The Quality and Innovation team at ECC offer two-day in person training and awareness events regarding supporting people who have disabilities, to Age Well. This is fully funded training available to any Service Provider organisation who is currently providing support to people with disabilities or is interested in becoming a recognised Ageing Well Provider.
Evidence of ongoing training and improved practice will be a requirement of the Ageing Well Standards for badging. ECC provide access to a range of fully funded training via their Provider Hub. In addition to this you may choose to nominate within your staff teams, a ‘Champion for Ageing Well’ who will be able to drive forward the agenda for best practice and ensure that all staff remain informed and up to date with the issues facing someone ageing with disabilities.
You may decide to invest in purchasing some of the Together Matters self-study guides that follow a similar format to the two-day training and then have ageing well as a regular topic at regular staff meetings. Or buy the same as a training package and run regular sessions on Ageing Well within your own organisation. Although these have a focus on learning disability, the content could be easily adapted to be relevant for autism or any disability including physical or sensory impairments, brain injuries, or people with multiple needs.
Might you consider cascade training? How will you ensure that the theory is put into practice and improves the quality of life for a person with a disability, as they age? What will make you the ‘Stand out’ Provider?
Whichever method you choose is up to you but it’s important to consider how are you are going to evidence that you keep your staff team, up to date and aware of the issues facing someone with a disability as they age.
Contact jenny.peckham@essex.gov.uk for information on future training sessions for Ageing Well.
The importance of good recording
‘If it’s not written down it hasn’t happened!'
Having invested time and energy in ensuring that people you provide input with, are appropriately supported to age well and your staff team, are fully equipped to make this happen, make sure that you keep sufficient records of how you made and continue to make that happen.
Utilise the review checklist to help with this as the standards for accreditation will directly reference the documents contained within this.
When you put your organisation forward to be promoted as one of the best Providers in this area of expertise, you will be asked to provide evidence of this. So be ready. Not just with facts and figures of how many staff have received training but also how you can show this has positively impacted on the lives of those you support.