Who are your key Sporting Memories carer contacts? Expand Our Carer Champion is Nikki Foster07515 916305[email protected] Our Senior Carer Lead is Susie Brindley07828 974224[email protected] Wales We are delighted to have been awarded Carer Friendly accreditation in Wales. For carer support in the Gwent region, you might like to contact the Gwent Carers Hub, which offers a one-stop-shop for carers to get information, advice and practical support relating to their care role across the Gwent region: 3 Central Mews, Pontypool, Torfaen NP4 6LYTelephone: 01495 367564
Who runs the sessions and are they trained? Expand Our Clubs (including our online sessions) are led by experienced Session Facilitators, who may be Sporting Memories staff or volunteers. Our staff and volunteers who are delivering sessions take part in comprehensive Sporting Memories training and ongoing development and review. All our staff and volunteers have undergone PVG (Scotland) or DBS (England and Wales) disclosure checks for working with vulnerable groups.
How do Sporting Memories Clubs help with conditions such as dementia? Expand At our Clubs (including during our online sessions) we use various prompts relating to sport to stimulate conversation and positive memories. Our ‘One-to-one reminiscence’ video tells you more about this and demonstrates some of the techniques we use, which can also be used at home. We have also produced a video about reminiscence by telephone, for those occasions when being together may not be possible. To watch the videos, visit our One-to-one reminiscence page.
What level of care are you able to offer during a session? Expand When we meet in person, we provide a safe environment that is welcoming and accessible to everyone. We are unable to provide personal care but you are welcome to stay to provide this support.
I would like to stay but not take part. Is that OK? Expand Yes, you are more than welcome to stay (and this includes joining us for our online sessions). You might like to do this if the person you care for does not at first feel confident or comfortable taking part on their own.
Do I need to stay? Expand If you feel comfortable leaving the person you care for, you don’t need to stay. In fact carers often tell us they welcome the opportunity when possible to go out for a coffee, shop, socialise with friends or share their stories with each other.
Will the venue be accessible and dementia friendly? Expand Yes, all our venues are fully accessible. Our staff and volunteers are dementia friends trained and will be there to meet you on arrival.
Do you provide transport? Expand Unfortunately we are unable to provide transport to and from our sessions. Our venues have parking and are close to public transport links.
What if there are no Sporting Memories Clubs near me? Expand We are working hard to open more Clubs across the UK. We also offer online Sporting Memories sessions that everyone is welcome to join, no matter where you live. If you would like to receive our latest news, you can sign up to our newsletter by following the link at the bottom of this page, or follow us on Facebook.
Do you have information about safeguarding? Expand The Sporting Memories Foundation is committed to ensuring that the vulnerable groups who use our services and our staff and volunteers are protected because there are effective procedures in place. We also aim to ensure that no staff member, or existing or prospective volunteer, is discriminated against, that our recruitment and selection practices are fair, and that they comply with current legislation and best practice. The Sporting Memories Foundation will undertake to: Require all relevant personnel engaged in the delivery of Sporting Memories Clubs, whether paid staff, volunteers or prospective volunteers, be registered with the relevant authorities. In England and Wales, all individuals will be required to register and have a check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS); in Scotland all individuals must become members of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. Maintain an up-to-date list of designated staff for each region who will be available to advise and assist with applications where necessary. Comply with the guidance issued by the DBS checking service provider and Disclosure Scotland in dealing with applications for the DBS /PVG Scheme in your home country. Ensure that the information obtained from the issuing authority will be stored securely. Be responsible for providing any guidance (or training) regarding safeguarding vulnerable adults for staff or volunteers. Where individuals are paid staff or volunteers under the management of one our delivery partner organisations, we will require the evidence of the relevant check and suitability of named individuals to deliver in any of our SMF clubs.