What is DEALTS2?
DEALTS2 is an innovative, low cost, high impact training toolkit designed to be used by experienced trainers to support the delivery of dementia training.
The simulation approach enables staff to consider experiences from the point of view of a person living with dementia.
Using an experiential learning approach to place staff into the ‘shoes of a person with dementia’ supports knowledge and understanding of how this condition impacts on the person.
The team hypothesize that ‘placing staff into the shoes of a person with dementia’ will enable them to make positive changes to how they care and support people with dementia.
Implementation and Evaluation
DEALTS2 was delivered as a train-the-trainer model across England in 2017 to 196 trainers from 13 HEE Local Education Boards, with further train-the-trainer sessions delivered across the south of England in 2018.
The team are currently evaluating the impact of DEALTS2 on practice, using a mixed methods approach to obtain feedback from trainers delivering the materials and staff attending training.
In 2018, DEALTS2 was shortlisted for the prestigious 9th National Dementia Care Awards in the category ‘Best Dementia Training Initiative’.
DEALTS2 Toolkit
The DEALTS2 toolkit is available to download for free from the HEE website.
The toolkit includes session plans, PowerPoint slides and simulation instructions for trainers.
These resources address three of the 14 learning outcomes for tier 2 training including risk reduction and prevention, person-centred care and communication as outlined in the Dementia Core Skills Education and Training Framework.
Please note in 2018 this Framework was reviewed and updated (after the DEALTS2 resources were published in 2017) to include a number of additions regarding food, drink and oral health and is now the Dementia Training Standards Framework.
Download the toolkit
Theoretical Underpinnings and Quality Assurance
DEALTS2 is underpinned by the Humanising Values Framework (HVF) a philosophical lens originally developed at BU that identifies potentially humanising and dehumanising elements of care and support.
The HVF promotes humanised approaches to working to support staff morale, as well as improve the care of people with dementia.
The resource package has been quality assured using the hallmarks of good dementia training identified by the ‘What Works’ research study led by Leeds Beckett University.
This work builds on the original Dementia Education And Learning Through Simulation (DEALTS) programme developed by HEE in 2013/14.
eDEALTS2
The Ageing and Dementia Research Centre at Bournemouth University were commissioned by Health Education England to adapt the Dementia Education And Learning Through Simulation 2 (DEALTS2) programme and develop the e-Learning Dementia Education and Learning Through Simulation 2 (e-DEALTS 2) toolkit.
The e-DEALTS2 programme is a simulation-based training programme designed to support trainers to deliver dementia training online to health and social care staff and volunteers who require Tier 2 training (i.e. those who have regular contact with people with dementia, clinical and non-clinical).
The underlying principle of the e-DEALTS2 training is to provide opportunities to understand the lived experience by putting attendees into the shoes of a person with dementia.
The e-DEALTS2 toolkit is available to download for free from the HEE website.
Project updates
May 2022
The e-DEALTS2 toolkit was successfully launched on 16 May 2022, lining up with the Dementia Action Week Campaign, and can now be accessed online.
The next steps will involve the evaluation of the e-DEALTS2 toolkit for future research development. If you would like to be contacted by the Ageing & Dementia Research Centre about the eDEALTS2 and to receive any further updates, please complete the Bournemouth University form.
January 2021
The team started working collaboratively with South Warwickshire National Health Service Foundation Trust (NHSFT) on e-DEALTS2. The project will adapt the original DEALTS2 toolkit into a new online format that can be delivered through Microsoft Teams. This was identified by South Warwickshire NHSFT as necessary to support continued delivery of effective dementia education in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for alternatives approaches to face to face delivery for dementia training.
December 2020
Dr Michelle Heward, Dr Michele Board, Ashley Spriggs, Laurie Emerson and Prof Jane Murphy publish new ‘DEALTS2’ dementia education results paper ‘Impact of ‘DEALTS2’ education intervention on trainer dementia knowledge and confidence to utilise innovative training approaches: A national pre-test – post-test survey in Nurse Education Today. Download the article here
November 2020
Dr Michelle Heward gave a presentation on the Implementation and impact of ‘DEALTS2’ dementia education in acute care at the 15th Annual UK Dementia Congress, which was held online.
