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Why Face-to-Face Dementia Training Matters

Face-to-face dementia training in Scottish care settings is essential to equip staff with the confidence, insight, and relational skills needed to meet complex needs, enhance quality of life, and stabilise recruitment through meaningful professional development.



Why Face-to-Face Dementia Training Matters


In Scotland, over 90,000 people live with dementia—a number projected to rise sharply over the next

decade agescotland.org.uk. The Scottish Government’s 10-year dementia strategy, Everyone’s Story, calls

for a strengths-based, rights-focused approach to care, underpinned by robust education and training


While digital learning has its place, face-to-face training offers irreplaceable depth, immediacy, and relational learning that’s vital for frontline staff navigating the emotional, behavioural, and cognitive complexities of dementia.


Training That Builds Confidence and Competence


Face-to-face sessions allow staff to:


  • Practice real-life scenarios in a safe, supported environment

  • Explore emotional responses to distress, resistance, and loss

  • Receive immediate feedback from trainers and peers

  • Build empathy and relational insight through roleplay and discussion

  • Understand rights-based care and trauma-informed approaches


This kind of experiential learning is especially critical in care homes, supported living, and hospital settings where staff must respond dynamically to fluctuating needs, distressed behaviours, and safeguarding concerns.


Stabilising Recruitment Through Investment in Staff


High turnover in social care is often linked to burnout, lack of support, and feeling ill-equipped. Face-to-face dementia training helps reverse this trend by:

  • Demonstrating organisational commitment to staff development

  • Creating peer networks that reduce isolation and build team cohesion

  • Enhancing job satisfaction through increased confidence and skill

  • Reducing risk and liability by embedding best practice


When staff feel valued and prepared, they’re more likely to stay.


Training becomes a retention tool—not just a compliance tick-box.


Scottish Context: Rights, Inclusion, and Complexity


Scotland’s dementia strategy emphasises inclusion, human rights, and psychological safety The Scottish Government.


Face-to-face training supports these goals by:

  • Addressing intersectional needs (e.g. sensory loss, learning disability)

  • Embedding cultural and local relevance into care practices

  • Upholding dignity and choice in everyday interactions

  • Preparing staff for inspection and regulatory scrutiny with mapped, evidence-based approaches


Frameworks like Promoting Excellence and NES’s tiered training model ensure that staff at all levels—from support workers to managers—can access tailored, face-to-face learning aligned to their role and responsibilities NHS Education for Scotland.


Mac Research and Consultancy Limited dementia training is aligned to this framework!


Final Thought: Training as a Quality Assurance Strategy


For providers, face-to-face dementia training is more than education—it’s a strategic investment in quality assurance, workforce stability, and sector reputation. It assures leaders that their teams

are not only trained, but truly prepared to deliver compassionate, rights-based care that enhances the

lives of those living with dementia.



If you're commissioning training, prioritise face-to-face formats that reflect the lived realities of care—and watch your staff grow in confidence, cohesion, and commitment.



 
 
 

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