Poor training of our care staff is leaving our vulnerable at risk, but
what is the extent of the training gaps among care home staff and why do Care
Providers forget about those working the “front lines”, and fail their own
staff, reputations and our elderly?
Why do Care Providers think that by not properly training their care
staff they are saving money when in reality they are failing to deliver safe
care, which is ultimately affecting their all-important “bottom line”?
We know if people who are living with dementia are not supported in the
appropriate way it can cause them additional confusion and distress. It impacts
on their wellbeing and it may impact on their behaviour, which makes the jobs
of people working in the service even harder because they are potentially
dealing with a manifestation of that distress and confusion
Their costs soar because their staff are under stress from poor training
and trying to achieve good care, undervalued through a lack of decent pay and not
respected in their field of professionalism.
Most Care workers want to be delivering good safe care, most care
workers work long hours to ensure that they are not failing our loved ones
while putting their own needs and loved ones on the back burner.
Care staff are missing out on vital training in dementia care,
safeguarding and the Mental Capacity Act.
Care Right Now and The Edith Ellen believe that together we can achieve
outstanding care and practices by working towards a more robust training and
recognition for Care Staff. Yes, there are Carers who aren’t willing to
“go the extra” but for the majority they are frustrated at the poor level of
care they are delivering, they want to learn and they want to see safe care
practices within their services. They are working long hours to ensure
the best care they can with limited resources, they are working at promoting an
abuse free environment, with little to no recognition or appreciation from
their own management teams.
Care Right Now and the Edith Ellen have found through their own
experiences that Dementia care is particularly falling short, with even
specialist dementia homes failing to provide training on the topic to their
staff. Safeguarding, the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and the Deprivation of
Liberty Safeguards (Dols) were the other most common gaps, the Edith Ellen is
looking at rectifying this by providing sustainable training in these areas and
beyond, that has identified the needs of the services, the users and the care
givers. We are also looking at launching a national database of
Registered Care Givers, that will promote and celebrate care excellence
enabling Care Givers to be recognised within their profession and receive the
salary scale they should.
This will eradicate the lack of training that had resulted in
safeguarding concerns not being reported, residents being unlawfully deprived
of their liberty, and people with dementia being treated with no empathy or
understanding of their care needs.
Where Dementia care has been a government priority for the last five
years. In March 2012, Prime Minister David Cameron set a ‘national challenge’
to drive major improvements in care, research and awareness by 2015. More
recently, the challenge has been extended to 2020. What we need is for
these changes to happen now beginning with the change to the way Service
Providers Manage their own staff and Services.
Thus, caring for older people in care homes and the community as they
would like.
