News

posted 09/05/2025

Supporting #InsulinSafetyWeek2025

We're proud to be taking part in #InsulinSafetyWeek2025, a national campaign dedicated to raising awareness of insulin safety and reducing insulin-related errors across the healthcare profession. This year’s focus is on the safe use of diabetes technology—highlighting the vital role of education and best practices in ensuring insulin is administered and managed correctly. At DUET diabetes, we’re passionate about empowering healthcare professionals with the knowledge and confidence to use insulin safely and effectively.

Visit insulinsafetyweek.com to find out more about the campaign and how you can get involved.

09/04/2025

Addressing gaps in diabetes awareness and knowledge in Suffolk

With 25% of care home residents living with diabetes, social care workers play a crucial role in supporting those affected. However, a lack of structured, role-relevant training means many staff feel unsure about recognising fluctuating blood glucose levels or using glucometers correctly. This knowledge gap can lead to delayed interventions and avoidable health risks for care home residents.

To address this issue and help reduce unnecessary hospital admissions, Care Development East chose to partner with DUET diabetes, due to our specialist training capabilities and strong track record in diabetes education.

Read more in an article published in the April edition of the Caring UK Magazine.

posted 10/03/2025

Lynne Reedman Co-Authors Key Resource on Diabetes Care in Care Homes

DUET diabetes is proud to share that our founder, Lynne Reedman, has contributed to Care of Older People with Diabetes: A Manual for Healthcare Practice, edited by Alan Sinclair and Ahmed Abdelhafiz. This essential resource provides healthcare professionals with evidence-based guidance on managing diabetes in older adults.

Lynne co-authored Chapter 13b: Management in Care Homes, offering practical strategies for ensuring residents receive safe and effective diabetes care. With her extensive experience in diabetes education, Lynne’s insights highlight best practices in managing medication, monitoring blood glucose, and supporting overall well-being in care home settings.

This manual is an invaluable tool for professionals dedicated to improving the quality of care for older people living with diabetes.

To learn more about the book and how it can support your practice, visit the publisher's website.

06/01/2025

Nursing Times paper - ending 2024 in print!

We are delighted to report that some of the team have a co-authored a paper accepted for publication by the Nursing Times.

Working with the lead author Julie Rayner from Hallmark Luxury Care Homes and Professor Alan Sinclair (Visiting Professor in Diabetes Care, King’s College London and Director Foundation for Diabetes Research in Older People (fDROP)), our founder Lynne along with two of our experienced educators Karen and Gareth, produced "Training staff to improve the management of diabetes in care homes".

Visit the Nursing Times website to find out more about how working collaboratively to facilitate a comprehensive training programme made care home teams better equipped to support residents living with diabetes.

Nursing Times

posted 05/12/2024

Diabetic Foot Awareness for Beauty & Wellness Therapists; updated online course and its new home!

We are delighted to announce that our Diabetic Foot Awareness online course for professionals working in the beauty and holistic therapy sectors, has been updated and has a new ‘home’. Through a collaboration with The Holistic, Beauty & Nail Training Group this course is now available on their 'Therapy Learning Resources' platform.

posted 14/11/2024

Celebrating World Diabetes Day 2024

Our mission at DUET diabetes could not be closer aligned with the WDD 2024-26 theme of 'diabetes & wellbeing'!

Since 2015, we continue to be dedicated to providing resources and knowledge to improve care and wellbeing surrounding diabetes and we are excited to announce that we have updated our website and resources to provide you with better access to relevant tools and information.

This includes a refreshed and upgraded 'diabetic foot awareness' online course for people working in the beauty & holistic therapy sectors. In collaboration with The Holistic, Beauty and Nail Training Group, the course sits on their Therapy Learning Resources online platform. Find out more.

For those working in the beauty or wellness industries offering foot related treatments, join us at a live virtual even organised by Sweet Squared on Monday evening 6pm GMT ‘Diabetic foot awareness: saving feet – how can you help?”

Register and tune in to hear our educator Gareth (an experienced podiatrist) share role relevant information with the audience on how they can make a difference to the foot health of their clients living with diabetes! It will be an interactive session where we welcome all your diabetes feet questions!! Register here.

posted 01/11/2024

Reforming Diabetes Care in Care Homes

At DUET diabetes, we believe that people living with diabetes are a very important voice which should be included when care, treatments, and policies are being discussed, devised, and implemented.

