The Older Adults Therapeutic Service (OATS) is built on principles of recovery through community connection, and therapeutic and meaningful support (including from peers). A Black Country hub with support available in Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton means people will have a choice about where they access groups and 1-1 interventions.
We offer services and support for:
- People of any age who have been diagnosed with mild to moderate stage Dementia (of any type.)
- People who are aged 65 or older and are being supported by services within the Older Adult division of Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
The service offers an assessment at home or another suitable venue to establish a person's therapeutic needs and then offers time limited specialised interventions within OATS or connects the person to a group/community organisation- wherever is best placed to meet the needs identified.
Please use the menu below to find out more and to contact us if any further information is needed.
Referral Criteria:
Referrals can be sent for people diagnosed with Dementia of any age from:
- Memory Assessment Service
- Admiral Nursing Service (the person with Dementia)
- Enhanced Community Mental Health Team for Older Adults (ECMHTOA)
- Older Adults Inpatient Services
- Talking Therapies
- Third Sector Dementia support organisations from across the Black Country
Referrals can be sent for older adults without Dementia over the age of 65 from:
- Enhanced Community Mental Health Team for Older Adults (ECMHTOA)
- Older Adults Inpatient Services
- Talking Therapies
- Admiral Nursing Service (Carers of people with Dementia)
- Memory Assessment Service (Patients who are confirmed to not have Dementia)
All patients being referred must have capacity to make decisions regarding their care and treatment and consent to the referral being made.
Unfortunately, we are not able to accept:
- Self-referrals
- Referrals where the patient hasn't consented
- Patients who lack capacity
- Patients where the predominent feature is an acquired brain injury or drug/alcohol dependency.
Referral Forms
- OATS referral form for internal referral
- OATS referral form for Talking Therapies
- Referral guidance into OATS
Referrals to be emailed to bchft.oatsreferrals@nhs.net.
We have a number of groups available for people diagnosed with Dementia. They are:
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Dementia Information Group- 4 weeks for person with Dementia and supporter. Psychoeducation about Dementia, living well and signposting to local and national support.
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Seeing Past Dementia- 8 weeks for the person with Dementia based on peer support with elements of Compassion Focused Therapy to help those who are struggling to come to terms with their diagnosis.
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Memory Management Skills Group- 8 weeks for the person with dementia and supporter to learn specific strategies to help with a person-centred goal. Uses some principles from Cognitive Rehabilitation.
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Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST)-Non medication treatment for any type of mild-moderate Dementia. Sessions focus on various activites and are proven to help with memory, language and mood. This treatment is recommended in NICE guidelines for Dementia.14 sessions delivered over 7 weeks for the person with Dementia only.
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Football Cognitive Stimulation Therapy- follows the same principles as Cognitive Stimulation Theraoy (CST) but with a football focus. Sessions are either held at Wolverhampton Wanderes Football Club (suported by the Wolves Foundation) or Edward Street Hospital.
1-1 support available:
For patients who are unable or dotn wish to attend the OATS groups, we are able to offer some 1-1 sessions to help carers facilitate either individualised Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (iCST) or Life Story work. We are also able to provide some local signposting information and further support for carers.
For people diagnosed with Dementia under the age of 65, we have recently developed a bespoke group to incorporate elememnts from our exisiting OATS Dementia groups but tailored to the needs of people diagnosed with Young Onset Dementia (YoD):
Young Onset Dementia Group- 10 weekly sessions held at various venues across the Black Country. Some sessions for the person with YoD only and some for supporters also to join. This group combines elements of Dementia information Group, Seeing Past Dementia, Memory Management skills.
We are then able to provide some 1-1 signposting information to approprite support services across the Black Country.
For people with non Dementia mental health difficulties (over the age of 65) we are able to offer a number of different groups:
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Compassion Focused Therapy- 8 weekly sessions to provide infromation about the development of the brain and systems which may affect a persons' feeling of wellness. This group also provides a therapeutic space to develop a variety of skills including mindfulness.
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Discovery Through Activity- 10 weekly sessions of occupation based activity for the patient only, following the Recovery Through Activity manual, aimed to help people reconnect with hobbies and interests to aide their recovery.
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Living with Anxiety- 6 weekly sessions of combination of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Compassion Focused Therapy for the patient only.
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Managing Difficult Emotions- 7 weekly sessions Dialectical Behavioural Therapy skills group for people with complex emotional needs.
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Sleep group (in development)- will be a 5 weekly session group based on principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
1-1 support available:
Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioners (MHWPs) can facilitate 1-1 work under the following categories to help people who may be uncertain about group work (behavioural activation, graded exposure, teaching problem solving skills, improving sleep, recognising and managing emotions, guided self help for binge eating and bullemia, confidence building). They can then continue into an OATS group following completion of the 1-1 work.
