Care Home Network

To build on the connections made with care homes across Scotland during the pandemic GWT would like to further develop these links by developing a thematic Care Home Network. The Network will provide an opportunity for care home managers and activity leads to learn more about intergenerational work through supportive conversations with colleagues and the sharing of good intergenerational practice.

The overall aim of the Network is to:
• Raise awareness
• Upskill & train
• Build intergenerational partnerships
• Provide networking & mutual support

Future meetings

The network will meet 3 times each year and each of the two-hour meetings will have a one-hour raising awareness/training element.

In 2023 the Care home Network meeting dates will be:

Monday 24th April 10am – 12: this session will be online
Global Intergenerational Week: Celebrating intergenerational learning in care homes
What is it about intergenerational learning that makes it fit so well within adult residential care? There are many benefits that come from embedding intergenerational activities into existing routines, rather than developing it as an additional piece of work; improved engagement for residents and staff and sustainability are just two of them.
This session will explore the benefits and challenges in taking this approach.
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Thursday 21st September 10am – 12: this session will be in person
Come and join us at Methil Haven Care Village – the first intergenerational shared site in Scotland
This is a wonderful opportunity to view the new Methil Haven care home and observe how intergenerational practice is being developed with the onsite nursery in this inspiring space. Discuss with colleagues what difference daily intergenerational interactions makes to the lives of participants, and staff as well as the community. How can this be replicated elsewhere in Scotland?
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Wednesday 15th November 10am – 12: this will be online
Let’s reflect upon 2023 and think about the changes we can make to improve intergenerational practice within care homes in 2024
In so many care homes, intergenerational work is usually carried out by one person and reflecting upon your own intergenerational practice can be lonely and challenging. So join us for this session when as colleagues we can share the challenges we’ve faced in 2023 and how we can potentially overcome them in 2024. For some this may be finding the right community partner, whilst for others it may be lack of training, knowledge or information, finding the right space or even the right activity.
Sharing good practice benefits everyone.

Previous meetings in 2022
Wednesday 20th April – Let’s talk about the importance of effective intergenerational partnerships
The pandemic has had a huge impact upon existing intergenerational partnerships and faced with the challenges of online or distanced activities, many intergenerational programmes have just been put on hold. Let’s take time in this session to consider how we can rekindle the intergenerational partnerships we had and support each other to be ambitious and start to plan for the future when we can bring generations back together. This session will explore intergenerational opportunities in the community and the things that should be planned and considered when restarting or building intergenerational partnerships.

Tuesday 6th September – Intergenerational activities; getting the right balance
A successful intergenerational programme should be mutually beneficial and a positive experience for all age groups with the emphasis and focus of the activity being on how it supports the development of relationships. Where do you start with intergenerational activities, and what do you have to think about and put in place for them to work and bring people together? When working with different age groups this isn’t always easy – what component do you need to make the magic happen? This session will explore how we can make sure that we are offering a range of mutually beneficial inclusive activities which enable this to happen.

Tuesday 22nd November – Measuring & evaluating intergenerational work; where do you start?
The benefits of intergenerational learning are wide ranging, and impact positively not only upon the participants but also upon staff and practitioners, the workplace, and the community. To raise awareness of the effectiveness of intergenerational learning we need to get better at capturing what has worked and the impact it has, so that we can share it with others. In this session we will host a discussion with Network Members on the monitoring and evaluation tools that are available and the techniques that people use to build confidence in applying them.
“There is no point in just putting something out in the ether and not listening to the echoes.”

Meeting notes

Presentation PDF