Nutrition and Hydration Training

Nutrition and Hydration Training

Nutrition and Hydration Training equips individuals with the knowledge and skills to assess and support dietary and fluid intake, helping prevent malnutrition and dehydration.

The course covers the five food groups, key nutrients for a healthy diet, daily fluid requirements, and practical strategies to encourage adequate intake. It focuses on supporting vulnerable groups such as older adults and people with dementia.

Learners also explore how to identify individuals at risk, develop effective care plans, and apply person-centred approaches to food and drink.

Delivered face-to-face or virtually by one of our experienced trainers, the session includes practical examples and classroom activities to build confidence and reinforce best practice.

This course supports Care Certificate Standard 8: Fluids and Nutrition and aligns with CQC Regulation 14. It is a mandatory requirement in healthcare and social care settings.

📚Relevant: Oral Care and Hygiene Training | Diet and Nutrition e-Learning

Course Information:

• Course Duration: 2-3 Hours (half-day)
• Course Level: Level 2
• Certificate: 2-year certificate
• Max Delegates: 12
• Practical: No
• Course Mode: Face to Face/ Online (Virtual)

📚Related: Food Safety and Hygiene Awareness Training | Care Home Chef and Kitchen Staff Training

Nutrition and Hydration Course Content:

1. What is Nutrition and Hydration?

• Learn why food and drink are important for staying healthy.
• Understand how eating and drinking well helps the body work properly.

2. Roles and Responsibilities

• Understand who helps people eat and drink in care settings.
• Learn what care staff must do to support good nutrition and hydration.

3. What Can Affect Eating and Drinking?

• Learn about things that make it hard for someone to eat or drink, like illness, medicine, or personal likes and dislikes.
• Understand how age, health, and lifestyle can change what people need.

4. What is a Healthy Diet?

• Find out what a healthy diet means.
• Learn how to support people in eating balanced meals and drinking enough water.

5. The 5 Food Groups and Important Nutrients

• Understand the 5 main food groups: fruit and vegetables, starchy food, dairy, protein, and fats.
• Learn which vitamins and minerals the body needs to stay well.

6. Signs of Not Eating or Drinking Enough

• Learn how to notice when someone may be malnourished or dehydrated.
• Know what to look for if someone is losing weight or feeling unwell.

7. What to Do if You’re Worried

• Learn what to do if you think someone is not eating or drinking enough.
• Understand how to report your concern to your manager or team.

8. Conclusion

• Go over the main things you learned.
• Ask questions and share what you now understand.

Learning Outcome:

By the end of the Nutrition and Hydration Awareness, you will be able to:

• Understand Roles and Responsibilities: Know what your job is in helping people eat and drink well, and how this helps their health and wellbeing.
• Know What Affects Eating and Drinking: Learn what things can change how much or what a person eats or drinks. This can include health, age, likes and dislikes, or the environment.
• Understand What a Healthy Diet Is: Learn what a healthy diet means and why it is important for staying well.
• Know the 5 Food Groups and Important Nutrients: Learn about the 5 food groups and what they do for the body. Understand what nutrients are and why the body needs them.
• Spot Signs of Poor Nutrition or Dehydration: Be able to see when someone may not be eating or drinking enough. Know the signs of malnutrition and dehydration.
• Know What to Do if You Are Worried: Learn what actions to take if you think someone is not getting enough food or drink. Know who to tell and how to get help for them.

The course looks at common problems carers may face at mealtimes with people they care for and how to fix them. It will also explain the vitamins in food and what staff should do to help service users drink enough.

📚Relevant: Effective Record Keeping Course

Course Benefits: Nutrition and Hydration Awareness

• Learn how to support people with healthy eating and drinking.
• Understand how to spot signs of poor nutrition or dehydration.
• Gain confidence in helping during mealtimes.
• Know how to make safe food and drink choices for people in your care.
• Improve your knowledge of food groups and nutrients.
• Learn how to meet special diet needs (like allergies or medical diets).
• Help prevent health problems linked to poor nutrition or not drinking enough.
• Follow UK care rules and keep proper records.
• Earn a certificate to show your learning.
• Feel more confident in your role and give better care.

By the end of this course, you will be ready to help others stay healthy and well through good food and drink support.

Who Should Take This Training

• Care Support Workers and Healthcare Assistants
  To safely support daily food and fluid intake, spot early signs of malnutrition or dehydration, and promote dignity during mealtimes.
• Senior Carers and Nurses
  To lead nutritional care planning, supervise monitoring of intake, and make sure person-centred approaches are followed.
• Domiciliary Care Staff
  To encourage healthy eating and hydration in people’s homes, often without direct supervision.
• Residential and Nursing Home Staff
  To meet CQC Regulation 14 and provide safe, consistent nutritional support for residents.
• New Starters Completing the Care Certificate
  Required as part of Standard 8: Fluids and Nutrition.
• Team Leaders and Managers
  To understand their role in overseeing nutritional care and ensuring all staff receive proper training.

