Debate contribution: Dementia Awareness Training
Debate contribution by Mr Mike Nesbitt on .
- MLA
- Mr Mike Nesbitt
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 2 June 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Dementia Awareness Training
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5584250
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Aligned with the regional dementia care pathway, my Department remains firmly committed to strengthening and enhancing dementia training, and I very much accept the Member's long-term interest in that area. The regional dementia project board plays a central role in that work, with a dedicated work stream focusing on education, training and research specifically. Through the work stream, significant progress continues to be made developing and expanding high-quality dementia training. That includes building on existing programmes and introducing more specialised learning opportunities such as the development of Dementia Relationships, which is a rights-based approach to training, alongside Queen's University. That is available online through LearnHSCNI. The initiative has been supported through funding from the Department of Health. It is aimed at improving staff understanding and delivery of person-centred care. In addition, the Department has endorsed the regional roll-out of online dementia-related pain management training known as DOTS. It has been developed and researched by Ulster University. That evidence-based programme supports staff to better recognise and manage pain in people who are living with dementia, thereby contributing to improved outcomes. The work stream is also updating the dementia learning and development framework from 2016. That sets out the core knowledge and skills required by health and social care staff to enable them to interact appropriately and respond sensitively to the needs of people living with dementia, as well as their families and their carers. There will be an online version of that, and it will be accessible to all stakeholders and easily navigated, with signposting to relevant training and resources.
259 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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