NEWS: DESMOND Australia is 10!
Wednesday 23rd of June 2021 marked 10 years since the inaugural training of Educators in Australia.
DESMOND’s UK trainers travelled to Australia for a week-long visit, where they began by delivering a face-to-face group to patients with type 2 diabetes. This was observed by the Australian Educators.
Over the next two days the UK Trainers delivered Educator training; Day One was Core training looking at the DESMOND Philosophy, our underpinning learning theories and the core behaviours associated with DESMOND Educator delivery. Day Two of training introduced the Educators to their Newly Diagnosed and Foundation (NDF) curriculum and resources.
The very next day the four new Australia Educators split into two teams and each delivered to a group of participants; one in Spearwood, Perth and one in Belmont, Perth; whilst a UK Trainer observed and provided feedback.
“I remember it was certainly a baptism of fire but provided us with a very comprehensive grounding and understanding for the path ahead”, reflected Kylie Mahony , one of the original DESMOND Educators. “At this 10 year anniversary it is great to reflect on just what has been achieved since then and how far we have come!”
Kylie and her fellow Educators began by making the necessary adaptations to the curriculum and resources to ensure it was fit-for-purpose for the Australian market including a change from Kcal to kilojoules and started delivering for people with diabetes across Perth. The team soon became accredited, and following another visit from the UK Trainers are now trained as DESMOND Trainers and Assessors, providing DESMOND Training and Quality Development across the whole of the Australasian continent.
The DESMOND Australia Training and QD team, based at Diabetes Western Australia, are now offer training, not just in NDF but also in Walking Away from Diabetes and Let’s Prevent, which have all been adapted for Australian communities. In addition, they have delivered training and undertaken QD assessments for New Zealand health professionals, as well as trialled Walking Away for women post gestational diabetes, adapted the NDF module for Australian Aboriginal communities, developed training specific to Aboriginal Health Workers and adapted the NDF module for Australian Arabic and Australian Maori communities. And more recently, have launched an Australian-wide offer of MyDESMOND Type 2 management online module, as well as adapted the MyDESMOND Let’s Prevent and MyDESMOND and Babysteps modules. This is an amazing achievement in just 10 years!
Here at the DESMOND HQ, Leicester Diabetes Centre, we would like to wish DESMOND Australia a very happy 10th birthday! Long may your hard work and passion for people living with Diabetes continue.
