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Dementia awareness training may be more effective than coconut oil.

Alex Masters via Compfight

Last week’s dementia cure story involved coconut oil and you can read the Daily Mail feature here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2258665/Alzeimers-Can-coconut-oil-ease-Families-whove-given-loved-ones-swear-it.html

I don’t want to be critical or cynical. If people really are achieving significant results with something as simple as two spoonsful of coconut oil twice a day that can only be good – and certainly deserves proper evaluation. And there are plenty of other non-medical and complementary interventions that seem to make a difference to the rate at which the condition progresses and the severity of symptoms experienced.

In spite of such stories, a cure or treatment that will make a significant difference to the quality of life experienced by people with dementia still seems a long way off.  But there are many practical and helpful things that we can do.

People with dementia are not the problem

I believe that we need to view the challenge as an issue for society – particularly for individuals and organisations providing services to people with dementia – rather than for people with the condition and their families.

A great deal of misunderstanding, difficulty and distress could be avoided if, throughout society, we had more people who understood how to recognise the symptoms of dementia, and had a good grasp of why people with the condition behave in the ways that they do. A clearer general understanding of dementia among public transport staff, hairdressers, shop staff and so on would help service providers gain the confidence that they are acting appropriately. Fear of saying or doing the wrong thing can be a barrier to people engaging properly – but people with dementia need effective human interaction just as much as anyone.

It’s good to hear that the Government are on the same wave length and all the parties have signed up to support the Prime Minister’s recent dementia challenges. Read more here: http://dementiachallenge.dh.gov.uk/about-the-challenge/

Distance learning for care staff

At Venus we are putting together a series of distance learning workbooks for staff who are working with people with dementia. The level 2 Dementia Awareness Award is coming first and will cost £165 per person. It includes four workbooks that learners are supported to complete.  There is Workforce Development Funding from Skills for Care that social care providers can access retrospectively to help towards costs. There will also be a Level 3 course coming later in the year.

We have also published a Dementia Toolkit aimed at those providing services for people with dementia. It provides a wealth of resources for staff training, reminiscence activities and best practice. It costs £19.99 (+P&P) and you can order your copy here:  http://www.venustc.co.uk/toolkits

Training for non-care staff

We are also now offering short courses for staff from any occupation where they may be coming in to contact with people with dementia.  You don’t need specialist medical or care knowledge to take the courses. In simple steps the basic course takes you through the process of understanding the symptoms and causes and provides practical training on how to interact positively with people who have the condition. It is ideal for hairdressers, shop assistants, public transport staff and many others. If you know of a business who could benefit from this training please put them in touch.

Jane Kellas, Director, Venus Training

Venus Training and Consultancy provides Health and Social Care training services for  providers in Plymouth and throughout Devon, Cornwall and the South West. Call 0845 20 12300 or contact us here.

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Clearly for service users and their families, the expectation that every care worker will have received basic training on personal care and issues such as dignity and respect will be reassuring. Having clear and consistent expectations should also be helpful for care providers. The majority of responsible care providers who have invested in staff training over the years will welcome the fact that they are not competing with organisations which make a minimal or no investment in staff training and induction.

New compulsory basic training for care workers will need careful implementation with a focus on quality

las – initially via Compfight

Common Induction Standards

Perhaps prompted by the publicity around basic care standards it also seems that the CQC is placing a greater emphasis on the Common Induction Standards. And there’s an argument that perhaps a greater focus on these standards in inspections over recent years might have prevented this becoming such an issue.

Whatever the history, it seems that care providers are now going to be faced with a legal requirement to provide compulsory basic training for care workers. Proposals are expected within weeks which will outline national minimum standards for preparing new recruits to work in nursing homes. Home care workers who help with personal care of elderly people will also be required to undertake the training.

Although the CQC Common Induction Standards have been in place for a while, this will be the first time that anything other than a CRB check has been a legal requirement for someone to work in a care home or provide home help services.

Do Proposals Go Far Enough?

Charities and campaigners would like the proposals to go further; for example how to dispense medication, promoting dignity, the basics of nutrition and hydration, and how to use equipment such as hoists and lifts.

The charity, Age UK, is also calling for the new training to teach workers how to raise the alarm if they suspect abuse is taking place or see poor quality care being given by colleagues.

The implications of the new regulations are potentially huge. Official figures identify 1.1 million people in England receiving domiciliary care and another 460,000 residents living in Britain’s 18,000 nursing and care homes. More than 1.6 million people work in adult social care in England, staffing care homes and providing home help services.

Skills for Care, said it had been working with the Government to draw up plans to make “high quality training” available for every social care worker. “Every worker in adult social care should know what is expected of them,” said Sharon Allen, chief executive of the group.

Michelle Mitchell, of Age UK, welcomed the proposed compulsory training. She added: “We also need to make sure that staff with the right values are recruited into caring roles and that they remain supported by a system that values and rewards the important work they do.”

