Dementia Care Level 2

Course Overview

Working with people living with dementia at a direct care level is one of the most skilled, demanding, and important roles in health and social care. It requires more than good intentions. It requires a level of knowledge, reflective practice, and practical confidence that goes well beyond awareness.

Dementia Care Level 2 is designed for care staff who are already working alongside people living with dementia and need a structured, in-depth programme that reflects the complexity of that work. This is not an introduction to dementia. It is a course built around the real challenges of dementia care in practice: understanding how needs change as the condition progresses, responding to distress and behaviour with skill and compassion rather than habit, writing care plans that genuinely reflect the person, and understanding the medication landscape well enough to ask the right questions and recognise what to observe.

The course challenges practice, not just knowledge. Learners bring their own care situations into the room and examine them. They work through detailed case studies drawn from real dementia care settings. They look honestly at the responses they have been using and consider whether those responses are working for the individual or for the convenience of the team. That kind of reflective practice is what separates competent dementia care from genuinely excellent dementia care, and it is what this course is built around.

What makes this course particularly strong from an EEAT and quality-of-care standpoint is the breadth of what it covers at Level 2. Detailed care planning that reflects life history, preferences, and changing needs. The role of medication in dementia care, including the types used, their purpose, and what care workers should observe and report. Positive risk-taking alongside safeguarding. Communication at advanced stages of the condition. These are the areas where the difference between trained and untrained staff is most visible to the people being supported.

The course reflects current best practice guidance from Dementia UK, the Alzheimer’s Society, and NHS England’s Well Pathway for Dementia. It aligns with the expectations of the Care Quality Commission under Regulation 9 (Person-Centred Care), Regulation 10 (Dignity and Respect), and Regulation 17 (Good Governance), and with workforce development guidance from Skills for Care.

Course Details

  • Duration: Full day
  • Delivery: In-person at your venue, or live online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams
  • Certificate: CPD-accredited certificate of achievement in Dementia Care Level 2
  • Refresher: Every 1 to 3 years, or sooner following changes to guidance, significant changes in the needs of individuals being supported, or where supervision or audit identifies practice gaps
  • Group size: Flexible for team training

Who This Course Is For

This course is designed for care staff who are actively involved in the direct care and support of people living with dementia, including:

  • Care assistants and support workers providing day-to-day dementia care
  • Senior carers and team leaders with oversight of dementia care practice
  • Residential, nursing home, and community care staff supporting individuals with moderate to advanced dementia
  • Domiciliary care workers supporting people living with dementia in their own homes
  • Staff whose role involves care planning, risk assessment, or supporting families in dementia care contexts

This course is most appropriate for learners with existing dementia knowledge who are ready to develop their practice at a deeper level. It is not an introductory course.

Why This Training Matters

As dementia progresses, the complexity of care increases significantly. The needs of a person in the middle or later stages of dementia bear little resemblance to those of someone recently diagnosed. Behaviour changes. Communication becomes more difficult. Distress becomes more frequent. The risk of safeguarding concerns increases. And the care team’s ability to respond effectively becomes more critical to the individual’s quality of life and safety.

NHS England’s Well Pathway for Dementia sets out clear expectations for the quality of care and support that people living with dementia should receive at every stage. Meeting those expectations at the more complex end of dementia care requires a workforce with genuine skill, not just awareness.

CQC inspectors look carefully at how dementia care is planned, delivered, and reviewed. They look at whether care plans reflect the actual person and their current needs, whether staff can articulate why they are responding to behaviour in the way they are, whether risk is being managed in a way that also preserves dignity and choice, and whether the medication picture is understood and monitored appropriately. A service where the dementia care team can answer those questions confidently is a service that demonstrates quality in the areas that matter most.

The Alzheimer’s Society and Dementia UK are both clear that skilled, knowledgeable, and reflective dementia care staff make a measurable difference to outcomes for people living with dementia. This course is how that skill is built.

What You Will Learn

By the end of the session, learners will be able to:

  • Explain how dementia progresses and understand the changing care needs each stage brings
  • Apply person-centred approaches to complex dementia care situations using life history and individual presentation
  • Recognise behaviour as communication and respond to the unmet need behind it
  • Use communication strategies appropriate to different stages, including late-stage and non-verbal communication
  • Respond to distress, anxiety, and agitation with practical, person-centred de-escalation
  • Contribute to and critically evaluate detailed dementia care plans that reflect the individual and their changing needs
  • Understand the role of medication in dementia care, including types used, purpose, and what to observe and report
  • Balance positive risk-taking with safeguarding responsibilities
  • Support meaningful activity and emotional well-being throughout dementia progression
  • Reflect critically on their own dementia care practice and identify areas for development

Course Content

Content is adapted to your setting and team, but typically covers:

  • Dementia progression: stages, changing needs, and the implications for care
  • Person-centred dementia care in practice: applying the principle, not just understanding it
  • Behaviour as communication: common presentations, likely causes, and effective responses
  • Communication at different stages: adapting approach for moderate, advanced, and non-verbal presentations
  • Distress, anxiety, and agitation: practical de-escalation strategies from real dementia care situations
  • Detailed care planning: writing and reviewing plans that accurately reflect the individual, their history, preferences, and current needs
  • Medication in dementia care: types, purpose, side effects relevant to care workers, and what to observe and report
  • Positive risk-taking and safeguarding: holding both in balance
  • Meaningful activity and emotional well-being: making activity genuinely person-centred
  • Working with families and unpaid carers: their experience and how the care team supports them
  • Reflective practice: examining real situations, identifying what worked, and building critical self-reflection into everyday dementia care

How the Course Is Delivered

This is a full-day course, and the time is used. Sessions are built around the real situations learners bring from their own practice, detailed case studies drawn from dementia care settings, and structured reflective discussion that moves between theory and application throughout the day.

