Diabetes Awareness

Course Overview

Approximately 4.4 million people are living with diagnosed diabetes in the UK, and an estimated 1.1 million more who have Type 2 diabetes but do not yet know it. In health and social care settings, diabetes is not an occasional consideration. It is a daily reality for a significant proportion of the people being supported, and the quality of that support depends on whether the people providing care genuinely understand what they are dealing with.

One of the most consistent gaps this course encounters is the assumption that diabetes means Type 1 or Type 2 and nothing else. It does not. There are several distinct types of diabetes, each with different causes, different management needs, and different risks. Gestational diabetes, MODY (Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young), and other types of diabetes are all conditions that care workers may encounter without ever having been told they exist. That gap in knowledge has real consequences for the individuals being supported.

This course also goes further than most diabetes awareness training on diet and nutrition, because the role of food in diabetes management is one of the areas where care workers can make the most practical difference to an individual’s day-to-day health. Understanding which foods affect blood glucose and why, how meal timing matters, and how to support informed food choices without overstepping the care worker’s role are skills that directly improve outcomes for people living with diabetes.

For face-to-face sessions, the course includes a live blood glucose finger prick test carried out by the trainer on themselves, in a controlled environment with full infection prevention and control measures in place throughout. This is not a demonstration for its own sake. It is the most direct way to show learners exactly what a blood glucose test involves, what the equipment looks like, what a reading means, and what happens next. Many care workers have been asked to record blood glucose readings without ever having seen the process properly explained. That changes in this session.

This course is an awareness course. It does not include insulin administration or any other clinical procedure. Those sit with registered nurses and appropriately trained clinicians.

The course reflects current guidance from Diabetes UK, NICE guideline NG28 (Type 2 diabetes in adults), NICE guideline NG17 (Type 1 diabetes in adults), and the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme. It aligns with the expectations of the Care Quality Commission under Regulation 12 (Safe Care and Treatment) and Regulation 9 (Person-Centred Care), and with workforce guidance from Skills for Care.

This course is CPD-accredited.

Course Details

  • Duration: Typically 3 hours, adaptable to requirements
  • Delivery: In-person at your venue, or live online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams
  • Certificate: CPD-accredited certificate of achievement in Diabetes Awareness
  • Refresher: Every 1 to 3 years, or sooner following changes to guidance, individual care needs, or workplace practice
  • Group size: Flexible for team training

Who This Course Is For

This course is right for any care staff involved in the day-to-day support of individuals living with diabetes, including:

  • Care assistants and support workers in care homes, supported living, and domiciliary care
  • Senior carers and team leaders
  • Residential, nursing home, and community care staff
  • Staff supporting individuals with diabetes alongside other long-term conditions
  • New starters whose induction includes supporting individuals with diabetes

No prior clinical knowledge is needed.

Why This Training Matters

Diabetes is one of the most prevalent long-term conditions in the UK, and one of the most serious when poorly managed. Uncontrolled blood glucose levels cause damage to blood vessels and nerves over time, leading to complications including cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, sight loss, and lower limb amputation. Many of these complications are preventable with appropriate support and early recognition of warning signs.

In care settings, the most immediate risks are hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia. A person experiencing a hypoglycaemic episode can deteriorate rapidly. Symptoms, including confusion, aggression, sweating, and unsteadiness, are frequently misread by untrained staff as behavioural issues or intoxication. The consequences of that misreading can be serious and, in some cases, life-threatening. NICE guideline NG28 and NICE guideline NG17 are clear on the importance of timely recognition and response.

Foot care and skin integrity are also directly linked to diabetes management in ways that many care workers are not aware of. Peripheral neuropathy, reduced circulation, and slow wound healing mean that pressure damage or minor skin breaks can escalate quickly and dangerously in a person with diabetes. A care worker who does not understand this connection may not escalate concerns with the urgency they require.

The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme reflects the national commitment to reducing the burden of Type 2 diabetes through earlier identification and lifestyle intervention. Diabetes UK’s Know Your Risk tool supports this by helping individuals understand their risk profile. Care workers who understand the prevention and early intervention picture are better placed to support the individuals they work with and to raise concerns before they become crises.

CQC inspectors look at how long-term conditions, including diabetes, are managed and monitored in care settings. A service that cannot demonstrate that staff understand diabetes, know what to observe, and know when to escalate is a service with an identifiable gap in safe care delivery.

What You Will Learn

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

  • Explain what diabetes is, how it affects the body, and why blood glucose management matters
  • Identify the different types of diabetes beyond Type 1 and Type 2, including gestational diabetes, MODY, and others
  • Recognise hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia: their signs, symptoms, and the appropriate response
  • Understand blood glucose monitoring at an awareness level, including what readings mean and what to record and report
  • Support individuals with diabetes in relation to diet and nutrition, including how different foods affect blood glucose and how to support informed food choices within the care worker role
  • Understand the links between diabetes, foot care, skin integrity, and wound healing
  • Support individuals to manage their diabetes in a way that promotes independence, dignity, and informed choice
  • Recognise early signs of longer-term complications and know when and how to escalate
  • Record diabetes-related observations accurately and in line with the individual’s care plan

Course Content

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

  • What diabetes is and how it affects blood glucose regulation
  • Types of diabetes
  • Causes, risk factors, and the national prevention picture
  • Hypoglycaemia: recognition, immediate response, and escalation
  • Hyperglycaemia: recognition, monitoring, and when to seek medical advice
  • Blood glucose monitoring: what it involves, what readings indicate, and what care workers need to know, including a live finger prick demonstration by the trainer in face-to-face sessions
  • Diet and nutrition in diabetes management: the role of carbohydrates, portion size, meal timing, and supporting healthy food choices without overstepping the care worker role
  • Foot care and skin integrity: why diabetes increases risk and what to observe and report
  • Day-to-day diabetes support: promoting independence, dignity, and informed choice
  • Longer-term complications: an awareness-level overview and the importance of early escalation
  • Record keeping and monitoring: what to document and when to act
  • Escalation pathways: GP, district nurse, and emergency response

The Live Blood Glucose Demonstration

For face-to-face sessions, this course includes a live blood glucose finger prick test carried out by the trainer on themselves.

