People with dementia are at the heart of a city council initiative to encourage businesses in Norwich to take steps to help support those living with the condition.
The council’s business merit scheme promotes businesses that provide additional environmental and health related benefits to its customers.
The council is working in partnership with the Norwich City Dementia Action Alliance to deliver the new dementia awareness merit.
Businesses must meet the following criteria to achieve the new merit:
- Have 20 per cent of employees attend an Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Friends or other awareness session
- Make sure employee inductions include dementia awareness
- Be a member of the Norwich City Dementia Action Alliance and pledge support for making Norwich an inclusive city for people living with dementia.
The other business merits the council currently have are:
- breastfeeding friendly
- disabled access and toilets
- healthier options Norfolk award
- pledge for health
- we buy local
- responsible alcohol sales – ‘best bar none'
All business merits are listed on the council’s website www.norwich.gov.uk/businessmerits
Councillor Kevin Maguire, cabinet member for safe city environment, said: “We are so pleased to launch the new business merit as part of our continuing commitment to making Norwich a healthy city for all.
“The merit provides a platform on which local businesses can showcase their values and will be of real benefit to those people living with dementia.”
Dan Skipper, chair of the Norwich City Dementia Action Alliance, said: “We want people living with dementia and their families to know the local organisations who are working hard to make their services more inclusive and understanding.
"This new merit provides a simple marker for food outlets to show this, and for the public to easily find out which organisations are dementia aware.”
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