In the Care sector, a certain level of care compliance is required to be upheld in every care facility. Core and mandatory training helps individuals understand the requirements of those needing care and teaches the essential skills one needs to be successful in care. 

Looking for a Core & Mandatory training course from Coleman Training & Consultancy? Browse our range of courses below:

What are Core & Mandatory Training Courses? 

Skills for Care outline 21 Core & Mandatory training elements that care staff must be competent in. Skills for care recommend that refreshing knowledge and skills in a variety of topic areas based on a review of legislation, guidelines, statutory guidance, standards and recommendations is required for care staff. 

Skills For Care outline the following topics that have specific minimum learning outcomes that care staff need to be able to demonstrate: 

• 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
• Safeguarding Children
• Specific Conditions

Each of these topics have minimum learning outcomes, suggested refresher frequency and each links to CQC key lines of enquiry and CQC fundamental standards. 

Not only do care staff need to be inducted upon starting their career in the care sector but also refreshed on each of these topics at frequencies defined by Skills For Care. 

Why should I refresh Core & Mandatory Training? 

Refreshing care staff’s learning on each of these topics not only develops the skills of your workforce but can also provide more benefits. 

Staff must be up to date with current legislation and best practice for each of these topics. Refreshing learning can help put training into practice and will help your workforce be better prepared in the future. 

New equipment, a change in environment, policy, procedure, service delivery method, someone accessing care developing additional support needs or a new client with different needs can introduce new risks into your environment. Training can help manage these risks more effectively. 

As mentioned, some training is required to be refreshed by Skills For Care at specific time frames or intervals. 

Care Staff’s competency should be monitored and feedback gathered, this ensures that they continue to demonstrate skills that are essential for their role. 

Who Needs Core & Mandatory Training? 

To keep the level of care consistent across the sector, Skills For Care recommends that certain roles require specific core and mandatory training, but there are courses that are recommended for all care employees to undergo. 

For our Core & Mandatory Training Courses, we suggest who would be suitable for each course. If you need help in mapping out training for you and your workforce, get in touch and we can make your training work for you. 

Why Coleman Training?

Coleman Training and Consultancy are a Skills for Care Centre of Excellence, TQUK approved centre, Highfield approved centre, Member of the Care Learning Coalition, Member of the ILM and we are signed up to the Good Business Charter.

We fully understand the needs of each care facility and have a wealth of experience delivering Core and Mandatory Training courses to care facilities across the UK. 

We work closely with Skills For Care to keep the standard and quality of our training the highest it can be so our learners receive the most up to date methods and techniques as well as ensuring they can be used in practice. 

We model a person-centred approach by putting learners’ needs at the centre of all that we do. When learners acquire knowledge and skills in an environment that is respectful, supportive and inspiring, they are empowered to support others. Developing empathy and seeing “the whole person” are core values that run through every course we deliver.

We aspire to excellence in everything that we do. We will critically evaluate our own performance and take every opportunity to learn and improve our service. We welcome feedback, both negative and positive from learners and commissioners. This feedback is an essential component in our pursuit of excellence.

Our Trainers

Our core and mandatory training trainers have many years experience working in the care sector and delivering high quality training. 

Working with Skills For Care, we fully understand each of the learning outcomes of all topics and have found the best and most effective ways to help learners put the methods and techniques into practice. 

This means that while the training that we deliver is evidence based, reflecting current best practice, it is also underpinned by a wealth of practical experience, which is available to support learners. 

What type of dementia training delivery should I choose?

Face-to-Face training

For many years, face to face training has been the method of choice.  It allows for a fully immersive experience, using a range of training approaches to meet different learning styles.  Individuals can easily engage with the trainer, asking questions, sharing experiences and reflecting on real issues that they are facing in their work with people with dementia.  

Physical workbooks and additional resources are distributed during face-to-face training, so that learners have something that they can take away and use as a reference tool after the course.

Soft skills are an essential part of dementia care and also important to trainers. When we deliver face-to-face training, we are able to read the body language of individuals and adapt content, pace and timings to suit the needs of the group.  We are also able to make ourselves available to chat informally with attendees during breaks. 

Collaboration and group work is easy when face-to-face and it is a perfect opportunity for learners to network and build relationships that will endure beyond the training day.

At the end of each course, learners are encouraged to complete an action plan in their workbook, describing SMART actions that they will take when they return to the workplace.  This ensures that the learning that has taken place during the course, is translated into better practice and increased wellbeing for their clients.

Virtual classroom – Zoom training

Since Covid-19, Zoom training has become extremely popular with learners.  It bridges the gap between Face-to-Face training and e-learning, by offering personalised, interactive training, using a range of training approaches to meet different learning styles. 

Learners still have the opportunity to collaborate using break-out rooms, and we have been surprised at how quickly people become comfortable using Zoom, often almost forgetting that they are in a virtual space as they engage with others on the course.

Another benefit has been the fact that staff can join the course without leaving their home or workplace. One attendee commented that she was relieved not to spend the last half hour of the course worrying about how bad the traffic would be on the way home!

Most of what happens face-to-face can be replicated on Zoom, but some of the challenges have been around a lack of technology in care services for staff to use.  This has led to several learners gathering around a laptop together.  This detracts from the experience.

On balance, Zoom training is a cost-effective alternative to face-to-face, when physical or financial constraints make face-to-face training difficult.

e-learning

E-learning has its place for some subjects, but it is not a two-way communication.  This means that the learner is “fed” information, but is unable to ask questions or experiment with different approaches to dementia care.  

We sometimes choose not to use e-learning for some courses for these reasons, although the greatest benefit of e-learning is of course, cost.

To learn more about core & mandatory training that is right for you, please feel free to give us a call on 08450706927.