York St John University academic calls for emotionally intelligent dementia care at UK Dementia Congress
Focusing on the emotional experience must be the foundation to person-led dementia care, according to experts from the Institute for Health and Care Improvement at York St John University.
The future of quality dementia care relies on understanding and emotional awareness that the experience of dementia heightens feelings and lessens thinking, according to Professor David Sheard from the Institute for Health and Care Improvement (IHCI) at York St John University. He explained that this approach requires emotional intelligence to support the complex emotions experienced by families, carers, and professionals working in health and social care. Speaking at the 19th UK Dementia Congress, Professor Sheard, a globally influential expert on the culture of care, said that truly effective dementia care depends on the ability to connect with and respond to people’s complex emotions, not just on clinical expertise.
The 19th UK Dementia Congress (UKDC), organised by Dementia Community, was held on 17 and 18 November 2025 in Manchester. The event brought together people with lived experience, alongside professionals from health, social care, housing, arts, and culture. Keynote speakers included Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Professor John Keady from the University of Manchester. David Sheard, Professor of Emotional Intelligence in Care at the IHCI, presented his analysis of the historical and current landscape in dementia care, using his experience in health and care settings to explain why he believes emotional intelligence in care is the missing foundational piece.
Professor Sheard worked for 14 years as a social worker specialising in dementia care and mental health before founding Dementia Care Matters, where he served as CEO for 23 years and pioneered culture change in dementia care. His work, including the creation of Butterfly Homes, focused on improving quality of life for people living with dementia, earning him the Care Personality of the Year award in 2014 for his transformative impact on care culture. Alongside collaborations with the Alzheimer’s Society, the NHS, and voluntary and independent care sectors, he has championed person-centred leadership, inclusion of lived experience, and research on vulnerability during the pandemic.
Professor Sheard said: “Living with dementia is one of the key challenges of our time. Supporting people through this experience means recognising them as whole individuals and meeting them in their own reality with empathy, which requires emotional awareness and skill. By practising emotional intelligence, we can engage with people authentically and support them where they are in their journey.”
In addition to Professor Sheard’s symposium, a team from the IHCI presented their findings from past and current research on dementia. This included research on young onset dementia, undertaken by Vanessa Baxter, Service Manager and Researcher at the IHCI. Commissioned by Dementia Forward, a charity that supports people living with or caring for someone with dementia in York and North Yorkshire, the research in 2024 highlighted a lack of age-appropriate support for people with young onset dementia and their families. Findings revealed that activities and services intended to support those with young onset dementia should be age-appropriate, social, flexible, person-led, meaningful, tailored to evolving needs, inclusive and empowering.
Addressing attendees at the Congress, Professor Garry Tew, Director of the Institute for Health and Care Improvement, said: “We are immensely proud that York St John University served as the academic partner for the UK Dementia Congress. This partnership reflects our deep commitment to improving care through evidence, empathy, and education. By placing emotional intelligence in care at the heart of the conversation, we are helping to shape a future where equal priority is given to supporting emotional labour in the workforce and the emotional lived experience of people.”
The Institute for Health and Care Improvement will build on discussions from the UKDC to advance research into how emotional intelligence enhances care culture, leadership, and lived experience. Following an Expression of Interest at the event, the Institute will collaborate with care providers to take this work forward. Professor David Sheard will continue to share expertise in this field through consultancy, training, podcasts, and publications.
Find out more about the Institute for Health and Care Improvement at: https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/research/institute-for-health-and-care-improvement/
Find out more about the 19th UK Dementia Congress at: https://journalofdementiacare.co.uk/events/uk-dementia-congress