Co-producing a quality service standards framework for people with dementia
Project Background
The Facilitator project with Meeting Centres Scotland will develop a co-produced Quality Standards Framework to ensure consistent, high-quality, person-centred dementia support across its network.
This framework will balance each centre’s unique, community-led spirit with the need for accountability and reliability, benefiting people living with dementia, their families, and funders. Meeting Centres Scotland’s co-production approach, involving people with lived experience in decision-making, aligns with IMPACT’s mission of bottom-up, evidence-informed change. With IMPACT’s support, Meeting Centres Scotland will unify best practices, strengthen local partnerships, and create a transparent model that enhances sustainability and trust. This project is based in Dundee, Scotland.
IMPACT Factfile
- Year: 2025 – 2026
- Delivery Model: Facilitator
- Four Nations: Scotland
- Resources:
Evidence Review
There is limited evidence for different methodological approaches in the dementia care and support context and particularly of involving people living with dementia as experts. Overall, however, the evidence available shows that the inclusion of people with lived experience is associated with the development of more meaningful and relevant standards and indicators. While no single approach exists for how best to develop new quality standards frameworks and indicators using coproduction processes, the evidence reviewed contains the following recommendations for how standards and quality indicators should be developed:
- With a national or service-focused strategy in mind to guide development.
- Using evidence about what people with dementia and their families value to provide a clear rationale for each quality standard or statement.
- In co-production with people with lived experience of dementia and unpaid carers as well as professionals.
- Containing standards applicable to all people with dementia and unpaid carers.
- Containing clearly defined quality indicators for each standard that can be evidenced and measured in ways that are not onerous.
- To promote access to services and support for people from socially marginalised groups and protect their rights, and
- Be written in person-first language from the perspective of someone with dementia or an unpaid carer for someone with dementia.
The evidence in the review also highlights a range of methods that can be used to co-produce a quality framework and indicators. In selecting methods, consideration should be given to:
- The time and resources available.
- Keeping in touch with participants between activities, e.g., providing feedback between meetings.
- Presenting materials that are clear and understandable for the people who will be involved.
- Providing ongoing guidance about what is involved.
- Recruiting participants through existing organisations / services to improve diversity and retention.
- Consider using additional visual and non-visual methods to aid engagement and understanding, if appropriate.
Meet Our Facilitator: Andy Wynd