Delivery includes:

  • In-depth case study work covering complex dementia care scenarios including distress responses, care planning challenges, and safeguarding considerations
  • Reflective practice exercises where learners examine their own responses to real situations from their working environment
  • Practical exploration of communication strategies, de-escalation approaches, and care planning frameworks
  • Honest discussion about medication in dementia care and what care workers need to understand about the people they support
  • Challenging the assumptions and habits that develop over time in dementia care settings, with the aim of improving practice rather than confirming it

Certification and Validity

On completion, learners receive a CPD-accredited certificate of achievement in Dementia Care Level 2.

A refresher is recommended every 1 to 3 years, or sooner following significant changes to the needs of individuals being supported, changes to dementia care guidance, or where supervision, complaints, or audit identifies gaps in practice. For services aiming for Good or Outstanding CQC ratings in dementia care, building Level 2 into the regular training cycle is good practice.

In-House and Bespoke Training

We adapt delivery to your setting, your team, and the specific dementia care challenges you face.

We can build content around:

  • The specific types and stages of dementia most prevalent in your service
  • Your internal care planning documentation, assessment tools, and review processes
  • Practice gaps identified through supervision, complaints, incident reviews, or CQC feedback
  • Services supporting people with dementia and co-occurring conditions such as learning disability, mental health needs, or physical frailty
  • Combined delivery with Person-Centred Care, Mental Capacity Act, Safeguarding Adults, or Communication in Care as part of a dementia learning pathway

Course Location and Service Areas

We deliver in-house training at your workplace or chosen venue across Manchester, Greater Manchester, and the wider North West. We also deliver nationally, including North England, South England, London, and Surrey.

For teams in multiple locations or with remote workers, this course is available live online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, with no drop in quality or interaction.

All sessions are led by experienced Prima Cura Training instructors. Every trainer holds an Enhanced DBS certificate.

FAQs

What does this course cover that introductory dementia training does not?

This course goes significantly further than introductory training in several areas. It covers detailed, person-centred care planning in dementia. It includes an awareness-level overview of medication used in dementia care, what it is for, and what care workers should observe and report. It involves structured reflective practice where learners critically examine their own care responses using real case material. And it addresses complex dementia presentations, including distress, agitation, and late-stage communication, in much more practical depth than an awareness course can.

Does this course cover medication?

Yes, at an awareness level appropriate to the care worker role. The course covers the types of medication commonly used in dementia care, their purpose, common side effects that are relevant to care workers, and what to observe, record, and report. It does not train learners to administer or prescribe medication.

How does this course approach care planning?

Care planning is covered in detail. The course explores what good dementia care planning actually looks like in practice, how to use life history and individual preferences to build plans that reflect the real person, and how to review and update plans as the condition progresses and needs change. Learners examine real care plan structures and discuss what makes them effective or inadequate.

Does this course follow a dementia Care pathway?

Yes. This course is aligned with NHS England’s Well Pathway for Dementia, which sets out the standard for high-quality dementia care and support across all stages, from early identification through to end of life. The Well Pathway covers six key areas: preventing well, diagnosing well, supporting well, living well, dying well, and research. At Level 2, this course focuses particularly on the supporting well and living well elements of the pathway, addressing the skills and knowledge care workers need to deliver consistent, person-centred care as dementia progresses. For services working toward or maintaining a Good or Outstanding CQC rating in dementia care, alignment with the Well Pathway is one of the clearest ways to demonstrate that care is being delivered to a recognised national standard.

Related Courses

Book or Enquire

To book Dementia Care – Level 2 training or to discuss a tailored option for your organisation, please get in touch with Prima Cura Training. We’re happy to advise on delivery options, group sizes, and suitability for your service.

Our Commitment to Quality and Compliance

At Prima Cura Training, all courses reflect current UK guidance and best practice.

All trainers are experienced professionals with relevant qualifications and ongoing CPD. Because many of the organisations we support work with vulnerable individuals, all trainers hold Enhanced DBS checks.

This course is reviewed against updates from Dementia UK, the Alzheimer’s Society, NHS England’s Well Pathway for Dementia, the Care Quality Commission, and current UK dementia care guidance, including the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and Skills for Care workforce standards.

You can read more on our Quality Assurance and Compliance page.

Reviewed by Stephanie Austin, Owner and Lead Trainer, Prima Cura Training 25+ years in health and social care | 15+ years as a trainer | Last reviewed: April 2026 | Next review: April 2027

This page is for general guidance only and reflects UK legislation, NHS England guidance, and sector best practice current at the date of review. It does not constitute clinical or medical advice. Dementia Care Level 2 is a practice development course for care workers and does not replace clinical assessment, medical diagnosis, or specialist dementia intervention, which must be carried out by appropriately qualified healthcare professionals. The medication content within this course is delivered at an awareness level only and does not train or authorise care workers to administer, adjust, or advise on medication. Care workers must always act within their role, in line with the individual’s care plan, and in accordance with their organisation’s policies and procedures.

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