Prof Jane Murphy, Dr Michele Board and Dr Michelle Heward hosted a symposium on ‘Innovative training approaches to improve care for people with dementia’ at the 15th Annual UK Dementia Congress.
September 2019
DEALTS2 is discussed in fifth article of a series on hospital-based dementia care articles in Journal of Dementia Care titled ‘Enhanced education – a simulation-based approach’. The article by Dr Michelle Heward, Dr Michele Board, Ashley Spriggs, Prof Jane Murphy and Jan Zietara (HEE) explores how the simulation-based approach supports trainers to engage the emotions of care staff to achieve the best outcomes for people with dementia.
June –September 2019
Further DEALTS2 train the trainer sessions were delivered across the South of England by Dr Michele Board, Sophie Manners and Kathy Sheret.
May 2019
Amanda Adams and Dina Blagden attended the Annual Alzheimer’s Society Conference in London, and joined Health Education England (HEE) on the stand to disseminate DEALTS2 materials.
Dina presented a poster on trainers experiences of the train the trainer workshops drawn from the research evaluation. Download the poster here.
January 2019
Dr Michelle Heward, Dr Michele Board, Ashley Spriggs and Pro Jane Murphy publish new ‘DEALTS2’ dementia education protocol paper ‘Design and evaluation protocol for ‘DEALTS2’: a simulation-based dementia education intervention for acute care settings’ in International Psychogeriatrics. Download the article here.
October 2018
Dr Michelle Heward and Dr Michele Board were invited to represent the DEALTS2 team at the 9th National Dementia Care Awards in Brighton, following the programme being shortlisted for the Best Dementia Care Award. They had a fantastic night celebrating the hard work and dedication of so many individuals and teams from the dementia field, and although they did not win the category, were delighted to be shortlisted for this prestigious national award.
October 2018
Dr Michelle Heward presented a poster on the implementation and evaluation of DEALTS2 at the 13th Annual UK Dementia Congress, Brighton. Download the poster.
The team were delighted that Minister of State for the Department of Health and Social Care Caroline Dinenage MP highlighted that “staff training for dementia is increasing with programmes like DEALTS2” in her plenary speech. Michelle and Prof Jane Murphy were also invited to talk to conference attendees visiting the HEE stand about the programme evaluation.
September 2018
DEALTS2 has been shortlisted for the 9th National Dementia Care Awards 2018 in the Best Dementia Training Initiative category, which recognises the vital role of effective training in dementia care.
June 2018
Dr Michelle Heward and Prof Jane Murphy attended the Alzheimer’s Society Show on 8-9th June in London to support Jan Zietara, Head of Programme Delivery for Health Education England, in showcasing DEALTS2 in her presentation and on the exhibition stand.
May 2018
Dr Michelle Heward and Prof Jane Murphy and were invited to attended the Alzheimer’s Society Conference on 22nd-23rd May to launch the DEALTS2 materials with Health Education England.
April 2018
Dr Michelle Heward represented the team at ‘Dementia 2020: The Next Phase’ in London on 17th April 2018. The DEALTS2 programme was showcased as a case study at the Dementia 2020 event in a presentation given by Jan Zietara the Head of Programme Delivery for HEE.
July 2017
Between May and July 2017, Dr Michelle Heward and Ashley Spriggs delivered twelve train the train DEALTS2 sessions nationally across England, with 199 staff in roles delivering dementia training across Acute Care attending.
May 2017
Prof Jane Murphy, Dr Michele Board, Dr Michelle Heward and Ashley Spriggs delivered the first pilot session in Oxford on 10th May 2017. This interactive day was really well received and the team are now making final changes to the programme content ready for national roll out.
Health Education England (HEE) commissioned Prof Jane Murphy, Dr Michele Board, Dr Michelle Heward and Ashley Spriggs from the Ageing and Dementia Research Centre at Bournemouth University to deliver a new ‘Train the Trainers’ enhanced education programme called ‘Dementia Education and Learning Through Simulation’ 2 (DEALTS2). This builds on previous work undertaken in 2013/14 by HEE to ensure healthcare professionals understand and can deliver key competencies according to the Dementia Core Skills Education and Training Framework at TIER 2 (Skills for Health and Health Education England, 2015).