Groundbreaking care home nursing diploma launches in Devon

The Advanced Diploma (CPD) Adult Social Care Nursing has been designed by care provider, Southern Healthcare, which has four homes in the county.

The scheme has been developed in collaboration with a satellite centre of the University of Bolton, based at Petroc College in North Devon.

The diploma course is supported by NHS England and is open to registered nurses, registered nursing associates and assistant practitioners, who are currently working in nursing and care home settings.

It is predominantly an online learning programme together with an in-workplace face-to-face assessment of practice and competencies, said those behind the diploma.

Also included are 10 face-to-face clinical days at Southern Healthcare’s dedicated training centre, Eden House in Dawlish or at Petroc College in Barnstaple.

These will be led by a clinical nurse tutor or invited specialist, guiding the nurses and assistant practitioners to take a ‘deep dive’ immersion of critical practice and skills.

Margot Whittaker, Southern Healthcare’s director of nursing and compliance, said the social care provider was “very excited” to be launching the new diploma.

“Until now, there has been no specific recognised qualification for nurses working in a nursing home environment,” said Ms Whittaker.

“All general nurses are mostly trained within hospital environments which support the more medical models of care and nursing,” she said.

“Whilst in social care, the nurse is looking after a person within their own home or care environment, and so the more regimental task-focused way of nursing is not appropriate, or appreciated, within this more relaxed setting, particularly for those with a dementia or who are at the end of life.”

Ms Whittaker said current models of care tended to encourage care workers to focus on the deficits of people rather than their capabilities, which went against Care Quality Commission requirements.

“This course is ground-breaking and has been designed to address sectorial changes within the health and social care environment,” she said.

Margot Whittaker and Shaun Kershaw

“It is a dynamic and experiential learning experience focusing on practical, reflective and critical thinking in practice.”

In addition, she said it explored all aspects of adult social care nursing with its day-to-day challenges, deliberating on situations and successful resolutions.

She said it was orientated towards clinical practice as well as understanding the needs of residents and families, and that she wanted to see “social care nurses striving towards this with pride”.

“We feel they should be recognised within a standard as specialists in social care nursing and be fully equipped to work holistically at a very high level.”

She added: “This course has been met with tremendous enthusiasm from our own nurses and healthcare professionals, both locally and nationally.

“A new era of nursing is dawning, and we are delighted to be very much part of it in supporting our amazing social care nursing workforce.”

The new programme has been co-authored with Shaun Kershaw, senior lecturer in nursing at the University of Bolton Satellite Centre for Nursing at Petroc College in Barnstaple.

He said the programme would focus on helping nurses, nursing associates and assistant practitioners to deliver high-quality, compassionate care in nursing home environments.

“Putting the course together since its inception five years ago has not been without its challenges, but we are thrilled that the programme is now coming to fruition,” he said.

Darryn Allcorn, chief nurse and director of integrated professions at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust said: “There is a significant gap in developing the skills sets and investing development in social care nursing.

“This programme addresses the gaps and will go a significant way to address the current recruitment and retention strategies, whilst enhancing the skills within social care and specifically residential settings.”

The first cohort starts in August 2024 and then in December 2024. If interested, contact: margot.whittaker@southernhealthcare.co.uk or s.kershaw@bolton.ac.uk