Compulsory Basic Training – It’s Not Just About Numbers

If we have one concern it’s that the numbers of people potentially involved could lead to high-volume, low-quality training – certificate farming rather than proper learning. There’s little point in all of this if we end up with legal compliance but no difference in the overall standard of care provided. When we set up Venus, it was to ensure that our training raised the standards of care given.

As you would expect, we have developed a range of good quality courses with the usual flexible delivery models and expert tutors. These supplement our existing training related to the Common Induction Standards. The areas related to compulsory basic training for care staff cover the following:

•             Basic communication skills & dignity

•             Personal care skills (washing, bathing, dressing, hair care, oral care etc)

•             Toileting

•             Helping people to eat & drink / nutrition

•             Sleep and comfort

For more details contact us on 0845 20 12300

Want to know more about CQC Essential Standards – Consultancy and Support?

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Dementia and Your Business

• 18% of people diagnosed continue to work
• 27% of people caring for for somebody with dementia continue to work

Come and see us on Friday 19 April at the Lower Guildhall, Plymouth
10am to 10.30am information session
10.30am to 1pm drop in session with trainers

Download the leaflet for more details ASC DEMENTIA friendly flyer 4 print

The post Help Make Plymouth Dementia Friendly appeared first on Venus Training & Consultancy.

http://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/media/documents/home_care_infographic_0.pdf

The infographic is based on the recent CQC study of home care services for the elderly which found that 26% of providers failed at least one of the 5 key standards.

In particular it recognised the following crucial aspects of raising standards in domiciliary care:

• Effective processes for maintaining and quality assuring care plans
• Ensuring that service users see the same carer wherever possible and are told in advance when a change is needed
• Staff understanding their safeguarding responsibilities
• Better visit planning to eliminate late or missed calls

Venus Training Consultancy is an experienced and specialist provider of training to the care sector. We can help you with the following to improve your standards of domiciliary care:

• Developing a training plan to ensure your team has enough of the right skills and knowledge, and that these are kept up-to-date
• Auditing your management and QA processes to ensure care plans are comprehensive, appropriate and updated regularly
• Safeguarding training
• Specialist dementia care training

If you want to be confident of delivering excellent standards of domiciliary care, call us now on 0845 20 12300. For more information see: Health and Social Care Training Plymouth

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If you believe some of the national advertising then the answer is simply to implement an apprenticeship scheme and the future will be rosy. While Venus Training is an enthusiastic advocate of apprenticeships, we believe there is a bit more to it than that.

Apprenticeships – success through teamwork

Kevin T. Houle via Compfight

Apprenticeships: the Magic Triangle

An apprenticeship is like a finely balanced triangle: the apprentice, the employer and the training provider all have a critical role, and a big stake in making a successful programme.

When these elements are in harmony the results usually far exceed employers’ initial expectations. We find that the overwhelming majority of Health & Social Care and Childcare employers who take on an apprentice for the first time go on to repeat the experience.

The starting point is the apprentice. Embarking on a programme is a major commitment and needs somebody who has a genuine interest in developing a career in the sector. As a specialist care sector training provider we’ve become highly perceptive; we’re good at identifying potential apprentices who have the interest and commitment we know it will take to succeed. We don’t believe in putting a ‘marginal’ candidate forward and hoping they will gain enthusiasm and commitment while they are on the programme.

Value

To maintain the initial enthusiasm apprentices need to feel that they are developing knowledge and skills that are of real use and value. Again, specialist training providers are often really successful in this regard. We know the industries we work in and our tutors are highly experienced practitioners. ‘Here’s why you need to know this, and here’s how it’s applied in a real work situation’ rather than ‘I’m teaching you this because it’s in the syllabus.’

Sound, practically grounded teaching needs to be coupled with a commitment to personal and skills development from an employer; this is a powerful and highly motivating combination.

How We Support New Employers

The essential and positive role that employers play in successful apprenticeships cannot be over-stated. But we don’t believe that employers new to apprenticeships can or should be left on their own to work out the best way to support their apprentices.

We spend a lot of time with employers when they take on apprentices for the first time, because we know just how important the employer’s contribution is to the success of the programme.  Our new employers appreciate the fact that we help them understand the best way to support their apprentices and how to make them as productive and useful as possible during their training.

Apprenticeships: Come and Find Out for Yourself

11th – 15th March 2013 is National Apprenticeship week and we are holding an event for local employers who may consider taking on an Apprentice and those who are keen but just need a bit more information. The event is on 14th March (10 – 12pm) at our training centre in Plymouth.

We have called the event ‘Apprenticeships – Give them a Break’ and will also be supporting the Marie Curie Daffodil Appeal by purchasing brooches for every person who attends the event. Refreshments and cakes will be available for you to enjoy whilst you take a break and listen to other local employers and learners who are enjoying the benefits of an apprenticeship programme with Venus.

