The Caring for Smiles team provide a variety of education and training for Care Home Staff to access in relation to oral care, more details on each option can be found below.
By ensuring good oral care, we can prevent pain and suffering and enable people to eat well.
ORAL CARE TRAINING
Click on the title bars below for more information
Basic Training
This training is offered and delivered to all Nursing / Care Homes across Lothian and all care staff have the opportunity to attend.
The training is provided within the Nursing / Care Home setting and is normally delivered face to face, the session lasts 45- 60 minutes.
Basic Oral Care Training covers:
- Understand the importance of good oral health
- Understand what contributes to poor oral health
- How to support older people with oral care
- Why oral care is necessary and important
- Oral health products – their use and storage
- Signs and symptoms – Referral pathways
- How to complete an Oral Health Risk Assessment and Daily Oral Care Plan
Caring for Smiles – Accredited Training
Caring for Smiles
Is Scotland’s national oral health promotion, training and support programme, which aims to improve the oral health of older people, particularly those living in care homes.
Caring for Smiles and SVQs
The Caring for Smiles training is SCQF accredited, and has been mapped to SVQ Social Services and Healthcare SCQF 6. This means that work generated for the Caring for Smiles training can also be used towards an SVQ.
For further information on Caring for Smiles accredited training and how it maps to SVQ (no log in required) click: TURAS Learn Platform
Foundation Level – SCQF level 5 (2 credit points)
The training comprises of 2 hours of classroom teaching, completion of reflective case studies and being observed in practice.
Completion of foundation level is equivalent to 20 hours of continuous professional learning time (CPL)
Caring for Smiles Foundation Level Covers:
- The importance of good oral health for people living in care homes
- Common risk factors such as dry mouth, gum disease
- Oral health risk assessment, care planning and daily documentation
- How to provide good oral care for those who require assistance
- How and when to report concerns
Intermediate level – at SCQF level 6 (2 credit points)
Candidates must have successfully completed foundation level before moving on to intermediate level training.
The training involves 3 hours of classroom learning, work based completion of reflective cases and observation of practice.
Caring for Smiles Intermediate Training builds on Foundation Level training and you will further develop skills in supporting oral care
- For people receiving palliative and end of life care
- Techniques and strategies to help people living with dementia, including those who resist oral care.
- Recognising the need for specialist oral care
Booking Training
Care Home Managers can make bookings for training through the local designated Dental Health Support Worker or by contacting Diane Marshall, Caring for Smiles Coordinator at diane.marshall@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
Telephone: 0131 470 5691 / 07711 425906
Other Useful Links
Public Health Scotland have produced and easy read guide for anyone who supports a person with oral care, it can be viewed and downloaded at Caring for Smiles – A guide for carers
Caring for Smiles information is also available on TURAS learn, which is open access. Caring for Smiles Learners
NICE – Oral health for adults in care homes
National guidance to maintain and improve oral health and ensure timely access to dental care. www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs151
Continuous professional learning (CPL)
Accessing and engaging with any training or the above resources may provide evidence of CPL which is a requirement of all job roles, and professional registration for some staff groups. Further guidance can be found on Lothian Care Academy’s Reflective Practice & Portfolio of Learning webpage
Further information
For information on information relating to Care Homes and oral care services and referral processes please see the following webpages.
Oral Health: Service and information
Oral Health: Referral Pathway
