The dementia competency framework supports staff to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to provide high quality dementia care.

Employers can use this framework for:

• Identifying training needs
• Developing job descriptions
• Commissioning, designing and delivering training
• Informing supervision and appraisal
• Informing service redesign
• Demonstrating skill mix and competence within a performance framework
• Demonstrating competence and competence levels in practice

Whilst appropriate knowledge and skills are essential is also important to ensure the right attitudes and values are shown within dementia care, such as demonstrating kindness, caring and compassion (Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, 2011).

This dementia competency framework has built on and expanded the ‘Common Core Principles for supporting people with Dementia’ which describes common core principles together with indicative behaviours that the workforce should demonstrate to show the principles have been embedded in the way they respond to the person with dementia.

This dementia competency framework offers a stepped model alongside the dementia care learning pathway and distinguishes the different competencies needed across three steps from basic awareness to specialist knowledge and skills:

• Step 1: ‘Essential information’ highlights the basic, essential competencies relevant to all sections of workforce and society. Also this could form part of mandatory induction training for all health and social care staff.
• Step 2: ‘Enhanced’ builds on Step 1 and highlights competencies needed for those working with people with dementia.
• Step 3: Builds on step 1 & 2 and is relevant to those working in a more specialist and intensive way with people with dementia.

This framework has been mapped where possible against suggested national occupational standards. National Occupational Standards (NOS) define the competences which apply to job roles or occupations in the form of statements of performance, knowledge and the evidence required to confirm competence. They cover the key activities undertaken within the occupation in question under all the circumstances the job holder is likely to encounter.

If you are considering accreditation with your dementia education the current qualification and credit framework units for dementia are included at the back.