Care England responds to the Alzheimer’s Society report on dementia care and training
Care England, the body for independent providers of adult social care, has responded to the Alzheimer’s Society’s ‘Because We’re Human Too‘ report, which has revealed while the number of people with dementia continues to rise, the level of specialist training among care staff has not kept pace with this increasing demand.
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, commented: “People living with dementia are an important and valued part of our society and the staff who care for them must be trained to provide the best possible care.
“The Alzheimer’s Society’s report highlights a critical gap in dementia training across the care sector, and Care England strongly supports their call for mandatory dementia training. We know that well-trained staff improve the quality of life for people with dementia, enhance job satisfaction, and reduce pressures on the wider health and social care systems.
“We need to ensure action is implemented to ensure that dementia training is a fundamental part of care staff development.”
Care England states that it supports the call for mandatory dementia training for care staff, but argues that there needs to be a standard for funded, mandatory training to prevent an opportunity for different organisations to profit from launching random training support.
With nearly one million people living with dementia in the UK, there has been a focus on looking at prevention, however, the charity says that the Government needs to consider and support those living with dementia, today.
The report says currently, 60 per cent of people receiving care at home and 70 per cent of residents in older age residential care have dementia. Yet, alarmingly, only 29 per cent of care staff in England receive any form of dementia training.
As the Alzheimer’s Society points out, there is currently no legal requirement for care staff to undergo dementia training across the UK. This gap in training creates a risk of inconsistent care and leaves both care recipients and care workers without the necessary resources to navigate the complexities of dementia care effectively.
Professor Martin Green OBE added: “Without a fully funded, long-term workforce strategy that includes mandatory dementia training, the care system will continue to fall short in meeting the needs of people living with dementia.
“We urge the government to make a concrete financial commitment to upskill our staff as part of a wider social care workforce strategy. This investment is critical; not just to address today’s challenges, but to build a sustainable care system where every person with dementia receives expert, dignified care from properly trained professionals.”
Care England says that mandatory dementia training is a crucial step in improving care for people living with dementia as this will not only enhance the quality of care but will also empower the care workforce.
It is calling on the UK government and local authorities to take decisive action and make dementia training an essential part of the social care workforce.
In recent news, unsustainable financial and workforce pressures are forcing adult social care providers to turn down new admissions and close services, according to a report published by Care England and Hft.
