71% of Adult Care Staff Have No Recorded Dementia Training, as 487,432 People in England Live With a Diagnosis

tend® warns England risks diagnosing more people into a care system that is not fully equipped to support them

As Dementia Action Week places national attention on dementia awareness and diagnosis, apprenticeship training provider tend® is warning that England risks diagnosing more people into a care system that is not yet fully equipped to support them.

Dementia Action Week, which runs from 18th to 24th May 2026, is raising awareness of dementia as the UK’s biggest killer. While early diagnosis remains vital, tend® says greater awareness must now be matched by urgent action to close the dementia care workforce training gap.

The warning comes amid growing concern over the rising scale of dementia across the UK and the readiness of the health and social care workforce to meet rising demand. NHS figures cited by Alzheimer’s Society show that a record 487,432 people in England had a dementia diagnosis as of June 2024, while the charity also states that someone develops dementia every three minutes in the UK, and one in three people born in the UK today will go on to develop dementia in their lifetime.

Despite this growing need, dementia-specific training is still not a mandatory requirement for social care staff in England. Alzheimer’s Society has warned that only 29% of adult social care staff have any recorded dementia training, meaning 71% have no recorded dementia training, despite around 70% of people in care homes in England having dementia or severe memory problems.

Alzheimer’s Society’s training gap research also suggests that where dementia training is available, it is not always detailed enough to prepare staff for the realities of care delivery. The charity found that around half of audited training packages offered only one to two hours of dementia-specific content, while in England only 52% of staff said they felt very competent in the care they provide.

tend® says this creates a growing risk for people living with dementia, their families and care providers, with many care teams being expected to support increasingly complex needs without consistent access to role-specific dementia training.

The apprenticeship training provider is calling for high-quality dementia-specific training to be treated as a core workforce requirement, not an optional extra, particularly for staff working directly with people living with dementia in adult social care settings.

Angela Wheeler, Curriculum Specialist Health and Social Care at Impact Futures, said: “Dementia Action Week is an important opportunity to raise awareness, but awareness alone will not solve the challenge facing adult social care.

“Earlier diagnosis is vital, but we also have to think about what happens after that diagnosis. Families need to know that the people supporting their loved ones have the skills, confidence and understanding to provide care that is safe, compassionate and person-centred.

“Dementia care is complex. Staff need practical training that reflects the real situations they face every day, from changes in communication and behaviour to safeguarding, mental capacity and supporting families.

“Care providers are already working under significant pressure, so this is not about placing more blame on the sector. It is about making sure providers and their teams are properly supported with the right training, expectations and development pathways.

“That is why we listened to the sector and developed a bespoke dementia apprenticeship pathway, designed to help address the knowledge gap and give providers a practical route to support workforce development.

“With dementia now one of the biggest health and care challenges facing the UK, there is a strong case for dementia-specific training to become a mandatory requirement for social care staff in England.”

Wheeler says the issue is particularly important for senior care workers and those progressing into leadership roles, who are often responsible for setting standards, supporting colleagues and helping families navigate the realities of dementia care.

The organisation is encouraging care providers to review whether their teams have access to practical training that goes beyond basic awareness and reflects the realities of dementia care delivery.

As a specialist adult care apprenticeship training provider, tend® says workforce development must now be treated as a central part of the dementia care response.

Wheeler added, “Good dementia care depends on the people. It depends on staff who feel equipped, supported and confident in what they are doing.

“If we want people living with dementia to receive the quality of care they deserve, workforce training has to be part of the national conversation. Dementia Action Week should not only encourage people to recognise the signs of dementia, but also ask whether our care system is ready to respond.”

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Editors notes

tend® is a health and social care apprenticeship training provider supporting employers across England to develop skilled, confident and resilient workforces. Delivering apprenticeships and diplomas across areas including adult social care, healthcare support, pharmacy, and leadership and management, tend® helps organisations attract new talent, support career progression and strengthen the quality of care they deliver.

tend® works in partnership with employers to create tailored training pathways that respond to the evolving needs of the health and social care sector, supporting both new entrants and experienced professionals to build long-term careers.

tend® is part of Impact Futures Group, a UK-based learning provider delivering apprenticeship, skills and workforce development programmes across the public, private and third sectors. Through its people-centred approach, Impact Futures Group supports organisations to build highly skilled workforces and develop learners at every stage of their careers.