Infection Control Training for Care Homes

Care homes in England must be able to show CQC that their staff are trained to prevent, detect and control the spread of infection. This guide covers infection control training for care homes specifically: the legal duty behind it, what the training should include, how inspectors assess it and how to evidence it. Our CPD accredited infection control training course is written for care home staff, completed online between shifts, and recorded in one place, so your training matrix is ready the moment an inspector asks for it.

Understanding Infection Prevention and Control in Care Homes

Infection control training is mandatory for care homes because the law requires providers to prevent and control the spread of infection, and to make sure every member of staff is trained to work safely. Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 requires providers to assess the risk of infection and to prevent, detect and control its spread, including infections linked to care.

Regulation 18 adds the training duty. Staff must receive the support, training and professional development they need to carry out their role, and CQC’s guidance on Regulation 18 lists statutory training among the things it expects providers to deliver.

The government’s code of practice on the prevention and control of infections, last updated in December 2022, sets out 10 criteria CQC uses to judge whether a provider meets these requirements. It applies to every registered adult social care provider in England, residential and nursing homes included.

Falling short is a regulatory problem, not only a training gap. CQC can take regulatory action when a provider breaches the regulations, and any breach found at inspection is published in your report, visible to families choosing a home and to the commissioners who place residents with you.

The scale of the risk explains why the duty is so firm. NICE estimates that around 3x`00,000 people a year in England acquire an infection while being cared for within the NHS. Many care home residents move between hospital and home, so that risk does not stop at the ward door. Current, recorded training is the clearest way to show CQC that the staff side of these duties is met.

Why Infection Control Training is Mandatory for Care Homes

Infection control training is mandatory for care homes because the law requires providers to prevent and control the spread of infection, and to make sure every member of staff is trained to work safely. Regulation 12 requires providers to assess the risk of infection and to prevent, detect and control its spread, including infections linked to care.

The scale of the risk explains why the duty is so firm. NICE estimates that around 300,000 people a year in England acquire an infection while being cared for within the NHS. Many care home residents move between hospital and home, so that risk does not stop at the ward door. Current, recorded training is the clearest way to show CQC that the staff side of these duties is met.

What Infection Prevention and Control Training Covers in Care Homes

Infection prevention and control training for care homes covers six areas: hand hygiene, PPE, cleaning and disinfection, recognising and reporting infection, outbreak management and waste management. Each one maps onto routines your home should already have written down, and our wider resource on infection control in care homes sets those routines out in full.

Hand hygiene. Care home staff move between residents’ rooms, communal lounges, the dining room and the medication round many times in one shift. Training covers when hands must be cleaned across that routine: before and after personal care, before handling food or medicines, and after touching shared surfaces. It also explains why gloves never replace handwashing.

PPE. Training sets out which PPE each task calls for, from gloves and aprons during personal care and continence care to the PPE needed when a resident has a suspected respiratory infection. It covers putting PPE on and taking it off in the right order, because contaminated equipment removed carelessly spreads infection rather than stopping it. Handling soiled laundry is covered as a specific risk point.

Cleaning and disinfection. Shared bathrooms, dining tables, hoists and commodes are touched by many residents every day. Training covers the difference between cleaning and disinfecting, how often each area needs attention, and how to decontaminate shared equipment between residents. It also covers the deeper clean a resident’s room needs during and after an infection.

Recognising and reporting infection. Many residents, particularly those living with dementia, cannot tell staff they feel unwell. Training teaches staff to notice the signs that do show, such as new or increased confusion, reduced appetite, changes in continence or a sudden drop in mobility. It also covers who to tell and how to record it, so a concern reaches the nurse or manager on the same shift.

Outbreak management. UKHSA asks care homes to report two or more people with symptoms that started within five days of each other as a suspected respiratory outbreak. Training covers what staff do next: isolating affected residents where possible, keeping the same staff with them, stepping up cleaning, and escalating to the manager and the local health protection team.

