Country Court has appointed Susannah Barker-Milan as its new Strategic Dementia Lead, strengthening the organisation’s commitment to delivering outstanding, person-centred care for people living with dementia across its family of care and nursing homes.
Susannah brings extensive expertise and leadership experience across Adult Social Care, Dementia Care, Nursing, Residential, and Domiciliary Care services. With a career spanning over 30 years, she has played a pivotal role in shaping dementia care practices nationally. Notably, Susannah worked with the renowned Bradford Dementia Group, where she led the national development of Dementia Care Mapping in Supported Living and supported its implementation across UK care organisations.
Her career also includes serving as an Associate Lecturer at the University of Lincoln, specialising in dementia, and contributing her knowledge within local authorities, universities, independent care organisations, and as a registered manager.
Susannah’s dedication and impact have been recognised through numerous awards, including:
Her depth of experience, combined with her award-winning contributions, make Susannah a respected leader and enthusiastic advocate for excellence in dementia care.
In this newly created role, Susannah will support teams across Country Court to deliver excellent dementia care, share best practice, and champion truly person-centred approaches in every home. She will also play a key role in listening to residents and their families, ensuring their voices shape how dementia care continues to evolve.
Susannah will lead the development and rollout of “Enriched Lives – The Meaningful Engagement (ME) Approach”, Country Court’s new dementia strategy and development framework. A key focus will be the successful implementation of Dementia Champions across the organisation. We recognise that cultural change within a large group takes time, which is why Dementia Champions will play a pivotal role in driving this transformation—creating momentum and sparking a ripple effect that influences practice and attitudes at every level.
“At the heart of great dementia care is seeing the person, not the condition. My focus is on working alongside our teams, residents and families to make sure every interaction counts – that people feel known, understood and supported, every day. I’m excited to help shape ‘Enriched Lives – The ME Approach’ with our homes and to build a culture where staff feel confident, residents feel truly seen and families feel included.”
“Susannah’s appointment as Strategic Dementia Lead is an important step in our long-term commitment to dementia excellence. Her role will help us prepare for emerging national expectations, including the Care Quality Commission’s forthcoming Dementia Strategy, and ensure that we are not just meeting standards, but actively shaping what great dementia care looks like.”
The dementia development pilot is the first step towards an internal dementia accreditation for Country Court homes, recognising teams that demonstrate consistently high-quality, person-centred dementia care. The programme will focus on staff development, resident wellbeing, and family experience, with an emphasis on practical tools, reflection and ongoing learning.
Get in touch
For more information, contact Susannah Barker-Milan, Strategic Dementia Lead. Email: dementiacare@countrycourtcare.com
