Managing Type 2 Diabetes in Children and Young People

This elearning programme is designed to strengthen the knowledge and skills of healthcare professionals involved in the care of children, young people and young adults with type 2 diabetes. It consists of six sessions, each focusing on a core aspect of assessment, management and support. Sessions can be completed individually and in any order, allowing learners to access the content most relevant to their role, although completing all modules will provide the most comprehensive learning experience. Across the programme, learners will explore diagnosis and initial management, glycaemic targets, lifestyle and psychological approaches, pharmaceutical interventions, complications and co-morbidities, and young adult care. Collectively, these sessions aim to improve confidence and competence in recognising, diagnosing and managing type 2 diabetes in CYP, applying current guidance, and supporting better long-term health outcomes.

The programme is aimed primarily at professionals working in specialist paediatric and young adult diabetes services, including doctors, consultants, nurses, dietitians, psychologists and youth workers. It is also suitable for staff prescribing diabetes medication and those in primary care settings who may encounter CYP with type 2 diabetes.

Across the six sessions, learners will deepen their understanding of the varied dimensions of type 2 diabetes care in CYP. The Diagnosis and Initial Management session supports the early stages of assessment, enabling professionals to recognise symptoms, identify risk factors, conduct investigations and initiate appropriate referral and care pathways. Glycaemic Targets focuses on HbA1c monitoring, self-blood glucose monitoring guidance, use of intermittent and continuous glucose monitoring, and the importance of regular structured education. The Lifestyle, Weight Management and Psychological Approaches session explores modifiable lifestyle factors, dietary assessment, weight-management strategies, psychological support tools and the need for screening for depression and eating disorders.

The Pharmaceutical Interventions session guides learners through current medication options, recommended treatment pathways, initiation, monitoring and stepwise escalation or de-escalation of treatment. Complications and Co-morbidities outlines screening requirements, the importance of early identification and the need for integrated management of complications alongside glycaemic control. Finally, Young Adult Care equips learners with an understanding of disease progression in this age group, key considerations for transition, suitable treatments for 18+, and guidance on contraception, planned pregnancy and preconception care.

The number of children and young people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes continues to rise, yet it remains a relatively rare condition in many paediatric services. In 2019/20, over half of paediatric diabetes units managed fewer than six cases, meaning many teams have limited exposure to early-onset, more progressive forms of the condition and may be unfamiliar with the need for earlier and more intensive interventions. This programme has been developed to address that variation by offering flexible, accessible training for a wide range of healthcare professionals, enabling them to update and enhance their practice as needed.