Alzheimer’s Society publish reports on dementia training for social care staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
The Alzheimer’s Society has published a collection of reports entitled ‘The training gap: a hidden injustice in dementia care and how to fix it’.
The reports focus on dementia training for social care staff across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and were produced by Leeds Beckett University’s Centre for Dementia Research and IFF Research.
The reports are built on reviews of training packages across social care providers and results from surveying social care staff. Key findings include:
- Half of social care staff receive just one to two hours of dementia learning
- Over a third of staff do not have basic knowledge of dementia, with only 52% feeling ‘very competent’ in the care they are providing.
As a result of their findings, Alzheimer’s Society are calling for the UK government to introduce mandatory dementia training for care staff.
Michelle Dyson CB, CEO at Alzheimer’s Society, says:
“Without high quality dementia training, social care will remain dangerously inconsistent, leaving families unsure whether loved ones will be supported with dignity and expertise.”
Read the reports, plus policy briefings, here: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/what-we-do/policy-and-influencing/training-gap