The Frailty Academy
The Frailty Academy
The Frailty Academy provides high-quality, accessible training and resources to help people across health, care and voluntary sectors better understand and manage frailty.
Established in 2021 by Dr James Adams, Consultant Geriatrician and Clinical Director, the Academy was created to ensure that everyone has a shared, practical understanding of frailty, including people with lived experience.
Our structured training programmes are grounded in the Core Capabilities Framework for Frailty, promoting evidence based knowledge, skills and attributes across health, social care and community settings. Through education, collaboration, workforce innovation and research, we are working to transform how frailty care is delivered. The Academy invests in people to make sure frailty is understood, prevented and managed — to support older people to live and age well.
Who do we support?
Healthcare professionals
We offer structured, practical sessions that fit around busy clinical schedules. Our programme covers three training tiers through online learning and CPD-accredited workshops. Whether you’re new to frailty or leading a service improvement, we’ll support your ongoing development.
Community partners
We partner with local organisations to promote early support and positive ageing beyond traditional health and care settings. This includes delivering face-to-face workshops across Surrey with the voluntary sector, social care and general practices. We value collaboration and work to build strong, integrated support for people living with frailty.
What training do we provide?
Our education framework aligns with the NHS-endorsed Frailty Framework of Core Capabilities, which describes three competency levels:
- Tier one – General awareness of frailty
- Tier two – Intermediate training for staff regularly supporting people living with frailty
- Tier three – Advanced training for clinical leaders managing complex care and leading services.
Frailty Awareness Training (tier one)
The two-hour online training session is a live, interactive webinar curated as an introduction into understanding frailty. This session is led by facilitators and will include real-world case studies, group discussion, and a Q&A.
Who it's for?
Tier one training is open to all. It is suited for people who are working the health and care sector as well as students, and third-sector partners. Royal Surrey staff will find a tailored online course option on MyLearning, accessed via the Royal Surrey intranet.
Learning outcomes
You will gain a comprehensive basic knowledge of frailty and gain a better understanding of the basic needs of those with frailty.
Register for the tier one training
Frailty Champion Training (tier two)
The training is covered in 16 one-hour sessions over several weeks. It involves a blended programme of interactive webinars, case discussions, and reflective practice. Topics covered include comprehensive geriatric assessments, dementia, falls, continence, multidisciplinary team working, rehabilitation and anticipatory care.
Who it's for?
Tier two training is aimed at clinical and frontline staff across acute, community or primary care. This includes medical professionals, nurses, allied health professionals, healthcare assistants, paramedics, social workers and care coordinators.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the training, you will have a deeper understanding of frailty and be a champion in quality improvement in your team.
Register for the tier two training
Advanced Frailty Training (tier three)
Our advanced frailty training is available exclusively to Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust staff. The programme runs two parallel pathways for trainee advanced clinical practitioners and specialty doctors, with the goal of developing a tier of frailty experts capable of meeting the needs of an ageing population across Guildford and Waverley.
Who it's for?
This programme is open to Royal Surrey staff only. If you're a trainee advanced clinical practitioner or specialty doctor at the trust, contact the Frailty Team for more information.
People living with frailty and carers support
We developed and delivered education and training with groups of older people living with frailty and those who care for them. Our content included understanding what to expect and how to get support. Working with voluntary sector partners, we delivered face-to-face training that helped people feel informed, confident and supported. We are looking to further develop this programme in the future.