Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that all homecare workers receive training relating specifically to dementia.

The Challenge on Dementia 2020, published in February 2015, made clear that, by 2020, we expect social care providers to provide appropriate training on dementia to all relevant staff. A copy of the Challenge on Dementia 2020 is attached.

The Department estimates that more than 100,000 social care workers have already received dementia awareness training. Newly appointed health care assistants and social care support workers, including those providing care and support to people with dementia and their carers, should undergo training as part of the national implementation of the Care Certificate.

Standard 9 of the Care Certificate concerns awareness of mental health, dementia and learning disabilities. In meeting the standard, each worker must show that he or she understands the needs and experiences of people with mental health conditions, dementia or learning disabilities, the importance of promoting their health and wellbeing, the adjustments which may be necessary in delivering their care, and the importance of early detection. They must also prove that they understand the legal context, including mental capacity considerations.

This standard is based in tier 1 of the Dementia Core Skills Education and Training Framework, which focuses on awareness. This tier of knowledge is applicable across the spectrum of health and adult social care services and so is at an appropriate level to inform the Care Certificate’s content.