When should care staff refresh their training?

When should care staff refresh their training?

Care staff should refresh their training every 1 to 3 years, depending on the topic, the level of risk, and the needs of the people they support. High‑risk areas such as Basic Life Support, Fire Safety, IPC and Safeguarding are commonly refreshed annually, while lower‑risk or competence‑led subjects are typically refreshed every 2 to 3 years.

Beyond fixed intervals, refresher training should also take place when circumstances change. Staff may need additional training:

• Following an incident or near miss To address gaps in knowledge and prevent recurrence.
• When returning to work after absence Especially after long‑term leave, sickness, or maternity/paternity leave.
• When new policies, procedures, or legislation are introduced Ensuring staff remain compliant and confident.
• When new equipment or care practices are implemented To maintain safe and consistent standards.
• When staff request additional support or feel unsure A competence‑led approach means listening to staff and acting early.
• To pre‑empt staffing shortages or skill gaps Ensuring the team remains safe and capable during busy periods or turnover.
• When supporting individuals with changing or higher‑risk needs Training should adapt as service‑user needs evolve.

This approach aligns with Skills for Care’s guidance: refresh training based on competence, risk, and service needs — not just time intervals.

Also consider reading: How often should care staff refresher their training.

Introduction

Ensuring that your care staff are fully trained is a vital part of any care service. While this includes supporting new starters, it’s equally important to know when long‑serving staff need refresher training  or when you may need it yourself.

Here are some tips to help you understand when refresher training is required and what to look for when choosing a provider.

Recommended: Medication Refresher Training | Refresher Courses | Phlebotomy Refresher Course  | Safeguarding Adults & Children Refresher Training

What prompts a need for skills training?

Knowing when to train or retrain employees is an essential skill for any manager.

Knowing the right time to carry out a training program will allow your practice to remain:

• fully compliant,
• offer the highest levels of service, and
• help reassure your patients.

Fortunately, there are several widely acknowledged triggers that indicate the need to consider training for yourself or your team.

These include:

1. Pre-empting staff shortages

With the NHS increasingly under strain, widely publicised staff-shortages highlight problems for caregivers in the years ahead. Simply put, this means that many institutions will have to do more with less. This can involve mandatory training for new staff to help them get ‘up to speed’ quickly. Another, tabling additional training to bolster the knowledge of employees with specialised roles.

2. Following an incident

No matter what profession you find yourself in, accidents will happen. The company should respond quickly and decisively to relevant issues that gather public attention, whether they occur internally or with another company.

For example: widely reported issues around elder care may require additional catheterisation training or moving and handling training with relevant staff. This not only protects your patients and staff but acts as a powerful indicator that you prize patient care above all else.

3. Returning to work

Fully supporting your staff should be a central part of managing a caregiving institution.

This can sometimes include ensuring that an employee’s return to work is as easy as possible, with many employees taking mandated leaves of absence in the wake of bereavement, pat and mat care, or ill-health.

A short refresher course can help individuals step into their roles again with greater efficiency and add to their learning in the process.

4. Enacting changes in policy

Any government-stipulated changes in policy for praxis and care delivery should be accompanied by relevant training or guidance. While some changes may be sweeping, others may be more specific – letting you take advantage of bespoke or comprehensive training sessions.

5. Listening to staff requests

While training is a key part of professional development, individuals working face-to-face with clients will always enjoy a front-line view of where the provision of care may be falling short. Giving employees an avenue to voice these concerns is critically important, as is asking for feedback during quarterly reviews meetings.

Of course, while the above are all valid triggers, training should never be undertaken without understanding the value that it represents.

https://caringforcare.co.uk/courses/

Why is skills staff training valuable?

Aside from the legal requirements around mandatory skills training, discretionary and mandatory staff training carries a number of benefits to any business.

These include:

1. Reducing the risk of ‘embodied knowledge’

Having key skills and knowledge centralised to one individual is a risk in any field but is especially dangerous in the healthcare sector. Running regular training sessions for all employees can help ensure

that all staff are trained equally, with individualised training fully documented where needed to help with knowledge-sharing.

2. Saving money on future training

Professional training can often prove to be expensive but offering members of staff ‘Train the trainer’ training can allow them to dispense knowledge to other employees. This can save money on larger sessions, increase efficiency through holding internal workshops and actively help to prevent knowledge loss.

3. Improving care quality and efficiency

A key concern for all practitioners, quality training will help sharpen your skillset and ensure that all staff members achieve a useful level of generalised and specific training. This can reduce unnecessary time spent on procedures, reduce error rates, or help make tasks more efficient.

While training is inarguably useful, what should you look for in the external body that is going to administer it?

Please Click: Check out all our Refresher Courses for Carers

https://caringforcare.co.uk/open-courses-2/

What should you look for in your staff trainer?

Carrying out due diligence on your potential trainer is absolutely key. Always make sure you:

• fully review their website for testimonials,
• look over their training options and
• review how they map onto your current practice.

In addition, it is worthwhile to ask the following questions:

1. What courses do you offer?

A training provider should offer a selection of programs. This should range from generalised health and social care training to specifics, such as complex care training and clinical training such as venepuncture training. These should also be customisable to suit the unique needs of the trainee and your business, ensuring the best return on your investment.

2. How do I want my training to be delivered?

Modern training providers should be able to provide training for caregivers in a number of different ways. This should range from class-based learning, individualised sessions, and e-learning in order to offer maximum flexibility for those taking part.

3. How reliable are they?

Any training should always be delivered by accredited professionals who enjoy testimonials from established businesses and are validated through sites like Trustpilot, Yelp, or Which.

It is also recommended that you contact businesses directly and learn more about their overall structure and the professional who will deliver your training package.

4. What pricing options do they offer?

Ask, does the trainer provide a range of options and a willingness to work within your allocated budget? The provider should be upfront about the fixed price point for each package and be willing to engage with you to ensure that you receive the greatest value from your training commitments.

To learn more about the range of training we offer and our delivery methods, please click here.

If you would like to review or query our selection of services, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team directly. You can call 01782 563333 and let us know what you need to improve or add to your professional skillsets.