Care and Learning Alliance

Care and Learning Alliance in Inverness, funded by The Scottish Government and the EU, is currently employing a small research team to explore innovative models of early learning and childcare.

The research has established several intergenerational projects involving Early Learning Centre (ELC) groups (nurseries) and older adults (living mainly in residential care homes). It has been carried out in Highland area, throughout Scotland and the UK. The research has shown that the delivery of the projects has offered benefits to participants and the communities where they live including:
• increased confidence
• tolerance and understanding
• each group acknowledges the value of the other (young and old)

The projects have ranged from:
• regular visits by one group to another to share purposeful activities
ELC groups and care homes co-located to enable regular daily contact

In order to expand and measure the impact the effectiveness of intergenerational projects we need to invest more in the research on this topic in Scotland. As such it is our aim to work towards embedding intergenerational practice in national policies and legislation, offering a gateway to fully integrated person-centred practice that will benefit every community throughout Scotland.

Intergenerational practice in ELC clearly promotes development of effective and contributing citizens for future Scotland, in line with the expressed aims of The Scottish Government. The report relating this research will be published in March 2020 and will be available through Care and Learning Alliance website.

For more information on this project please contact Jackie Schiller or call on 07821 577977.