Diabetes Northamptonshire

The countywide Diabetes Northamptonshire multidisciplinary team promotes self-management to avoid acute and long-term complications of diabetes through 1-1 and group education contacts with individuals who have diabetes. We also offer telephone and email support for people with diabetes and their carers.

Information on Diabetes courses

Structured Education – Diabetes and Carbohydrate Awareness

Structured Education – Diabetes and Carbohydrate Awareness

Aims to improve understanding of Type 2 diabetes. The course uses an interactive approach which enables participants to create a personal self-management plan which covers:

  • What is diabetes?
  • How medication fits in?
  • How to improve your HBa1c
  • Principles of healthy eating and carbohydrate awareness
  • Five steps of carbohydrate awareness (glycaemic, index, meal pattern, portion sizes, snacking and physical activity)
  • Goal setting/ action planning

Structured Education – Living Well and Eating Well

Structured Education – Living Well and Eating Well

This aims to improve understanding of the long term effects associated with having Type 2 diabetes.

Using an interactive approach allows participants the chance to create a personal self-management plan to reduce their risks. The following is included:

  • How to achieve a healthy weight
  • How to look after your heart and circulation
  • 10 ways to eat well with diabetes
  • Cardio-protection
  • Goal setting/ Action planning
  • First for Wellbeing and how to access this.

Looking After Me and My Diabetes

Looking After Me and My Diabetes

This is a short course for people with learning disabilities who have diabetes. It involves:

  • Participants learn how to make healthier food choices
  • Participants learn more about keeping fit
  • Participants learn about medication
  • You can learn more about health checks for your diabetes

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes

DAFNE (Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating) groups are normally run with 6 - 8 people. DAFNE for adults is a way of managing Type 1 diabetes; giving the necessary skills to estimate each meals carbohydrate content and inject the right dose of Insulin. 

The five day training course plus a follow-up session will involve practising carbohydrate estimation and insulin adjustment.

Visit the DAFNE website for more information: www.dafne.uk.com

DAFNE is a structured teaching programme which involves a pre-assessment appointment followed by a 5 day training course. This training is offered either as a 5 day face to face course which runs over 1 week (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) or in response to COVID-19, DAFNE (in conjunction with the Open University) now runs a virtual remote training course. This distance learning course runs once a week over 5 weeks via a secure video link which is a blend of online learning, workbook activities and remote group sessions facilitated by DAFNE educators.

DAFNE logo for Diabetes MDT page

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes

DESMOND (Diabetes Education and Structured Self-Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed) Type 2 diabetes.

DESMOND has groups of 10 people who have been newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in the last nine months.

DESMOND is a way to learn more about Type 2 diabetes and is a resource to help manage diabetes-related changes. It is a way to meet and share life experiences with others; DESMOND is a group of education programmes designed for people with diabetes.

Face to Face courses have been suspended due to COVID-19, however we are now running Virtual DESMOND remote training course. This course is delivered ‘virtually’ via a secure video link and allows for full interaction with other participants and the DESMOND Educators

There is an option online version of the award winning DESMOND self-management diabetes education, MyDesmond.  This is an interactive web-based platform to support same quality but delivered at a pace adjusted to suit your needs.

DESMOND Logo for Diabetes MDT page