Beyond the webinar. How a national allied health professional (AHP) webinar series in Scotland is contributing to a workforce skilled in dementia.
Lunchtime Sessions 1
17 November, 2026 1:20 – 2:05 pmElectronic Posters
Wendy Chambers
Dementia Consultant (occupational therapist)
NHS Dumfries and Galloway
Summary
Training and education of current and future health and social care staff remain a priority in Scotland’s 10-year dementia strategy. Learning, aligned to the Promoting Excellence Framework, is fundamental in supporting a culture of transformational change, improving outcomes and care experience for people living with dementia. Accessing learning has become increasingly flexible for our digitally skilled workforce, with webinars now an accepted format contributing to a hybrid education model.
The National Allied Health Professional (AHP) Dementia Webinar series has provided a strategic and collaborative response to delivering transformational change, contributing to a workforce skilled in biopsychosocial dementia rehabilitation. Since 2018 the webinar series has delivered 40 collaborative learning sessions, with an audience including health, social care, education, third sector, statutory organisations and government policy influencers, from across the UK and abroad. The webinars aim to raise awareness of AHP roles and share evidence-informed best practice examples. Recognised in SIGN (168) as a reliable resource, the AHP webinars showcase the positive impact which AHPs, and the self-management resources they have developed, can have to support people with dementia, their families and carers.
Established pre-covid, the AHP webinar series continues to develop in response to and in partnership with voices of lived experience. Members of Active Voice groups in Scotland have co-facilitated learning sessions alongside AHPs, and people with lived experience join the audience. Webinar recordings are freely available, shared via social media and blogs. Impact data is monitored and shared.
Public engagement suggests further work is required, with continued awareness raising of AHP roles and the suite of AHP evidence-based self-management resources. In 2026 the AHP webinar series aims to address this, delivering 4 targeted webinars, supported by lived experience and higher education partners, to continue to connect people and professionals to support, bridging the policy ambitions to practice change gap.