A 12-month evaluation of a newly developed, psychologically informed Dementia Tier 2 training programme for staff working in older adult services

Care Quality Commission recommendations highlighted a need for our NHS Trust to provide dementia training to staff. In response, a Dementia Tier 2 training programme was developed and delivered by clinicians. This article presents data from training delivered over 12 months. Aim: To establish whether staff perceived their confidence, skill and knowledge in dementia care improved following the training. Method: Four ‘rounds’ of training were evaluated. Participants completed a pre- and post-training questionnaire which examined how confident they felt about certain aspects of dementia care. Data is available for 72 participants. Results: Average scores obtained for each group pre- and post-training showed improved knowledge, confidence and skill within each group; these improvements in scores were sustained over time. Discussion: The training programme has been considered a success, with staff reporting an improved understanding of person-centred dementia care over time. Limitations include incomplete data and an excess of data making it difficult to form firm conclusions.