Circle Dance (2012) is an organisation which leads and trains staff in the use of Circle Dance for people with dementia. Since September 2008 it has run 85 training days for 1,000 staff including 600 staff from care homes. The one day training course provides trainees with all of the information they need to deliver Circle Dance within their setting. Their most recent summary report includes positive feedback from a selection of staff that have attended the training but falls short of presenting a more detailed assessment of impact on professional practice and outcomes delivered for social care recipients. This is not directed as a criticism but is referenced to outline the fact that the full impact of training activities on staff is not always captured either due to capacity, cost or expertise. Generally where examples of art-based activities to develop social care skills have been identified it is not always possible to assess their effectiveness in affecting the actual practice of adult social care staff (i.e. use of arts, quality of delivery and impact of participants) as largely this information presented. isn’t In other words the publications tend to present feedback on the training course rather than a more detailed follow-up of trainees to determine the extent to which they are putting the learning into practice in their respective setting (which is likely due to a lack of resources to undertake such research). Other documents outline potential benefits rather than stating actual benefits based on empirical evidence. There are some exceptions however. Jones (2012) presents an evaluation of the First Taste training programme which delivers training to care staff in Derbyshire in order that they are able and confident to deliver learning activities for older people in care settings. The training was mostly attended by staff with specific responsibilities for providing activities but was also attended by some care home managers and care assistants. The training covers a wide variety of one-to-one and group activities, including chair-based exercises, arts and crafts, poetry, the use of the Nintendo Wii and hand massage. The activities co-ordinators interviewed as part of the research reported that they had not received any training specific to their role before they participated in the First Taste training. The research found that: The participants gained new skills that they were immediately able to put into practice in their everyday work. For example, they gained new understandings of health conditions such as dementia, and strategies for coping with them;
Circle Dance (2012) is an organisation which leads and trains staff in the use of Circle Dance for people with dementia. Since September 2008 it has run 85 training days for 1,000 staff including 600 staff from care homes. The one day training course provides trainees with all of the information they need to deliver Circle Dance within their setting. Their most recent summary report includes positive feedback from a selection of staff that have attended the training but falls short of presenting a more detailed assessment of impact on professional practice and outcomes delivered for social care recipients. This is not directed as a criticism but is referenced to outline the fact that the full impact of training activities on staff is not always captured either due to capacity, cost or expertise. Generally where examples of art-based activities to develop social care skills have been identified it is not always possible to assess their effectiveness in affecting the actual practice of adult social care staff (i.e. use of arts, quality of delivery and impact of participants) as largely this information isn’t presented. In other words the publications tend to present feedback on the training course rather than a more detailed follow-up of trainees to determine the extent to which they are putting the learning into practice in their respective setting (which is likely due to a lack of resources to undertake such research). Other documents outline potential benefits rather than stating actual benefits based on empirical evidence. There are some exceptions however. Jones (2012) presents an evaluation of the First Taste training programme which delivers training to care staff in Derbyshire in order that they are able and confident to deliver learning activities for older people in care settings. The training was mostly attended by staff with specific responsibilities for providing activities but was also attended by some care home managers and care assistants. The training covers a wide variety of one-to-one and group activities, including chair-based exercises, arts and crafts, poetry, the use of the Nintendo Wii and hand massage. The activities co-ordinators interviewed as part of the research reported that they had not received any training specific to their role before they participated in the First Taste training. The research found that: The participants gained new skills that they were immediately able to put into practice in their everyday work. For example, they gained new understandings of health conditions such as dementia, and strategies for coping with them;
1379412965-Arts-and-Social-Care-Evidence-Review-Final-Report-FINAL-150313-v2.docx