The Health and Adults Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Panel met to discuss Doncaster's dementia strategy, and to review their work plan. The meeting was scheduled to include a discussion of progress and next steps for Doncaster's dementia strategy, as well as an overview of the panel's work plan and the council's forward plan of key decisions.

Doncaster's Dementia Strategy

The panel was scheduled to discuss progress made on Doncaster's dementia strategy and consider next steps. A report prepared for the meeting noted that there are an estimated 4,520 people in Doncaster living with dementia, and that this figure is expected to rise to 5,629 by 2035.

The report noted feedback from people living with dementia in Doncaster in 2023, which included:

• long diagnosis wait times
• a wait to receive care and treatment following diagnosis
• difficulty finding services
• transport to services needing to improve
• services and organisations not working collaboratively enough
• people living alone with no family not accessing the same quality support as those with family members advocating on their behalf
• people would have made different decisions about their care, treatment and residency had they been given all the information to do so

In response to this feedback, Team Doncaster organisations including Doncaster Council, NHS Integrated Care Board, Rotherham, Doncaster & South Humber NHS Foundation Trust, Age UK, and Alzheimer's Society developed a borough-wide dementia strategy.

The vision within the strategy was to make Doncaster the most dementia-friendly city. Work was organised through five workstream areas:

• Information advice and guidance
• Receiving a diagnosis
• Support following a diagnosis
• Support for carers
• Cross cutting themes (coproduction, health inequalities, data, dignity and compassion and training and development)

The Team Doncaster Dementia Strategy Delivery Plan set out progress made against the aims with notable achievements as follows:

• Implementation of two new redesigned services: Mindset (clinical support delivered by Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust and Alzheimer's Society) and Keep In Mind (community therapies delivered by Age UK)
• A dementia voice group has been established by Mindset to ensure services are fully co-produced and constructive feedback can be looked in to and resolved.
• A brand-new dementia directory booklet has been co-produced and launched both online and in paper format providing information, advice and guidance on all thing's dementia consisting of both local and national information.
• Doncaster Council has sent targeted emails about dementia support which have been opened by 46,410 residents, had over 500 visitors to the Yourlife Doncaster Dementia Page and the 2025 dementia survey completed by 485 residents. The partnership has also hosted 3 public events at Eco Power Stadium to raise awareness of support available to people living with dementia in Doncaster with over 500 people attending.
• Links have been made with various partners to ensure a collaborative approach is taken to maximise support for people living with dementia across a whole host of services

The Dementia Partnership Board is proposing to co-produce a further strategy to build on recent improvements and address remaining areas for development.

Overview and Scrutiny Work Plan and the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions

The Panel was also scheduled to review its overview and scrutiny work plan, and the council's forward plan of key decisions. The forward plan