Asked by: Laura Pidcock (Labour - North West Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to make dementia training compulsory in care homes for older people.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Challenge on Dementia 2020, published in February 2015, set the expectation that social care providers deliver appropriate training on dementia to all relevant staff, however we have no plans to make dementia training compulsory in care homes for older people.
Since April 2015, newly appointed health care assistants and social care support workers, including those who will provide care and support to people with dementia in care homes have been undergoing training as part of the national implementation of the Care Certificate. The Care Certificate equips new staff with the knowledge and skills which they need to provide safe, compassionate care across a range of areas, including the care of people with dementia.
There is no statutory requirement for providers to implement the Care Certificate. Care Quality Commission inspectors do, however, have powers to enforce regulations covering staff induction and training. As such, they would expect to see induction programmes that are broadly equivalent to the Care Certificate standards.