A FILM produced by students at NEW College as a learning tools for healthcare professionals, has been given additional funding to be developed into a national online resource.

‘Stand by Me’ was produced by HND Media Production students at the college in 2011 as a commissioned project from the NHS, and it was intended for use as part of a learning resource for trainers, trainees and healthcare professionals, to help them better communicate with people living with dementia.

Since then the film has gone on to be nominated for a National Learning on Screen award, and receive positive feedback from the thousands of practitioners using it in surgeries, homes, care homes, hospitals, training sessions and universities across the West Midlands.

As a result the Department of Health has approved a large budget to develop ‘Stand by Me’ as a national online resource, which will be produced by NEW College along with the University of Worcester’s Association for Dementia Studies, and Skills of Health in London.

The new project will use current foundation degree Media Production students to re-edit the video material, and it is due to be launched in January of next year.