Lynne, our Founder and Service Lead, sat down with Martin Scivier - Type 1 Diabetes patient and advocate - to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on care home residents with diabetes, the importance of peer support, and the urgent need to prioritise care for vulnerable and older populations. Read the full article here

posted 12/09/2024

Featured in Caring Times Magazine July 2024

DUET diabetes featured in the July issue of the Caring Times Magazine (see page 40) in relation to the diabetes training programme we developed and facilitated for Hallmark Luxury Care Homes.

We were immensely fortunate that Professor Alan Sinclair (chair of the National Advisory Panel on Care Home Diabetes) also got involved with the delivery of the workshops.

Evidence based, role relevant training delivered in an engaging manner appropriate to the team’s setting makes such a difference to their understanding and confidence. All of this has been captured and demonstrated through this programme with Hallmark Luxury Care Homes.

We believe that education, communication and collaboration are key ingredients to making a difference for people living with diabetes and that this should be true for individuals of any age irrespective of their circumstances!

posted 01/08/2024

Collaboration with the Essex Care Association!

We are delighted to be working closely with the Essex Care Association to arrange some role relevant diabetes training for Essex social care providers. The first workshop is taking place in the Autumn - 'diabetes awareness and blood glucose monitoring & glucometer training'. Thanks to The Chelmsford Care Centre for hosting this session and for the Essex Care Association for subsidising the workshop. Find out more (including price and how to book).

posted 25/06/2024

INSULIN SAFETY WEEK (ISW), 1-7 July 2024

As part of #InsulinSafetyWeek, we will be helping to raise awareness of the importance of reducing insulin errors in people with #diabetes.

This national annual initiative is organised by Orange Juice PR and funded by by Dexcom, Embecta, GlucoRx, Medtronic, Sanofi and Ypsomed, who have had no input into any arrangements or content. Find out more & register.

At DUET diabetes, we encourage all social care providers who support people requiring insulin, to register and take part to raise awareness amongst colleagues, families and residents/service users. Like hospitals and GP practices, care providers can run events and activities to improve understanding of insulin therapy and reduce insulin errors.

Commissioned by Care Development East (CDE), on Monday 1 July we are running a fully funded ‘insulin awareness and injection technique’ workshop in Ipswich. Other dates are available too over the coming months. To book places, visit the CDE Eventbrite page

Previous learner feedback: "Training is fantastic. Brilliant session- it really was so helpful".

posted 24/06/2024

DUET diabetes featured in Smart Messenger case study!

Earlier this month our Service Lead was contacted by Smart Messenger (who we use as our email marketing tool) asking if they could feature DUET diabetes as a case study. needless to say we agreed - read the result!

posted 10/06/2024

The Caring View talk show, 11 June 2024 7.30mpm-8.30pm

This week is DIABETES AWARENESS WEEK and LEGS MATTER WEEK. Two immensely valuable and pro-active national campaigns. Both organisations behind these initiatives have lots planned for the week and all year round provide a wealth of information for people living with diabetes and/or lower leg conditions, as well as for health and social care professionals supporting them. Head over to their respective websites to find out more.

And what a great week to discuss diabetes and footcare…

We have been invited by The Caring View team to come onto their talk show - Lynne and Gareth along with Julie Rayner from Hallmark Luxury Care Homes will sharing useful info, tips, advice and experiences.

If you work in the adult social care sector-we would be delighted to meet you virtually tomorrow (11 June 2024)…join us and take part in our discussion. Let’s us all work together to help people living with diabetes to avoid foot related problems! Visit either The Caring View LinkedIn or Facebook event page to attend.

posted 16/04/2024

More funded workshops in Suffolk for the social care sector!

Our collaboration with Care Development East has been further expanded. We are delighted to announce that we have been commissioned to deliver some insulin related training for Suffolk social care providers. The 'Insulin Awareness & Injection Technique' workshops start on 20 May and offer teams members the opportunity to learn new (or maintain) skills and confidence, as well as stay up to date!

Read more (about this initiative, the dates currently scheduled and how to book).

posted 19/03/2024

Integrated Care Journal: Case Study - Improving diabetes care in Norfolk and Waveney

A case study featuring ourselves working collaboratively with an ICB in the East of England has featured in a digital healthcare publication, Integrated Care Journal.

