Mouth Care Programme for Residential and Nursing Care Homes in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent
Good oral health is important for good quality of life and is an essential part of routine personal care for residents in care homes. There is increasing evidence that poor oral health is linked to poor general health and systemic disease such as chronic diseases and aspiration pneumonia.
What is Care to Smile?
Care to Smile is a free evidence-based mouth care programme. It is delivered by the Healthy Smile Team, Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust and is designed to support the implementation of safe and effective mouth care for all residents in care homes. It provides more than training alone, and there are currently over 150 care homes taking part in this programme in Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin. The programme is based on NICE guidance NG48: Improving oral heath for adults in care homes, 2016, and highlights the responsibilities of care homes around mouth care.
Care Quality Commission
The CQC wants to see oral health treated as an equal priority to other personal care needs and have included 3 new quality standards that care homes will need to evidence to support this.
Who should attend?
We would like to invite all care homes that support older adults in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, to take part in Care to Smile.
Managers of care homes wishing to be part of this programme will need to identify up to 4 mouth care leads (including themselves ideally) within their care home, to attend the half day mouth care lead training. After the training, together with the manager, the mouth care leads will review their mouth care policy, documents, and mouth care practices prior to co-ordinating/implementing training to all care staff within the care home. A range of training resources, toolkits, materials and ongoing support will be provided by the Healthy Smile Team.
Prior to the training a Microsoft Teams meeting will be arranged with the manager to explain what the programme involves.
A limited number of training sessions are available during 2024-25 and places will be booked on a first come, first served basis.
If you would like your care home to take part, please complete the expression of interest here and a member of the Healthy Smile Team will be in touch with further information regarding available dates and to arrange your introduction meeting.
If you do not want to take part, we would be grateful if you would please complete the expression of interest here so that we can understand your reasons for not wanting to take part.
If you or a member of your staff has previously attended Care to Smile training and would like to arrange re-training, please email: charlotte.mcnaughton@nhs.net for Staffordshire or faye.may@nhs.net for Stoke-on-Trent care homes.
Successful feedback
“The programme I feel is an excellent way forward for the care industry and their staff. It means staff are more knowledgeable and residents are receiving better and more efficient oral care because of it”
''The training was excellent, it will definitely improve our home''
''Really enjoyed the training, good pace, good detail, and the resource pack is fabulous''
''The course was excellent and very informative''