Need more reasons to attend? We will also give everyone who joins us for the event a voucher for a free management course. 

Call us on 0845 20 12300 to book your place or for more information about the event.

Venus Training – specialising in apprenticeships and vocational training for Health & Social Care and Childcare in Plymouth and throughout Devon and Cornwall

More about apprenticeships:

http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/Employers/The-Basics.aspx

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Build knowledge, skills and career prospects with Advanced Learning Loans

Learners won’t have to repay anything until they are earning more than £21,000. There are no credit checks required and existing income is not taken into account when deciding whether people are eligible. Advanced Learning Loan repayments are based on personal, not household, income.

The loans should help some older learners access the training they need to develop their skills and boost their career potential.

What Courses?

The loans can be used to pay tuition fees for eligible courses at Level 3 and above such as: A levels, Diplomas and Certificates, Advanced Apprenticeships and Higher Apprenticeships. The organisation delivering the training must be in England and approved to receive public funding.

There’s no upper age-limit but learners must be living in the UK on the first day of their course and have lived in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for three years immediately before this.

The first loan won’t take previous qualifications into account and people can apply for up to 4 loans to continue to develop their qualifications and career.

How Much?

The size of the loan will depend on the fees for the particular course and the limits set by the Government. The team at Venus Training can confirm the costs of courses in advance. The minimum Advanced Learning Loan is £300. The loan will be paid directly to the college or training provider.

Advanced Learning Loans – Repayments

Repayments start in the April after leaving or finishing the course but no payments will start before April 2016. Learners pay nothing until they are earning more than £21,000 per year (that’s £1,750 per month or £404 per week), and they only pay 9% of any part of their income that is above £21,000. So if they earn £22,000, they pay 9% of £1000.

As the employer, you will deduct payments from your staff member’s salary each month as with tax or National Insurance. If their income drops or they stop working you will also stop their repayments automatically. If they wish, learners can make voluntary repayments to repay the loan more quickly.

How to Apply

From April 2013, you’ll be able to download an application form. If you have any queries or concerns the team at Venus will be happy to help. Just call us on 0845 2012300.

Image: Justin Litton via Compfight

More Information:

www.direct.gov.uk/advancedlearningloans

www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk

http://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/

Jane Kellas, Director, Venus Training Consultancy

Venus is a specialist training provider for Health, Social Care and Childcare. Based in Plymouth we support businesses across Devon and Cornwall. Call us on 0845 2012300

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Is the Future of Your Business in Safe Hands?

o5com via Compfight

The need to tender for contracts, (possibly for your existing work), rigorous CQC inspections, and increased pressures from reducing budgets and increasing demands from care users. It all paints a picture where only those organisations with the highest levels of management and care skills are likely to survive in the longer term.

CQC findings

To return to the CQC study for a moment; they analysed over 13,000 inspection reports and found that 22% of NHS providers and 28% of social care providers failed at least one of the CQC care standards. Among the most commonly failed areas were the standards relating to dignity and respect, nutrition, care and welfare. The other major area of failure was the workforce – both numbers and skills of staff.

You could probably make a convincing case for the majority of all failures being attributable in one way or another either to staff numbers and skills, or the effectiveness of management systems.

One thing I know for sure is that cases of people or organisations just ‘not caring’ are extremely rare. The overwhelming majority of staff and organisations in Health and Social Care are hardworking and committed to providing the best levels of care possible. Things don’t go wrong because of people not being bothered; it’s more likely that they are just overstretched.

Facing the future optimistically

I believe that there are a few fundamental things that care businesses need to do to face the future with optimism. The first is to make a long-term commitment to continuous development of the skills, qualifications and capabilities of staff. Up-to-date skills and knowledge will be a main difference between an organisation that faces a CQC inspection with confidence and one that does so with trepidation.

The second is to ensure that managers have a thorough grasp of the CQC standards and how they can be implemented in a practical way. There’s a big difference between organisations that work ‘with’ the standards, integrating them into the way they do business, and those who adopt the checkbox mentality. The CQC is skilled at spotting the difference!

Better training management

Better processes and systems for ensuring that staff at all levels are equipped with the skills to meet increasing demands are essential. We can’t meet the challenge of the future just by working harder; we need to work more intelligently and with appropriately trained people. This means taking a structured and longer-term view of staff development.

At Venus, we’ve helped many Health and Social Care businesses take the stress out of planning staff development and meeting the CQC standards. We’re highly experienced, flexible and easy to work with.

We can help you develop a coherent and manageable staff training plan, and work with your management team to ensure they are appropriately qualified and knowledgeable. We also deliver training and qualifications in a way which adapts to the needs of your business.  Above all we’ll help you meet the challenges of the future with confidence.

To find out more call us on 0845 2012300

Download Details of our Health and Social Care training courses 2013: 2013 Brochure

Jane Kellas

Director, Venus Training and Consultancy

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