As an organisation, we believe in the power of effective education, communication and collaboration. A tailor made diabetes training programme we were involved in creating and delivering was a true reflection of just that. It was a pleasure to work with the team at Norfolk & Waveney ICB, as well as Dr Clare Hambling (Clinical Lead for Primary Care Diabetes in Norfolk & Waveney and more recently, the newly appointed National Clinical Director for Diabetes and Obesity). The content was driven by the dual focus of providing role specific, clinically relevant training as well as highlighting the provision of local services available to support people living with diabetes.

Working collaboratively ensured that the sessions met the training needs and agreed outcomes (such as increased knowledge, understanding, skills and confidence) thus empowering learners to further improve their service and communications with their colleagues and people living with diabetes.

Read the case study

posted 15/02/2024

You are speaking and we are listening!

Yes! More new locations for open workshops - we have received an increasing amount of interest and requests for 'diabetic foot screening' training across the health and social care sector. Additional dates and suitable locations have been scheduled - find out more.

At the Foot & Ankle Show in Liverpool last week we had lots of conversations about diabetic footcare with foot health practitioners and podiatrists wanting to access training - including requests for 'diabetic foot screening' sessions in Scotland, Northern Ireland, North and South Wales. So these have been added to the ‘to do list’ for this month…identifying suitable venues and dates! Keep an eye on our website and social media channels to stay up to date.

What was totally unexpected at the event, was the lovely experience of some of our ‘previous learners’ bringing along colleagues to our stand to find out when and how they can attend future workshops. We are very appreciative of the spreading of kind words and unsolicited positive reviews :)

posted 28/01/2024

Fully funded workshops for Suffolk Adult Social Care Providers!

Starting in February 2024, we will be running a number of workshops for Suffolk care providers on behalf of Care Development East.

Read more (about this initiative, the dates currently scheduled and how to book).

posted 22/01/2024

Approved CPD Provider

Today we were notified of our 'Approved CPD Provider' status from The CPD Group! This further highlights our commitment to high standards - for us as a business and as a team; giving our customers and collaborators confidence that we adhere to and strive for excellence. A great piece of news for us to start the year with!

posted 12/11/2023

New venues for diabetic foot screening open workshops

Due to an increased demand for our 'diabetic foot screening' workshop, we are in the process of identifying venues and dates to run this popular workshop across the country during 2024 at new locations (north, south, east and west!).

Diabetic foot checks are part of the regular ‘key care processes’ everyone living with diabetes should receive. Using NICE guidelines as a framework, this evidence based workshop aims to equip learners with the knowledge and skills to competently examine and screen the diabetic foot for potential and actual problems.

It’s not just the theory! In an interactive and safe learning environment, attendees put their new knowledge into practice.

Details for the first open workshop in 2024 will be announced soon - it will be in Milton Keynes on 21 January 2024. Please email us if you would like to reserve a place.

Our regular training venue in Needham Market (Suffolk), has it's first 2024 session scheduled for 23 January2024. For more information (including how to book), visit our diabetic foot screening workshops page.

More information about this comprehensive training for people working in health and social care roles can be found on our 'hands on feet' workshops page. We have had a wide range of people attending previous workshops: nurses (primary care, community and social care), social care providers (at all levels - carers, seniors, clinical leads, managers), healthcare assistants, nurse associates, physician assistants, trainee nurse associates, podiatrists, chiropodists, foot health practitioners - the list is long!

If you are interested in accessing this training but have some questions prior to booking, please do not hesitate to contact us - we are always happy to chat and answer your queries.

posted 11/11/2023

Diabetes Professional Care Conference, November 15 & 16 November 2023 (#DPC2023)

We are delighted and excited to be exhibiting at the highly popular and well respected Diabetes Professional Care conference this month. It takes place over two days at Olympia in London. Two jammed packed days covering prevention, treatment and management of diabetes and its related conditions.

Our founder and Service Lead, Lynne, will be attending the event and as well as listening to some of the sessions, she will be available to chat to on our stand. So head over to Stand P7 if you would like to know more about the service we provide and how we can work collaboratively with you to drive the outcomes you desire and make a positive difference to the lives of adults living with diabetes.

For more information about the event, including booking places, visit the DPC website

posted 24/08/2023

New venue for open workshops - Chester

There has been an increasing amount of interest in our 'hands on feet' portfolio of training over the last few months, in particular for the 'diabetic foot screening' from Foot Health Practitioners. It is great to hear from and to be able to support a wider range of professionals wanting to increase their knowledge and confidence when treating clients with diabetes.

