Professional Development: Expert Practice in Delivering Person-Centred Dementia Care

Entry requirements

Course participants must have significant experience of delivering training, education and professional development to direct care staff and be in a position to deliver training and support to staff working in health and care organisations.

EITHER

• An honours degree at 2:2 level or above

OR

• Qualifications and experience considered to be equivalent to the above. All students applying via this route will be assessed and where necessary interviewed by the Course Lead.

Please see the University website for full details.

Months of entry

January

Course content

This online award provides you with evidence-based interventions to support health and social care staff to safely reduce medication, restrictive practices and improve quality of life for people living with dementia.

Developed from the ‘Focussed Intervention Training and Support (FITS) into Practice’ research programme, it is one of the only evidence-based models for care settings of people with dementia, complex needs and distressed behaviour.

The course is designed to equip students from a variety of professional backgrounds with the skills, materials and know-how to deliver a practice-based programme to frontline health and social care staff Those undertaking this module can deliver this programme many times over and form an ongoing community of practice.

The course will reflect the learning outcomes in the Dementia Training Standards Framework and students who complete this double module can leave with this Postgraduate Award or use it towards the Postgraduate Certificate in Person-Centred Dementia Studies.

Key features

• A fully online supportive learning environment which utilises a flexible, multidisciplinary, student-centred route to postgraduate achievement.
• A course structured around the values of academic freedom, ethical awareness and critical appraisal.
• Stimulating learning conditions in which students gain the confidence to feel they can shape future dementia care by challenging and enhancing current practice and approaches.
• A course which critically reflects on the FITS (Focussed Intervention Training and Support) into Practice programme, its implementation and relevant emerging evidence in the field.

About the Association for Dementia Studies

The Association for Dementia Studies is at the forefront of person-centred care research, which is used to ensure that our teaching includes real world practical approaches to help people live well with dementia. Our multi-disciplinary team are expert educators who have in-depth experiential and theoretical knowledge in dementia care plus the ability to inspire and enthuse others in this area.

As Alumni of this University of Worcester PG Professional Development Award, you will be joining a growing community of practice and will continue to find support via ADS run events and an online forum. You will be eligible to be nominated for the Hennell Award, which recognises people who have made a significant contribution to promoting person-centred care.

Course content

This course has been developed from an evidence-based programme Implementing the Focussed Intervention Training and Support (FITS) into Practice course in care settings for people with dementia, complex needs and distressed behaviour.

This and other courses are informed by research and current developments and by feedback from students, external examiners and employers and do therefore change periodically in the interests of keeping the course relevant and reflecting best practice.

This course is offered on a part time basis only. The mandatory module, Expert Practice in Delivering Person-Centred Dementia Care (30 credits) runs once per year across two semesters. The module starts annually in semester two (January), that is, the module will be completed in a calendar year.

Students who complete this Expert Practice in Delivering Person-Centred Dementia Care module can choose to leave with a Postgraduate Award in Professional Development or use it towards the Postgraduate Certificate in Person-Centred Dementia Studies. The course will reflect the learning outcomes in the Dementia Training Standards Framework

Careers

The focus is on introducing more effective ways of working within your employing organisations. The programme equips you to develop in your existing roles, within your area of practice and with the potential to progress into strategic and leadership roles.

Students can choose to leave with this Postgraduate Award in Professional Development or use it towards the Postgraduate Certificate in Person-Centred Dementia Studies. As part of the journey of professional and role development we also encourage students to continue on their academic journey through access to a range of higher degrees including PhD, clinical doctorate and other taught doctorates.