A free nursing diploma giving people the chance to enhance their careers in social care has been launched in Devon.

The Advanced Diploma (CPD) in Adult Social Care Nursing has been designed by care provider, Southern Healthcare (Wessex Ltd), which has four award-winning homes in the county, including The Seaton Nursing Home.

The scheme has progressed with a satellite centre of the University of Bolton, based at Petroc College in North Devon.

It is predominantly an online learning programme with face-to-face in-workplace assessments, and also includes 10 clinical days to provide a "deep dive" immersive experience.

Margot Whittaker, the care provider’s director of nursing and compliance, said: "We are very excited to be launching the Advanced Diploma (CPD) in Adult Social Care Nursing.

"This course has been created to help aid nurses, nursing associates and assistant practitioners within Social Care to understand the complexity of their job role, and supports them towards reaching nursing wellbeing, not only for themselves, but also for residents and families through person centred approaches and high quality clinical practice."

She continued: "Until now, there has been no specific recognised qualification for nurses working in a nursing home environment.

"All general nurses are mostly trained within hospital environments which support the more medical models of care and nursing.

"Whilst in social care, the nurse is looking after a person within their own home or care environment, and so the more regimental task- focused way of nursing is not appropriate, or appreciated, within this more relaxed setting, particularly for those with a dementia or who are at the end of life.”

She added: "This course is ground-breaking and has been designed to address sectorial changes within the health and social care environment.

"We feel they should be recognised within a standard as specialists in social care nursing and be fully equipped to work holistically at a very high level."

Gail Wilson, regional senior nurse at NHS England (South West), workforce training and education directorate, said: "It is also required to aid recruitment and retention, as it will support nurses to be fulfilled in their roles and will give social care nurses the same professional recognition as community nurses."

Darryn Allcorn, chief nurse and director of integrated professions at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, said: "This programme addresses the gaps and will go a significant way to enhance the skills within social care and specifically residential settings."

The first cohort for the diploma is set to start in August and then in December 2024.