Published: 7 May 2025
By Care Innovation Summit
We spoke with Kirsty Dallison-Perry, Head of Consultant Admiral Nursing at Dementia UK, about her career in mental health and national leadership in dementia care. With over 15 years’ experience, she shared insights on compassionate leadership, staff wellbeing, and the future of dementia care across the UK.
Can you tell us about your career in mental health nursing and how it led you to your national leadership role at Dementia UK?
Kirsty: I am a registered mental health nurse and non-medical prescriber, with extensive experience in Older People’s mental health services. My last position within the NHS was as Head of Nursing, where I oversaw a variety of services and held corporate nursing responsibilities across the Trust.
My journey in dementia care began 16 years ago as a Nurse Assessor in a ‘Dementia Rapid Response and Home Treatment Team,’ a team that emerged from the transition from inpatient dementia assessment units to a community care model. I thrived in this role, progressing from a band 5 nurse to Team Manager and Non-Medical Prescriber, eventually becoming the Service Manager for all Older Adults Community Mental Health Teams in the area.
Subsequently, I advanced to a corporate nursing role as Deputy Head of Nursing for Older People’s Services and Adult Acute Inpatient Services, before taking on the role of Head of Nursing.
My dedication to dementia care and commitment to ensuring equitable, high-quality dementia care led me to my current national nursing role at Dementia UK. This position allows me to pursue my passion for dementia care while influencing the provision of high-quality dementia care through Consultant Admiral Nurses on a national scale.
You’ve worked across a wide range of dementia services – from inpatient care to community teams. How has that shaped your approach to leadership?
Kirsty: I am a huge advocate for compassionate and moral leadership, ensuring that as a leader, you create psychologically safe space and truly understand the unique challenges within each area you support and understand that one solution for all isn’t effective. My experience with diverse team cultures has taught me how these differences can impact the quality of care and patient safety, which is a vital skill in leadership
I’ve had the privilege of working with highly experienced multidisciplinary teams as well as very junior teams, each presenting their own successes and challenges. This has required me to adapt my leadership approach while consistently upholding my moral and values base, something I take pride in being known for.
Working across various dementia services has profoundly shaped my leadership approach. It has highlighted the importance of leveraging lived experiences and meaningful coproduction to truly grasp the needs and wishes of individuals living with dementia and their families. This understanding has been pivotal in guiding service delivery and achieving clinical excellence.
What motivates your ongoing focus on staff wellbeing and professional development in dementia care?
Kirsty: Having witnessed firsthand the detrimental effects of low morale and poor staff wellbeing on teams, and how these issues can lead to reduced quality of care and patient outcomes, I am deeply committed to addressing these challenges.
As a Professional Nurse Advocate, I am guided by the principles of the A-EQUIP model—Advocacy, Education, and Quality Improvement—which aim to support the nursing profession, enhance patient care, and create positive work environments.
I firmly believe that creating safe, positive, and forward-thinking work environments is essential for improving patient outcomes, quality of care, and patient safety. By prioritising staff wellbeing and providing opportunities for continuous professional development, we can achieve these goals. For instance, I am initiating a project as part of my Florence Nightingale Leadership Scholarship to develop a national Admiral Nurse Career Pathway, which will support the recruitment and retention of our dementia specialist nurses.
How do you think innovative approaches like restorative clinical supervision or nurse-led models can support better outcomes for people with cognitive impairment?
Kirsty: Restorative clinical supervision provides a supportive space for nurses to reflect on their practice, discuss challenges, and receive emotional support. This not only helps in reducing burnout and improving staff wellbeing but also ensures that nurses are better equipped to provide high-quality dementia care.
What developments or practices do you feel hold the most promise for improving dementia care in the near future?
Kirsty: Ensuring that everyone affected by dementia has access to high-quality support and advice from specialist dementia nurses throughout their journey is crucial. Currently, access to this type of support varies significantly depending on geographic location and community. At Dementia UK, our mission is to create a world where no one faces dementia alone, and everyone receives the specialist support they need.
To achieve this, we are developing our next Dementia UK strategy aimed at addressing these disparities and ensuring equitable access to our Admiral Nurses. However, this requires equitable investment in dementia care within health and social care systems.
The investment and confidence in utilising AI and assistive technology within dementia care is also something that I believe can improve dementia care. However, it is crucial to recognise that how AI is used in dementia care is what truly matters, ensuring it is applied thoughtfully and ethically to meet the specific needs of individuals.
To join Kirsty’s session, book your place at Care Innovation Summit today.
