Document Category: Community Cohesion

The Connect Somerset Impact Report 2024 showcases how VCFSE organisations play a central role in Somerset’s early‑help system. Connect Somerset is a partnership of Somerset Council, the NHS, education and community services. Overall, the report demonstrates how VCFSE involvement enhances early intervention, community resilience and accessible local support – providing useful insight into how the sector contributes to, and benefits from, joined‑up local systems.

Year‑in‑review of performances, screenings and participation; includes in‑house pantomime production and engagement outcomes. Details community events such as playdays and projects that have been run for health and wellbeing, access and inclusion and the environment.

Taunton Brewhouse Annual Review 2024 showcases arts, culture & heritage delivering social impact across Somerset – strengthening participation, wellbeing and inclusion. Programmes for older people and youth theatre, partnerships and access initiatives connect audiences, nurture skills and build community cohesion; children & young people; mental health and wellbeing; equality & diversity. Useful evidence for VCSEs planning creative engagement and place-based activity.

Taunton Brewhouse Annual Review 2023 showcases arts, culture & heritage delivering social impact across Somerset- strengthening participation, wellbeing and inclusion. Programmes for older people and youth theatre, partnerships and access initiatives connect audiences, nurture skills and build community cohesion; children & young people; mental health and wellbeing; equality & diversity. Useful evidence for VCSEs planning creative engagement and place-based activity.

Updates on Somerset’s Armed Forces Covenant delivery, champions, and statutory duty changes, plus local initiatives and hubs that charities can link with.

Woodland management and nature‑based wellbeing outcomes in the Blackdown Hills; relevant to forestry practice and land stewardship.

Sets out a county-wide framework for recruiting, supporting and celebrating volunteers across 70+ roles. Clarifies standards, safeguarding, data protection, and the Central Volunteer Team’s processes.

‘The World Turned Upside Down’ is a play that was staged in Exeter in January 2022. This film shows both the play itself and the process of creating it. We hope that many different types of people will be interested in ‘The World Turned Upside Down’. This guide is designed to help you set up and run your own screening in your local community. Inside are suggestions for how to set up and facilitate a screening event, but everyone’s set-up and audience will be unique. Pick and choose what will work best for you.

Supporting South Asian carers of relatives with dementia in Rochdale – an Evaluation Report
An evaluation of the Dementia Dekh Bhaal (meaning ‘to care for dementia’) project, set up by tide (together in dementia everyday). The project was commissioned to address the needs of South Asian carers by developing and delivering a training package for professionals, campaign to increase awareness and use the power of stories to change perceptions. The project used an Asset Based Community Development approach and used ‘Lived Experience’. It was seen as successful and was recommended to be embedded in other community engagement projects

A guide for those living with dementia and their carers and family. The toolkit is arranged in 5 themes – stay safe and well, stay connected, keep a sense of purpose, stay active, stay positive. It was created based on research and co-production with a group of people with dementia and carers. Includes links to research and signposts to further information for resources to help people with dementia. An example of how documents can be made accessible, with explanations about QR codes etc

This document sets out the vision of a group of dementia organisations in the UK who have come together as One Dementia Voice. It outlines how these organisations are thinking differently about their support for those living with dementia, and how wider societal barriers can be overcome with the right support. It addresses frequently asked questions and provides suggestions on how to embed ‘Dementia and Hope’ into your organisation. There are also many personal stories and examples of how ‘reasonable adjustments’ can and should be made for people with dementia.

Good practice in young onset dementia

This document summarises the findings from The Angela Project, a 3 year long Alzheimer’s Society funded research study. Researchers consulted young people living with dementia and their families, international clinical experts and service providers in the largest study of young onset dementia ever carried out in the UK. It aims to raise awareness of inequalities and provide evidence-based recommendations for good practice on areas of diagnosis, patient support, post-diagnostic support and service design and delivery.

In 2022, Innovations in Dementia working with a number of libraries in the UK to explore their experiences of dementia and opportunities for further work and connection. This document outlines some key findings from that research, divided into 4 key sections: Key statistics about digital exclusion, ‘how to’ tips on bidding for and managing funded dementia projects, case study examples and ‘how to’ guides for supporting and encouraging people to access simple technology. Whilst aimed at libraries, findings apply to anyone considering dementia support and digital inclusion

IDEAL is the largest study of living well with dementia in Great Britain and began in 2014. The eveidence will enable the development of new policy, interventions and initiatives to transform the lives of people with dementia and their carers. The policy brief sets out key messages, key findings, provides information about IDEAL and signposts to resources and research papers

The Labour Party National Youth Strategy, which outlines the actions the government are committing to over the next 10 years to secrure the future that young people have told them that they want

A report commissioned by DCMS’s Secretary of State, highlighting current patterns, challenges, and wants that are shaping young people’s lives. It draws together voices of 14,000+ young people aged 10-21 (up to 25 for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)) who engaged in the National Youth Strategy Survey. It also uses insights collated through policy engagement, qualitative data collection and wider evidence collation. The report is partially based on commissioned research that was led by Savanta and their colleagues at My Life My Say and the #iwill Movement (Volunteering Matters and UK Youth) including their Youth Collaborators.

The Power Threat Meaning Framework is an over-arching structure for identifying patterns in emotional distress, unusual experiences and troubling behaviour, as an alternative to psychiatric diagnosis and classification. The project team’s aim was to produce a foundational document which sets out the philosophical, theoretical and empirical basis for such a framework and describes how it can serve as a conceptual alternative to psychiatric classification in relation to emotional distress and troubled or troubling behaviour.

This is an overview. A full 400+ page report is available from the British Psychological Society.