Cornwall Speech Therapy

For care teams

Care Home Staff Training

Warm, practical training for nursing, residential and supported-living teams across Cornwall - designed to build real confidence at the point of care.

Overview

Training built around your team

Cornwall Speech Therapy delivers training for care home staff - including teams supporting older adults, people with dementia and adults with learning disabilities. Various group sizes are welcome and every session is shaped around the residents you support and the team in the room.

All swallowing and mealtime content is aligned with the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) and current UK guidance from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).

IDDSI-aligned
Evidence-based
Tailored to your team
Dysphagia AwarenessCommunication & DementiaDysphagia-Friendly MenusBespoke Training

Part one

Dysphagia Awareness Training

Foundational training on safe swallowing and the team's role in identifying and managing dysphagia - practical, hands-on, and immediately useful on shift.

Learning objectives

  1. 01The normal swallow - what happens and why it matters.
  2. 02Common causes of swallowing problems (dysphagia).
  3. 03How to identify the signs of dysphagia at mealtimes.
  4. 04Complications - pneumonia, choking, dehydration and malnutrition.
  5. 05How food and drink modifications help, including IDDSI levels.
  6. 06Practical positioning, pacing and prompting strategies.
  7. 07When and how to refer to Speech and Language Therapy.
  8. 08Oral hygiene - and why it is so closely linked to swallow safety.

Part two

Communication & Dementia Training

How dementia changes communication - and the concrete, compassionate strategies staff can use to stay connected with residents as their condition progresses.

How dementia affects communication

Word-finding, comprehension, attention and social communication - and how these change across stages.

Practical strategies

Pacing, phrasing, choice-giving, orientation cues and use of visual and written supports.

Behaviour as communication

Reading distress, unmet needs and pain when words are not available - and responding with confidence.

Family & visitor guidance

Coaching families and visitors so their time with the resident is meaningful and calm.

Mental Capacity & consent

Supporting decision-making with communication-accessible information at every stage.

Life story & personhood

Using life-story work and reminiscence to preserve identity and connection.

944k

people living with dementia in the UK

Alzheimer's Society, 2024

~70%

of care home residents have dementia or severe memory problems

Alzheimer's Society

1 in 3

people born today will develop dementia in their lifetime

Alzheimer's Research UK

Part three

Dysphagia-Friendly Menus Training

A practical, kitchen-focused session for catering teams - turning IDDSI guidance into appetising, safe, dignified meals that residents actually want to eat.

IDDSI at a glance

The 8-level framework

  1. 7Regular / Easy to Chew
  2. 6Soft & Bite-Sized
  3. 5Minced & Moist
  4. 4Pureed / Extremely Thick
  5. 3Liquidised / Moderately Thick
  6. 2Mildly Thick
  7. 1Slightly Thick
  8. 0Thin

Framework: International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (iddsi.org).

What we cover

Menu design

Building varied weekly menus that meet each IDDSI level without losing appeal.

Texture testing

The IDDSI fork, spoon and flow tests, demonstrated and practised in the session.

Kitchen adaptations

Practical equipment, thickeners, moulds and plating techniques that lift dignity.

Safety & documentation

Cross-contamination, labelling, allergen management and recording what was served.

Nutrition & hydration

Preventing weight loss and dehydration on modified diets - enrichment and fortification.

Presentation & dignity

Making modified meals look like meals - because dignity at the table matters.

Part four

Bespoke Training

If your team's needs don't fit a standard package, Claire will build a session around them - from a single resident's care plan to a full staff development day.

1

Discovery call

A short conversation to understand your residents, team and priorities.

2

Tailored proposal

A clear outline of learning objectives, format, duration and cost.

3

Delivery

Interactive, practical training on site or online - group size to suit.

4

Embedding

Resources, follow-up questions and, where useful, an in-service refresher.

Popular bespoke topics

Communication with adults with learning disabilities
Total Communication approaches & visual supports
Mealtime observations & individual care plans
Choking risk & emergency response awareness
Oral hygiene protocols and staff coaching
End-of-life communication and eating & drinking
Onboarding module for new starters
Refresher training & annual updates
Manager-level train-the-trainer sessions

Safer mealtimes

Reduce the risk of choking and aspiration with confident, well-trained staff.

Tailored content

Every session is shaped around the residents you support and the team in the room.

Clear referral pathways

Leave knowing exactly when and how to escalate to Speech and Language Therapy.

Feedback

Training Session Feedback

"I have enjoyed working alongside Claire to facilitate Dysphagia Awareness Training. The content of the session was informative and very relevant to our organisation. Resources were well written, with clear presentation and the opportunity to ask questions. I look forward to working with Claire further to support ongoing development within the team."
John Clemens - Manager, Benoni Nursing Home
"Amazing training. Very effective including role play to give an understanding of the people we support. Highly recommended. A must!!"
Tracy Parrock

Ready to book training for your team?

Get in touch to discuss your team's requirements and arrange a session tailored to your home, your residents and your staff.

Contact Claire

Frequently asked questions

Care home training questions, answered