Report finds only 29 percent of care staff in England receive any form of dementia training

Care England has responded to the Alzheimer’s Society ‘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 supports the call for mandatory dementia training for care staff. However, it says there needs to be a standard for funded, mandatory training to prevent an opportunity for different organisations to profit from launching random training support.

Across the sector, there is a variety of training, there is a necessity for a uniformed, consistent, minimum standard of training, which is funded by the government. Nearly one million people have dementia in the UK, and there has been a focus on looking at prevention. However, the UK Government needs to consider and support those with dementia, today.

The majority of individuals with dementia rely on social care services; therefore, it is crucial that the workforce is equipped with the skills and knowledge to deliver the highest quality of care, outlined in previous work on Young Onset Dementia.

The report says currently, 60 percent of people receiving care at home and 70 percent of residents in older age residential care have dementia. Yet, alarmingly, only 29 percent 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 believes that mandatory dementia training is a crucial step in improving care for people with dementia.

It will enhance the quality of care, empower the care workforce, improve job satisfaction, and reduce costs across the health and care system.

Care England is calling on the government and local authorities to take decisive action and make dementia training an essential part of the social care workforce.

ADASS recently published its annual survey, which highlights the growing and urgent challenges facing councils as they work to enable people to have access to vital care and support to people with disabilities, long-term health conditions, and their carers amid unprecedented financial pressures.