ACTIV8 - Keep on moving
The CAPA (Care About Physical Activity) improvement programme was commissioned by the Scottish Government and was designed by Edith Macintosh, who is the Head of Improvement Support for the Care Inspectorate.
On the 11th of September i was invited to attend the ACTIV8 - keep on moving conference with Carole Birkett (Dalriada’s Training Coordinator). After first hearing about the CAPA project earlier in the year at the Scottish Care conference, I was very keen to find out more information on what had been going on and how we could implement these ideas into our own practice.
The CAPA team have been working with 8 partnerships across Scotland to build on the skills, knowledge and confidence of social care staff to enable those they care for to increase their levels of physical activity and Move More Often.
When we arrived at Perth Concert Hall we were met by at atmosphere of enthusiasm (not to mention an amazing spread of refreshments) and there were “keep on moving” stations set up, where people were having a go at some of the activities that have been designed to encourage and improve movement.
Throughout the morning we heard many inspiring examples of how the programme had improved the lives of people experiences care. These case studies can be found at www.capa.scot - My personal favourite was Billie Jordan and her Hip Op-eration Crew; a hip hop dance group consisting of members aged 73 to 98 years old.
Before we took our lunch break we were turned into an “Instant Choir” by the wonderful Stephen Deazley. A whole auditorium singing and dancing in unison to Marvin Gaye’s Sunny. It was a fun way to finish off an amazing morning.
After lunch we attended a workshop on “Having a good conversation.” Chaired by Bob Laventure, Physical Activity Consultant, Later Life Training. The workshop provided good information and examples of what a good conversation looks like, and how we can use these to discuss what motivates people who experience care to Move More Often.
After the workshops we returned to the Auditorium, where awards were presented to some of the organisations who’s innovative and transformational stories have made a real difference to peoples lives.
Before the conference ended we were asked to make our own pledge as to what the next steps for ourselves would be. My pledge is to take the enthusiasm I felt at the end of the day and use it to motivate and encourage not only myself but also my staff, service users, friends and family to Move More Often.
Please check out the website www.capa.scot for more information and to see what you can do to help!