Peer support:
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Run a 10 week online peer support group to help further recovery. We may also be able to facilitate this face to face
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They also provide time limited 1-1 support for functional patients to help them get connected with meaningful activity/ hobbies within their local area.
Compasison Focused Therapy in Dementia Research:
Over the last couple of years the OATS team have been lucky in being able to participate in a national feasibility trial to explore the use of Compassion Focused Therapy for people diagnosed with Dementia. We were able to work with colleagues from North East London Foundation Trust and ran two cohorts of the trial where patients (and carers) were recruited and randomly allocated to either receive the Compassion Focused Therapy, or treatment as normal. The team found this a hugely beneficial learning experience and developed lasting partnerships with other trusts and the Research and Delivery team within Black Country Healthcare during the process.
The projet has now received further funding to proceed with a full randomised control trial to look more closely at the effectiveness of the treatment and will be looking to recruit patients in Spring 2026. Once further details have been confirmed we will share links for how people can register their interest in this important research.
OATS team champion the importance of research for Dementia:
The OATS team are working closely with other collesgues within the trust and Join Dementia Research to increase the awarerness around Dementia, emphasising its importance and giving patients advice for how they can learn more about research, and sign up to take part in research if they wish.
We talk alot within our Dementia Information Group and YOung Onsert Dementia group about the role of research and share the following resources with patients and their supporters:
Why you should join: https://youtu.be/bJi5eQbPmaA
How to register or find out more:
Register for Join Dementia Research- registering online
Join dementia research - register your interest in dementia research : Register By Phone- OATS staff can complete a form online to request a call back for you.
At session 1 for all groups we provide a session theme handout so people are aware of the content of each session.
Below are the session plan used in our 7 week CST groups:
Session 1: Phyiscal Games and Team Games
Session 3: Childhood and Orientation
Session 4: Food and Categorisation
Session 5: Current Affairs and Faces and Scenes
Session 6: Using Money and Number Games
Session 7: Word Association and Word Games
Please find the session plans used in our 7 week Football CST groups:
Session 1: Physical Games and Team Games
Session 3: Childhood and Orientation
Session 4: Food and Categorisation
Session 5: Current Affairs and Faces and Scenes
Session 6: Using Money and Number Games
Session 7: Word Association and Word Games
Discover more about our Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) Project.
OATS encouraging volunteers to gain valuable experience:
The OATS team are developing a great partnership with the Trusts Volunteer Service to create opportunities for people wishing to gain experience faciliating groups, working with Older Adults and those diagnosed with Dementia. We are looking forward to receiving our first volunteers in the near future and are excited to learn from each other the joys of running community groups.
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy session plans:
Since OATS first started we have been extremely proud of the quality and diversity of the Cognitive Stimulation Therapy sessions we offer to our patients. We have developed 14 week sessions plans, and, more recently have been trialling 7 week sessions due to the increasing number of referrals into our service. These new sessions are construcuted where patients have 2 sessions weekly and can increase our capacity for being able to facilitate sessions.
Session plans
Traditional CST:
Traditional CST 7 week programme session 1
Traditional CST 7 week programme session 2
Traditional CST 7 week programme session 3
Traditional CST 7 week programme session 4
Traditional CST 7 week programme session 5
Traditional CST 7 week programme session 6
Traditional CST 7 week programme session 7
Traditional CST 14 week programme:
Traditional CST 14 week programme session 1
Traditional CST 14 week programme session 2
Traditional CST 7 week programme session 3
Traditional CST 7 week programme session 4
Traditional CST 7 week programme session 5
Traditional CST 7 week programme session 6
Traditional CST 7 week programme session 7
Football CST 7 week programme:
Football CST 14 week programme:
Older Adults Therapeutic Service group celebrates individuality through artwork
Identity, values and beliefs were explored and celebrated by participants in a therapy group with the Older Adults Therapeutic Service (OATS).
Patients in the Cognitive Stimulation Therapy group in Wolverhampton worked together to construct a group values and beliefs tree.
From family and sunshine to music and friendship, the group got creative through hand drawings to illustrate what matters to them and makes them individuals.
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) aims to actively stimulate and engage people with mild to moderate Dementia within a friendly, sociable environment.
Gemma Lockley, Clinical Lead for the Older Adults Therapeutic Service, said: “They found the session really enjoyable and developed a deep connection with each other throughout the session.
“The patients reflected that it helped them to emphasise their own identity and not be defined by their diagnosis.”
OATS staff reflected afterwards that many of the patients’ own values closely aligned to the Trust’s new values of compassion, accountability, respect and empowerment. The staff noted how stimulating the patients found the session and showed a great level of compassion to each other and themselves throughout the activity.
The creations of the group reflect the brilliant work being done by OATS teams, as they use community connection and meaningful support to aid the quality of life for older adults with Dementia across the Black Country.