Training

Training Strategy

Your training strategy is your plan on how you will support your staff to achieve the required level of competency and skillset to deliver high quality care.

You can break your training strategy down into two main parts, your essential training, and your developmental training.

Essential training should be undertaken by care staff when then join your service and should be reviewed and renewed on a regular basis, typically every 12 months.

Skills for Care defines core and mandatory training as:

Assisting and moving people
Basic life support and first aid
Communication
Dignity
Equality and diversity
Fire safety
Food hygiene
Health and safety awareness
Infection, prevention and control
Medication management
Mental capacity and liberty safeguards
Moving and handling objects
Nutrition and hydration
Oral health
Person-centred care
Positive behaviour support and non-restrictive practice
Recording and reporting
Safeguarding adults

You might find there are additional training courses that you would want to include within your essential training, but the above should form the minimum for your training package for your staff. Depending on the needs of the people in your care, there might be additional minimum training that you could include. For example, if you specialize in a type of care provision (e.g., learning disability), you should also include this within your essential training.

Developmental training shows that you go that one step further to support your staff and the people using your service.

This could take the form of utilizing more advanced training than would be expected under your essential training or providing additional training.

Try to open conversations during staff supervisions and team meetings to gauge interest in what type of developmental training that your staff would be interested in. Sometimes the training can be low cost or even free. It does not always have to be a certified course but something that can enhance the knowledge base for a member of staff.

There are many recognized national organisations that provide e-learning and webinars in a range of relevant subject areas.

You might want to explore the option of more advanced training, such as diplomas and certificates, many of which you can claim the costs back for through the Workforce Development Fund.

If a member of staff is expected to have a certain level of qualification for their role, why not explore supporting them with achieving the next level. This commitment to ongoing support will evidence that you want to invest in your staff and the service that you provide.

If you are looking for a reputable training provider, Skills for Care have a directory of endorsed providers who learning and development to the social care sector.

You can find a range of training courses through Care Market Development Team course finder.

Things to consider

You should regularly review your essential training programme to ensure it meets the needs of your care service.
Essential training should ideally be refreshed every 12 months.
You should be able to evidence the training status of all your staff, knowing which staff have done which training and who will soon be up for a refresh of their training.
Additional developmental training can upskill your staff to improve the quality of your service and evidence your support to staff.
The Care Market Development Team course finder hosts a range of useful training courses.