A fluids and nutrition course helps you spot signs of poor intake, prevent dehydration and malnutrition, and support people’s health by meeting their needs and encouraging enjoyment of food and drink.

Onsite Nutrition and Hydration Training

Our Onsite Nutrition and Hydration Training brings expert-led learning directly to your location, offering flexibility, cost savings, and personalised delivery for your team.

Ideal for both experienced staff and new starters, this training supports compliance with CQC Regulation 14, Care Certificate Standard 8, and Ofsted requirements in care and education settings.

We send one of our experienced trainers to your premises—reducing travel costs and minimising disruption to your service. Sessions are tailored to your environment, helping staff apply learning directly to their roles.

You can also combine this Fluids and Nutrition Course with a half-day training at Caring for Care—delivered on the same day, at the same venue—to save over 40% on total costs.

With over 8,500 verified reviews, our training is trusted across the UK.

We deliver onsite sessions across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, including major cities such as London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast, and Edinburgh. Whether urban or rural, we’ll help your team get the training they need—where and when it matters most.

Nutrition & Hydration Awareness FAQs

1. What is nutrition and hydration awareness and why is it required?

Nutrition and hydration awareness means understanding the importance of balanced diets and adequate fluid intake in maintaining health and preventing malnutrition or dehydration.

It is required in care settings to help staff recognise risks, support individual needs, and promote safe, person-centred practices. This awareness supports compliance with regulatory care standards and national nutritional guidance for care services

2. What is CQC Regulation 14 and why does it matter?

CQC Regulation 14 requires care providers to ensure individuals receive enough food and drink to maintain health and reduce the risk of malnutrition and dehydration. It applies where care includes accommodation or treatment, and providers must assess needs, offer suitable choices, and support people to eat and drink safely.

3. Who is responsible for your resident nutrition and hydration?

Responsibility lies with the care provider, including managers and frontline staff. They must ensure residents receive adequate food and drink tailored to their needs, preferences, and health conditions.

This duty is outlined in CQC Regulation 14, and supported by other key frameworks such as the Care Certificate Standard 8, NHS National Standards for Healthcare Food and Drink, and Nutritional Guidance for Care Homes (2024).

Providers must assess needs, offer suitable choices, and support safe, person-centred intake to reduce the risk of malnutrition and dehydration.

4. Can I book Nutrition and Hydration with Food Safety training?

Yes, at Caring for Care we encourage pairing Nutrition and Hydration Training with Food Safety Level 2, as both support safe, person-centred care and compliance with regulatory standards.

Since both are half-day courses, booking them on the same day and at the same venue can save your organisation over 40% in training costs.

5. Which courses pair well with Nutrition and Hydration Course?

Nutrition and Hydration Training pairs well with Dementia Awareness, Safeguarding Adults, Dysphagia, and Food Safety Level 2.

These half-day courses complement each other by deepening understanding of vulnerable individuals’ needs, promoting safe food handling, and reinforcing person-centred care. Pairing courses helps teams meet multiple compliance requirements efficiently.

New staff gain essential foundations, while experienced staff refresh and expand their knowledge in line with current standards. When booked together at Caring for Care—on the same day and at the same venue—organisations can save over 40% in training costs.

6. How does this training benefit staff and organisations?

Nutrition and Hydration Training helps organisations meet regulatory care standards, reduce risk, and deliver safer, person-centred support. For staff, it builds confidence in recognising malnutrition and dehydration risks, tailoring care to individual needs, and promoting dignity.

It benefits both new and experienced teams by reinforcing best practice and improving compliance across educational and care settings.

7. Why book this course with Caring for Care?

Caring for Care delivers sector-relevant training that’s practical, compliant, and person-centred. Our Nutrition and Hydration course is designed for both new and experienced staff, with clear learning outcomes and engaging delivery.

It also supports audit readiness and helps teams demonstrate proactive compliance during inspections or internal reviews.

8. When is it time to update staff training on nutrition and hydration?

Nutrition and Hydration Training should typically be refreshed every 1 to 3 years, depending on organisational policy and staff roles. Skills for Care recommends more frequent updates if risks are identified during supervision, audits, or changes in care needs.

Regular refreshers help maintain compliance, reinforce best practice, and ensure staff remain confident and competent.

9. Is Nutrition and Hydration Awareness Training mandatory?

In the UK, Nutrition and Hydration Awareness Training is mandatory for health and social care staff who handle food or assist with eating and drinking.

While no universal list of mandatory training exists across all sectors, employers must ensure staff receive the training needed to deliver safe, effective and compliant care under regulatory standards.

Anyone who handles, prepares or serves food in a commercial setting, including care homes, hospitals and schools, must also receive appropriate training in food hygiene.

10. How is the Nutrition and Hydration course delivered?

The course is delivered by an experienced trainer, either face to face or online—whichever suits you best. Both options help meet compliance needs and are great for new and experienced staff, offering hands-on learning and live support.

We also offer an e-learning Diet and Nutrition course with similar content, ideal for refreshing knowledge or preparing before formal training.