Information on Diabetes courses

Newly diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes

Newly diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes

DESMOND is a group course for up to 10 people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the last nine months).

The course is delivered face-to-face or via video conferencing and covers:

  • Understanding diabetes and glucose: what happens in the body
  • Understanding more about monitoring and medication
  • Understanding the risk factors and complications associated with diabetes
  • How to take control – Food Choices – Physical Activity
  • Planning for future

All courses are under the supervision of healthcare professionals and diabetes educators.

MyDESMOND is an interactive digital platform for people with type 2 diabetes designed to support and educate through videos, activities, and quizzes, offers opportunities for people with type 2 diabetes to speak with others from across the UK and Ireland to share ideas and gain peer support. Translated languages include Bengali and Hindi


Desmond Group programme - Ardens update [pdf] 5MB

DESMOND Logo for Diabetes MDT page

Group Education for People with Type 2 Diabetes

Group Education for People with Type 2 Diabetes

This group education course has been developed with the aim of increasing knowledge and confidence in self-managing Type 2 Diabetes. The course takes an interactive approach and enables participants to create a personal self-management plan.

Session 1: Diabetes and Carbohydrate Awareness

Topics covered in this session include:

  • What is diabetes?
  • Diabetes medication
  • Monitoring, targets, and hypoglycaemia
  • Healthy eating with diabetes
  • The 4 steps to carbohydrate awareness

Type 2 Diabetes Virtual Education Course [pdf] 40KB

Session 2: Living Well and Eating Well with Diabetes

Topics covered in this session include:

  • Eating well with diabetes (including meal plans)
  • Healthy weight
  • Reducing the risk of long-term effects
  • Physical activity
  • Emotional eating

Session 3: Managing your Diabetes with Insulin (only for those taking insulin as a diabetes treatment

Topics covered in this session include:

  • Insulin injection technique
  • Insulin profiles
  • Adjusting insulin doses safely

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes

DAFNE stands for Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating. It aims to help adults with type 1 diabetes lead as normal life as possible, whilst also maintaining blood glucose levels within healthy targets to reduce the risk of long-term diabetes complications.

There are different ways in which you can complete a DAFNE course, either on a face-to-face DAFNE course or a Remote DAFNE course.

On a face-to-face course, you will attend a 5-day training course (either Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, or one day per week for 5 weeks), with follow-up sessions after the course.

Remote DAFNE courses are an option for people who feel that a face-to-face course is not for them.   The Remote DAFNE course will take 5 weeks to complete. It includes online learning from home each week and weekly group video support calls with other participants as well as follow up sessions after the course.

All courses are under the supervision of DAFNE-trained educators (who are specially trained NHS diabetes specialist nurses and dietitians).

DAFNE dose adjustment for normal eating[pdf] 5MB

DAFNE logo for Diabetes MDT page

Learning Difficulties: Looking After Me and My Diabetes

Looking After Me and My Diabetes

This course can support adults with learning disabilities to improve their understanding of diabetes. The adult with a learning disability and their carer/ partner/advocate are encouraged to attend together. The course provides self-management education including:

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

Virtual Carbohydrate counting and insulin dose adjustment course

Virtual Carbohydrate counting and insulin dose adjustment course

The Virtual Carbohydrate Counting course (incorporating the accredited Roche Carbohydrate Counting course) is a 2-session introduction to carbohydrate counting. It introduces the skills and methods required to support people with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes (if taking both background insulin and quick acting insulin with food) to learn to carbohydrate count accurately.

The Virtual Insulin Dose Adjustment course is a further 2 sessions which covers the principles of adjusting your insulin in different situations.

Diabetes Virtual Carb Counting Education A4 Poster - 4 sessions [pdf] 39KB