Co-Producing National Intergenerational Practice Standards
Parallel 4
18 November, 2026 12:00 – 1:10 pmCo-producing Activity and Engagement in Care Homes
Anqa is the Research and Impact Lead at NAPA, where she coordinates research and evaluation activities to assess and communicate the impact of the charity’s work. She supports the development of research initiatives, ensuring they are informed by evidence, learning, and best practice.
Anqa is a business management and research professional with experience spanning the UK and Pakistan. Her background includes roles in academia, international development research, and the charitable sector. She holds an MBA in Marketing and Finance, as well as an MSc in International Employment Relations and Human Resource Management, and has recently completed further study in health and social care research.
Outside of her professional work, Anqa enjoys long country walks, singing, and travelling. She is a keen history enthusiast, a mother of two, and takes pride in caring for her collection of pet fish.
Hilary is the Chief Executive Officer of NAPA, where she provides strategic vision and leadership to ensure the charity continues to grow and make a meaningful difference across the care sector. With over 30 years’ experience in social care, her passion for activity and engagement began in the late 1980s while working as a care worker. With a background in drama and the creative arts, Hilary was one of the UK’s first activity providers. Her career has since spanned leadership roles in social care management, workforce development, and service improvement. In 2013, she established a dementia specialist support agency, further strengthening her commitment to high-quality, person-centred care.
Hilary joined NAPA in 2019 and is dedicated to ensuring the organisation is shaped by the voices and experiences of its members. She strongly believes that meaningful activity is essential to wellbeing and is passionate about supporting care services to prioritise connection, creativity, and quality of life.
She holds a BA in Drama and an MA in Social Work Management. Outside of work, Hilary enjoys spending time with family and friends, musical theatre, and interior design.
Hilary Woodhead
NAPA
Hilary is the Chief Executive Officer of NAPA, where she provides strategic vision and leadership to ensure the charity continues to grow and make a meaningful difference across the care sector. With over 30 years’ experience in social care, her passion for activity and engagement began in the late 1980s while working as a care worker. With a background in drama and the creative arts, Hilary was one of the UK’s first activity providers. Her career has since spanned leadership roles in social care management, workforce development, and service improvement. In 2013, she established a dementia specialist support agency, further strengthening her commitment to high-quality, person-centred care.
Hilary joined NAPA in 2019 and is dedicated to ensuring the organisation is shaped by the voices and experiences of its members. She strongly believes that meaningful activity is essential to wellbeing and is passionate about supporting care services to prioritise connection, creativity, and quality of life.
She holds a BA in Drama and an MA in Social Work Management. Outside of work, Hilary enjoys spending time with family and friends, musical theatre, and interior design.
Summary
The National Activity Providers Association (NAPA) is leading a national programme to develop Intergenerational Engagement Standards for care homes across the UK. This work responds to growing evidence that meaningful connections between older and younger generations can improve wellbeing, reduce loneliness, and strengthen identity for people living with dementia. While many services are already delivering intergenerational activities, research with the University of Chichester and the University of Hertfordshire highlights inconsistency in practice and a lack of clear guidance. This programme will address that gap by co-producing practical, evidence-based standards with people living in care settings, families, professionals, and young people. The session will share key insights from research and co-production, and explore how these standards can support safe, inclusive, and sustainable intergenerational engagement as a core component of high-quality dementia care.