach. Iriss has contributed to this agenda, both through the Iriss Insight and associated animation written by Emma and through our Leading for Outcomes programmes. Moreover the implementation of this approach reflects one of the strongest examples of research to practice.

Having spent most of my career doing research, over ten years ago I moved to England (to Research in Practice for Adults) to seek to implement my arguments for evidence-based practice. I expected to remain there until I retired (or as I used to say 'took the final road north' until someone suggested that sounded like my funeral procession..). However in September 2009 I was able to return to Scotland to continue that passion - but with a larger group and with two complementary programmes, Innovation and Improvement and Knowledge Media. It has been the icing on the cake. We have developed an exceptional staff group and, I hope, a very effective working model. I am constantly amazed by the variety of innovative ideas which staff propose. We have convinced people we are here to support them and to work with them to find solutions. We have been allowed to fail and we have been supported to explore new ideas, epitomised by our Imagining the Future scenarios. As I move on, a transition softened only by the move up north, I very much hope that Iriss retains the same spirit of open enquiry, of co-design and partnership, and of commitment to our essential core principles and values. Thank you for a wonderful five and a half years and the privilege of ending my working life on a high!