As a result we are planning to run the 'diabetic foot screening' workshop in lots of new locations in 2024 and have been researching and sourcing suitable venues. The first of these venues is in Chester where we have scheduled the following workshops for the coming Autumn:

Ankle Brachial Pressure Index (ABPI) Assessment - 10 October 2023, more info to be shared soon on our website as well as via our social media channels!
Diabetic Foot Screening - 19 November 2023, find out more (including how to book places).

Please get in touch if you would like us to run any of our workshops as in house sessions for your organisation, discuss bespoke training, or to talk to us about organising open workshops in your locality. It helps us to hear from people wanting to access our training, to ensure that we plan and deliver sessions in areas where there is interest/a need!

posted 09/08/2023

For Suffolk Care Providers - Free bite-sized webinar workshop during
Hypo Awareness Week (HAW), 11-17 September 2023

In collaboration with The Suffolk Care Association, we are running a free 'hypo awareness' webinar for people working for adult social care providers in Suffolk on 12 September at 2pm.

As an organisation, DUET diabetes has always encouraged social care providers as well as healthcare providers to get involved to raise awareness amongst colleagues, families and patients/residents/service users. The organisers of this campaign (Orange Juice PR) provide lots of useful tips and great support materials (online and printed). Our advice to register early if you want to receive printed materials to help with communications and activities, as there is a limited amount available. More information, including how to register, can be found on the hypo awareness week website.

To book places for our FREE HYPO AWARENESS WEBINAR on 12 September, please email sarah@scaservices.org.uk

posted 26/06/2023 and updated 09/08/2023

New open workshop dates for Diabetic Foot Screening training sessions...

We have now started to schedule open workshop dates for the Autumn - 2 dates have been agreed for Lampeter in Wales (13 September) and Needham Market in Suffolk (27 September). We are also finalising venue and date for Barnsley in Yorkshire, so watch this space!...Barnsley workshop scheduled for 10 September 2023.

For more details, including flyers to share with interested colleagues, please visit our diabetic foot screening open workshops page

posted 26/06/2023

Care Home Open Week, 26-3 July 2023

Hosted by Championing Social Care, this awareness campaign aims to connect care homes across the country with their community. The week provides the opportunity for care homes to showcase the facilities and services they offer as well the fantastic career opportunities that exist in the sector.

Find out more

posted 03/05/2023

The importance of diabetic foot awareness for beauty and wellness professionals!

During National Feet Week, Phoenix Holistic & Complementary Therapy Training Managing Director Louise Searles and Suzanne Clayton, Brand Development Manager and Interim Head of Education at Louella Belle thought it was the perfect time to sit down for a foot related chat including:

• How professionals can help but that also ‘at home’ footcare is important

• Referrals onto foot healthcare professionals from therapists (such as reflexologists)

• Footlogix – the ‘medi-pedi’ option being able to not just pamper but deal with certain problems (such as cracked heels)

• New course for reflexologists to add pedicure to their skill set to meet client requests

and so much more!

Big thanks to Louise and Suzanne :)

Also, to complement Louise and Suzanne’s conversation, two of our team (Lynne and Gareth) thought they would record their insight concerning ‘The Importance of Diabetic Foot Awareness for the Beauty & Holistic Therapy Sectors’ (and the benefit of getting to know your local podiatrists and foot health practitioners!).

The chat includes :

• Why diabetic foot awareness for the beauty and wellness/holistic therapy sector is important

• How to access the online course ‘diabetic foot awareness for beauty and wellness therapists’

• How education, communication and collaboration can potentially make a difference for people living with diabetes to maintain healthy and intact feet

…and lots more!

These two videos can be viewed here

posted 14/04/2023

For Suffolk Care Providers - Free bite-sized webinar workshop during INSULIN SAFETY WEEK

As in previous years, we will be busy raising awareness of the safe use of insulin during INSULIN SAFETY WEEK next month. One of our planned activities is to run a bite-sized (90 minute) webinar workshop for people working for adult social care providers in Suffolk on 19 May 2023, 1.30pm-3pm, entitled 'Insulin Awareness: the 6Rs and more!
(see attached flyer).

