Living Lab - Exploring knowledge gaps in the Alzheimer's Society helpline workforce

An Alzheimer's Society helpline worker picks up the phone, and the caller's needs do not fit neatly into any existing script or training module. This project funds a "linking pin" worker who will sit inside the Alzheimer's Society helpline team to identify exactly where the current workforce lacks the knowledge, resources, or confidence to respond effectively. The problem is that helpline staff handle a wide range of complex, emotional, and practical questions from people with dementia and their carers, yet the training and support systems may have gaps that leave callers without the help they need. By embedding a researcher directly in the helpline operation, the project can map those gaps in real time—not from a survey or a lab, but from the actual conversations and challenges staff face daily. If successful, this work could lead to better training materials, updated call-handling protocols, or new referral pathways that make the helpline more useful for the people who rely on it. The impact is immediate and practical: a more effective helpline means better support for families navigating dementia, without requiring any new drugs or technology.