Introduction to SEREN
StructuredEducationReassuringEmpoweringNurturing
Background
The first module “Diabetes at diagnosis” was launched in 2015 and is used by all paediatric diabetes teams in Wales as well as some units in England. The year 2015 was pivotal, with the creation of the Children and Young People’s Wales Diabetes Network (CYPWDN) & Brecon Group. One of the key attributes of SEREN is that it is hosted and endorsed by the CYPWDN and therefore there is ownership and input from all teams across Wales. The programme was fortunate to receive a generous annual grant from the Welsh Government up until 2023 via the All Wales Diabetes Implementation Group (AWDIG) as well additional funding from Accelerate Wales (Accelerate Wales | Life Sciences (lshubwales.com))
How is the “Diabetes at diagnosis” module structured?
- The education resources have been designed in line with the key stage system used in schools
- The Key stage 3 and 4 workbook is targeted at the secondary school age group and is designed to be delivered to both the young person and their family
- There are additional workbooks for key stages 2 and 1 which are targeted at the whole family and include activities for the children
- The workbooks are colour coded so that they can be selected according to the ability of the individual CYP and family
- All 3 workbooks have been revised and updated and are in use across Wales
- A number of interactive resources have been developed to aid the education. The main resource used is the interactive magnetic storyboard which can be used to describe a number of different aspects of diabetes care
- The storyboard comes with a series of magnets of various types of food and drink, symbols for glucose, insulin, and ketones as well images of diabetes equipment such as insulin pens and meters
When is the education delivered?
- The education is started from the point of diagnosis and is usually completed within the first 6 weeks
- The programme has been designed to be flexible so that it can be delivered in a range of settings including the ward, clinic or at home
- Each team can tailor delivery to meet local needs
Who delivers the education?
SEREN has been designed to be delivered by any member of the diabetes team who has received training in delivering SEREN.
Some sections are more specific to a particular profession, however, the curriculum and lesson plan provides enough detail to allow any team member to deliver it.
Group sessions
A number of additional SEREN group sessions are also available
SEREN Active: A group session for young children and young people to learn more about diabetes and exercise.
SEREN Moving to year 7: A group session for young people moving from primary to secondary school
Evaluation
The first module Diabetes at Diagnosis has been formally evaluated. A prospective design service evaluation was carried out between December 2018 and September 2019 and looked at the impact of this module on the quality of life of CYP, and their families, as well as the usefulness and effectiveness of the resources. Additionally clinical outcomes including HbA1c and hospital admissions over the first year were looked at. The results have now been published in the BMJ Open Quality Questionnaire-based service evaluation of the efficacy and usefulness of SEREN: a structured education programme for children and young people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus | BMJ Open Quality
Contact details
Tracy Wiggham
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