In order to maintain an interactive environment and allow attendees to unmute to engage with the educator (an experienced diabetes specialist nurse), we are limiting attendance to 25 people (and no more than 4 people
from one care provider). For more information or to book places, please get in touch via our contacts page.

posted 13/04/2023

Interim findings of diabetes guidance for care home staff published

Lynne, our Founder and current Service Lead was delighted to be asked by Professor Alan Sinclair to be part of the National Advisory Panel on Care Home Diabetes in 2020. After a considerable amount of work and effort by the 'Prof' (who chaired this initiative) and panel colleagues, a very comprehensive strategic document and associated guidelines where published in May last year.

The hope is that these new guidelines are seen as a ‘go-to resource’ for care providers and healthcare professionals supporting residents living with diabetes. Not to sit on the shelf gaining dust, the appendices provide lots of useful resources and practical information!

Recently Lynne was involved in co-authoring the 'interim findings' in relation to this ongoing initiative which has subsequently been published in Diabetic Medicine; "Enhancing diabetes care for the most vulnerable in the 21st century: Interim findings of the National Advisory Panel on Care Home Diabetes (NAPCHD)".

There is still more to do and plenty for those with a passion for making a difference to older people living with diabetes to get their teeth stuck into!

posted 10/03/2023

Insulin Safety Week 2023 (#ISW), 15-21 May 2023

This is a national awareness campaign organised by Orange Juice PR and funded by Sanofi, GlucoRx and embecta.

We would encourage all social care providers who support people requiring insulin, to register and take part to raise awareness amongst colleagues, families and residents/service users. Like hospitals and GP practices, care providers can run events and activities to improve understanding and reduce insulin errors.

More information can be found on the INSULIN SAFETY WEEK website, including how to register and access online and printed resources including posters, balloons and t-shirts to support your activities.

posted 17/01/2023

DUET diabetes to exhibit at the Foot & Ankle Show 2023

We are delighted to announce that we will be travelling up to Liverpool to attend the two day event taking place 2-3 February 2023. The Foot and Ankle Show promises to provide a great mix of CPD (from a wide variety of speakers/workshops), networking opportunities and plenty of time to get to know the exhibitors and their products/services.

You will find us on stand 24 - come and say hello!

Tickets for the event are available directly from the Foot & Ankle Show website.

posted 07/11/2022

Hypo Awareness Week 2022 activities...

It is always great to see our endeavours reported in national publications. We spent Hypo Awareness week (HAW) providing educational sessions for Hallmark Care Homes in two of their homes, which (not surprisingly) included discussions around hypoglycaemia; what is a hypo, who may be affected, spotting signs, how to treat and much more. Read the article produced by the HAW organisers here

posted 14/10/2022

Diabetes workshops for Suffolk care providers - collaboration with the Suffolk Association of Independent Care Providers

With the national prevalence of diabetes in care homes being at 25%, and many residents living with some level of frailty, it is key for employers to ensure that team members have the relevant knowledge and confidence when supporting people living with diabetes.

Working with the Business Development Manager, Sandie Oxborrow, at the Suffolk Association of Independent Care Providers (SAICP), we have scheduled a range of workshops to take place at the SAICP training room in Needham Market. Please visit our open workshops page to find out more.

On the 1 November 2022 we are running a free 'hypo awareness' webinar for Suffolk care providers to further educate and support the care sector regarding the importance of understanding hypoglycaemia, who is at risk of a hypo and how to treat. To find out more and to register, please click here.

posted 27/09/2022

Our collaboration with Louella Belle Training Academy has expanded!

Following on from the success of the live course, Louella Belle and DUET diabetes are delighted to announce the launch of the Evergreen Diabetic Foot Awareness workshop, available to purchase and access virtually via the Louella Belle Training Academy.

This Evergreen Diabetic Foot Awareness workshop has been designed for beauty and wellness therapists to understand the diabetic foot and feel confident of when to go ahead with treatments and when to leave alone.

Find out more here.

posted 19/07/2022

Launch of diabetes training across Hallmark Care Homes

DUET diabetes has been working collaboratively with Hallmark to launch a diabetes training roll out programme. The purpose is to refresh, clarify and consolidate knowledge as well as provide the opportunity to increase understanding and gain new skills. In doing so, the workshops also introduce the care teams to the recently published comprehensive guidelines from the National Advisory Panel on Care Home Diabetes (NAPCHD).

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01799 584178