• If you would like to attend a course, please speak to your GP or practice nurse who can enrol you onto an EMPOWER course. Or you can click here to book your place online.
• Anyone who would like to go on the course must:
  • be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes;
  • be 17 years of age or over;
  • be registered with a GP within East Lancashire; and
  • not have received this type of education before;

• EMPOWER is a group diabetes education course that supports people to better manage their diabetes and avoid long term health complications.
• People diagnosed with type 2 diabetes across East Lancashire are able to attend a local EMPOWER course to receive support and advice on how to self-manage their diabetes to live a healthier quality of life -  it’s free, paid for by the NHS and only lasts three hours!
• It will support you in learning about what you can eat, how to exercise differently and how medication can impact your diabetes.

• Attending a diabetes education course is a very important part of learning how to self-manage your diabetes and avoid long term health complications.
• The EMPOWER course will help you understand what diabetes is, the effect it has on your body and how to make small, achievable changes to the food you eat and your everyday life.
• The course focuses on diet, exercise and lifestyle changes, setting personal goals and enabling you to take better control of your diabetes.

• 98% of people would recommend EMPOWER to their friends and family if they were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Here is what people that have already been on an EMPOWER course have said:

“You are providing an excellent service –it now seems possible to get my diabetes under control because I know exactly what to do to change things”

“I’ve totally changed my eating habits”

“By adding in just 15 minutes walking a day –nothing excessive –I have managed to not only lower my blood glucose levels but also achieve more consistent levels throughout the day”

• We aim to offer a place on a course within four weeks of referral – often sooner.
• We will send you a letter usually offering a range of courses across East Lancashire that you can attend.

You can confirm your attendance in one of the following ways:

1. By phone – call the EMPOWER Team on FREEPHONE 0800 852 7460
2. By email – complete and scan the attached form and email it to: empower.eastlancs@nhs.net 
3. By post – please complete and sign the attached form and return in the prepaid envelope enclosed.

We will follow up by sending you a letter or email to confirm we have booked your place on to the course.

We will send you a text message or give you a call just to check you are still ok to attend a couple of days before the course.

• Diabetes education courses can have a positive impact on many aspects of your life both for yourself and your friends and family. People who have completed the course rate it highly and enjoy spending time with other people who attend the course.
• If you are sure you don’t want to attend, we will record that within your records and advise the GP who enrolled you. Please let us know on 0800 852 7460 or email empower.eastlancs@nhs.net

• The EMPOWER course is provided to you free of charge by the NHS

• Sessions are run in local venues near to you. Most courses are run during the week but we also offer evening and weekend courses. Look on the Courses page for a list of the next courses.

• We currently hold sessions weekdays and evenings, though if you would prefer a weekend session please get in contact and we will see what we can do.
• Your GP can let us know whether a weekday or evening course will suit you better – or you can contact us on FREEPHONE 0800 852 7460 or email empower.eastlancs@nhs.net

• The course lasts three hours and delivered in one session.
• For people with specific requirements we can offer split 1 and a half hour sessions across two days.

• You can bring one carer, friend or family to attend the session with you.

• EMPOWER can be offered in a number of languages reflecting the needs of the local population.
• If you require the course to be delivered in another language other than English, please contact the EMPOWER office on FREEPHONE 0800 852 7460, or email empower.eastlancs@nhs.net.

• EMPOWER is designed to meet the needs of all people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. If we understand your needs, we will find a way to ensure you receive the education.
• EMPOWER is delivered in accessible venues including near to public transport routes.
• We are able to offer materials that are adapted to individual needs, e.g. braille and large print handbooks.
• Carers can attend with or on behalf of someone who is eligible for the course.

• All course material is provided.
• We will send you some information in advance of the course that we ask you to bring, including a questionnaire. We ask if you could please try and fill out this questionnaire in advance.
• Refreshments will be available; however, you are welcome to bring a light snack.

• It is a simple series of questions that helps to shows the wellbeing of the person who completes it.
• This helps us to evaluate the course and how effective it is.

• Usually, courses will be for between 6 and 12 people (including any carers who are attending to provide additional support).

• EMPOWER courses are routinely led by trained educators who will facilitate the group session and answer any questions that you may have.

• We will send out an invitation letter offering you available session dates near to your area. Once you have responded and booked your place on to a course, we will send you a confirmation letter and a questionnaire to fill in and take with you to the session.

• Your doctor will share some key pieces of information with us including contact details and clinical information that are relevant to your diabetes.
• We follow data protection laws as well as additional data management required by the NHS.
• We only share your data to enable you to attend the course.  We do not share it with any third parties except for the purpose of running the EMPOWER course.

• Please speak to your GP or practice nurse who can advise you of other alternatives. Also, please look at the Local Services section of the website.

• We welcome feedback from every person attending an EMPOWER course. Whilst the feedback we receive is usually very positive, we recognise there are times when we don’t always get everything right. It is important we know when this happens so we can improve the service. Please click here to find information about how to let us know when we get something wrong, your rights under the NHS Constitution and how to make a complaint if you need to.

• Launched in 2009, Spirit works with the NHS delivering structured diabetes education across the UK to help empower people to better manage their health. Working with Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STPs) and Primary Care providers, Spirit’s programmes are developed for patients with a range of long-term conditions (including diabetes) to help them make positive lifestyle choices and support their wellbeing.