1. The Current Status of Diabetes Professional Educational Standards and Competencies in the UK A Report from the Diabetes UK HCP Education Task and Finish Group

2. Paper’s Aim To investigate educational provision for all healthcare staff involved with people with diabetes within the UK. Objectives: To explore the current availability of education for all healthcare staff involved with people with diabetes. To review alignment of curricula outcomes with available competency frameworks used with the UK. To provide recommendations for consolidation of educational programmes with clinical competencies for all healthcare staff involved with people with diabetes.

3. Background  Diabetes “epidemic”  Healthcare reconfigurations  Practice Theory-gap  High quality care focusing on appropriate Knowledge and Skills

4. Method Question: How a HCP would find out about educational courses?

5. Results (1) Type of Institution/Provider  University/HE  Charitable organisations, e.g. DUK  Commercial organisations – pharmaceutical companies  NHS diabetes  Primary Care Diabetes society  Others – e.g SB communications  Post graduate colleges (RCP, RCN)  In-service training through NHS trusts

6. Results (2)  Accredited - Certificate, Diploma, Bachelor of Science, Post Graduate Certificates/ diplomas, Master of Science, PhD  Non accredited – attendance certificates and CPD points

7. Results (3) Educational Strategies  Online  Face to face

8. Results (4) Core educational content  Glucose metabolism & physiological response  Epidemiology  Diabetes Management  Diabetic Emergencies  Living with Diabetes  The Context of Care Delivery  Research and Innovation

9. Discussion  Difficulties mapping courses to discipline-specific or level- specific competencies.  Variation in information provided by provider  Relevance to practice not clearly identified  Lack of available education for non-registered healthcare workers.  Lack of clarity between frameworks (NHS careers, KSF and discipline specific)

10. Recommendations (1) Knowledge and Skills Standards to be set for everyone who is in regular contact with patients with diabetes no matter the level of their career. Provision for courses suitable for all levels of practitioners and employers to ensure that these are met. Too few accredited courses, only in HEIs but are Quality assured through QAA.

11. Recommendations (2) Each professional body responsible for the CPD needs to agree a single framework to allow for unification of agreed competencies. Adequate provision of course information and learning outcomes in alignment with competencies. Define competencies for each discipline, pilot implementation and develop evaluation strategies.

12. Take home messages To form an independent group with representatives from all stakeholders; who are able to set national standards and commission courses that cater for all levels of those who come into contact with people with diabetes and to quality assure courses that are already available. To develop a proposal for credentialing across register able health professions who are involved in care of those with diabetes.

13. Working Party attendees Mrs Nicki Walsh, Ms Lynne Priest, Dr Stella George Professor David Simmons, Dr Trudi Deakin, Mrs Grace Vanterpool MBE, Dr Brian Karet, Dr David MacVeigh, Miss Kate Baumber, Mrs Yvonne Johns, Adam Mapani and Mark Chamley

14. Acknowledgments Diabetes UK David Bryant, Gavin Terry and Patrick Little