A SILSDEN care home has launched an innovative dementia training programme.

Springbank – part of the Spellman Care group – has produced an interactive video, Dementia: Beyond The Diagnosis, and supporting booklet.

The move follows the launch earlier this year of the Spellman Care Wellbeing and Development Hub, part of a wider project to provide staff with a platform for accessing a range of resources covering areas including mental and physical wellbeing, administration and personal development.

Lisa Pickles, home manager at Springbank, says: "Training has always been a key part of our staff development.

"Utilising the Wellbeing and Development Hub to share videos such as Dementia: Beyond The Diagnosis helps us take training to the next level, providing staff with an interactive session which is tailored specifically to the residents they support."

The training video was filmed at the Howden Road home and features several Springbank team members, with situations based on real-life resident experiences.

April Howie, deputy manager at Springbank, says: "We chose to develop the in-house video, delivered by our own staff members, to help improve engagement and learning.

"The training recreated actual scenarios which our teams encounter every day, challenged our own perspectives and helped staff to see things from a resident’s point of view.

"The training began from the moment action was called, with a studio set up within the home allowing staff to be fully involved with the video's development. The filming even extended out into our landscaped dementia garden."

The video was launched at the home's latest monthly Wellbeing Wednesday event, and will be available via the Wellbeing and Development Hub for the foreseeable future.

Amongst those who feature in the video is staff member Jenny Newiss.

She says: "It was a great opportunity to get involved in filming our own dementia training in the home.

"I was able to reflect on my own experiences and help bring those to life, showcasing our person-centred approach to supporting those living with dementia. The better we know our residents, the better we can support them by recognising and responding to their behaviours."

Spellman Care, which has been operating locally for over 30 years, runs four residential and nursing homes.

In addition to Springbank, it operates Craven Nursing Home in Skipton, Steeton Court and Ghyll Royd, Guiseley.