This is one of the most practically valuable elements of the course. Many care workers are expected to record blood glucose readings as part of their role without ever having had the process properly explained or demonstrated. The live demonstration shows learners exactly what the equipment looks like, how a test is carried out, what a reading means, and what the appropriate response is to different results.

The demonstration is conducted in a controlled environment with full infection prevention and control measures in place throughout, in line with current IPC guidance. Learners observe rather than participate. The purpose is clarity and confidence, not clinical training.

This element is not available for online delivery.

How the Course Is Delivered

Sessions are practical, discussion-based, and grounded in the real situations care workers encounter when supporting people with diabetes.

Delivery includes:

  • Clear explanation of diabetes types, blood glucose management, and the care worker’s role
  • In-depth discussion of diet and nutrition, and how it applies to supporting individuals with diabetes day to day
  • Scenario-based discussion covering hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia, skin and foot care concerns, and escalation decisions
  • Live blood glucose finger-prick demonstration by the trainer in face-to-face sessions
  • Time for questions, because diabetes consistently raises them once learners understand the range of the condition

Certification and Validity

On completion, learners receive a CPD-accredited certificate of achievement in Diabetes Awareness.

A refresher is recommended every 1 to 3 years, or sooner following changes to NICE guidance, updates to the individual’s diabetes management plan, or where supervision or audit identifies gaps in practice. Many organisations align diabetes awareness refreshers with their medication awareness and long-term conditions training cycles.

In-House and Bespoke Training

We adapt delivery to your service, your client group, and the specific diabetes-related needs of the individuals you support.

We can build content around:

  • The specific types of diabetes present in your service and the monitoring and support systems in place
  • Your internal documentation, escalation routes, and diabetes care planning processes
  • Settings where diabetes management is particularly complex, such as services supporting individuals with diabetes alongside dementia, learning disability, or physical frailty
  • Combined delivery with Epilepsy Awareness, Medication Awareness, or Person-Centred Care for a joined-up long-term conditions programme

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. Please note that the live blood glucose demonstration is only available in face-to-face sessions.

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

FAQs

Does this course cover more than just Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes?

Yes, and this is one of the most important things it addresses. Many care workers arrive at this course knowing only Type 1 and Type 2. This course covers gestational diabetes, MODY, and other types of diabetes as well, because care workers encounter all of these in practice. Understanding that diabetes is not a two-type condition changes how staff approach the individuals they support and improves the quality of observation and escalation.

Does this course include insulin administration?

No. This is an awareness course. Insulin administration is a clinical procedure that sits with registered nurses and appropriately trained clinicians. This course gives care workers the knowledge to support individuals with diabetes safely within their role, including understanding what insulin is and why it is used, but it does not train or authorise anyone to administer it.

What is the live blood glucose demonstration, and who carries it out?

In face-to-face sessions, the trainer carries out a live finger-prick blood glucose test on themselves. Learners observe rather than participate. The demonstration is conducted in a controlled environment with full infection prevention and control measures in place throughout. It is one of the most practically valuable elements of the course, giving learners a clear understanding of what the test involves, what the equipment looks like, what a reading means, and how to respond to different results. This element is not available in online sessions.

What is hypoglycaemia and why is it a medical emergency?

Hypoglycaemia is when blood glucose drops below the normal range, typically below 4 mmol/L. Symptoms include confusion, shakiness, sweating, aggression, and loss of consciousness. It can deteriorate rapidly and, if not treated promptly, can become life-threatening. It is frequently misread by untrained staff as behavioural problems or other conditions. This course ensures care workers can recognise it, respond appropriately, and escalate without delay.

Why does diabetes affect foot care and skin integrity?

Diabetes can cause peripheral neuropathy, which reduces sensation in the feet, and poor circulation, which slows wound healing. This means that minor skin damage, blisters, or pressure areas that would be unremarkable in another person can escalate rapidly in someone with diabetes. Care workers who do not understand this connection may not escalate concerns with appropriate urgency. This course covers the link between diabetes and skin and foot health, and what to observe and report.

Related Courses

Book or Enquire

To book Diabetes Awareness 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. All sessions are led by experienced Prima Cura Training instructors and meet the same high standards.

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 Diabetes UK, NICE guidelines NG17 and NG28, NHS England, the Care Quality Commission, and current UK diabetes care guidance, including the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

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 current UK legislation, NICE guidance, and sector best practice at the date of review. It does not constitute clinical or medical advice. Diabetes Awareness Training is an awareness-level course for care workers and does not include insulin administration, blood glucose testing by learners, or any other clinical procedure. The live blood glucose demonstration is carried out by the trainer only, in a controlled environment with infection prevention and control measures in place, and does not constitute clinical training for learners. Care workers must always act within their role, in line with the individual’s diabetes care plan, and in accordance with their organisation’s policies and procedures. Individuals with concerns about their own diabetes management or a possible diabetes diagnosis should contact their GP or diabetes care team.

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