Waste management. Care homes produce clinical waste, continence waste and sharps alongside household rubbish. Training covers how each type is segregated, bagged and stored before collection, and how to deal safely with spills of blood or body fluids.

Hospitals, clinics and community services apply the same principles to different risks, which is why infection control training for other healthcare settings is structured differently from training written for residential and nursing care.

Challenges of Infection Control in Care Homes

The biggest challenges of infection control in care homes are staffing pressure, gaps in training, residents who cannot follow hygiene routines, and limited resources. Each one is real, and each one is narrowed by the right training.

Staffing pressure. Turnover and reliance on agency and bank staff mean the people on shift change constantly, and every new face needs to know your IPC routines from their first shift. Online training that can be completed before someone starts, and recorded straight away, closes that gap.

Lapsed training. Refreshers slip when rotas are short, and an expired certificate is one of the simplest gaps for an inspector to find in a training matrix. A system that flags expiry dates in advance means the gap is closed before anyone asks about it.

Resident needs. Residents living with dementia may forget to wash their hands, walk into other rooms or resist personal care. Training helps staff support hygiene in a person-centred way, through prompting, routine and the environment, rather than restriction.

Limited resources. PPE, cleaning products and staff time are finite, especially through winter. Since the government’s free PPE scheme for COVID-19 ended on 31 March 2024, homes buy their own, and UKHSA’s guidance on acute respiratory infection in adult social care was updated to reflect that. Training helps staff choose the right PPE for each task, which avoids both waste and the false security of over-use.

These challenges are also where inspectors tend to look. During a visit, staff are asked about IPC routines and what they say is checked against your records, which the next section covers in detail.

CQC Requirements for Infection Control in Care Homes

CQC requires care homes to assess and manage the risk of infection, detect and control its spread, and share concerns promptly with the right agencies. This reflects the infection prevention and control quality statement under the Safe key question, and it is how IPC is currently assessed.

In practice, CQC expects four things: an approach to infection risk that follows current national guidance, clean and hygienic premises and equipment, clear IPC roles and responsibilities, and information about infection risk shared with partners, residents and visitors. The statement also names the subtopics it covers, including personal and food hygiene, PPE, vaccination, outbreak management and waste.

Inspectors gather that evidence in three ways. They review documents such as your IPC policy, cleaning schedules, audits and training records with completion and expiry dates. They talk to staff about what they would do in a given situation. They observe practice, including hand hygiene, PPE use and the cleanliness of rooms and equipment.

A failing usually shows up as a mismatch between those three. In one recent CQC care home report, inspectors found IPC standards were not consistently maintained and recorded a breach of Regulation 15, even though staff said their training was updated regularly. Training on its own is not enough. It has to show up in daily practice.

A dated audit trail strengthens your position, and an infection control monitoring checklist completed each month sits well alongside training records as evidence. Current, consistent training across the whole team supports a Good rating in Safe.

CQC has also consulted on a new adult social care assessment framework that replaces quality statements with key lines of enquiry. Until it goes live, the current quality statements apply. Whichever framework your next inspection uses, training evidence answers the same question: can your staff do this safely?

How ecert Training’s Infection Control Course Can Help

ecert training offers a comprehensive infection control training tailored specifically for care home workers. This course provides in-depth knowledge and practical skills to help staff effectively prevent and manage infections within the care home environment. Here’s how ecert training can be beneficial:

Up-to-Date Knowledge: The course covers the latest guidelines and best practices in infection control, ensuring that care home workers are equipped with current and accurate information.
Practical Skills: ecert training focuses on practical applications, teaching staff how to implement IPC measures in real-world scenarios. This includes hands-on training in hand hygiene, PPE usage, and cleaning protocols.
Compliance with Regulations: The course ensures that care home workers understand the legal and regulatory requirements related to infection control, helping care homes stay compliant with national standards.
Confidence and Competence: Through interactive learning modules and assessments, ecert training builds confidence in care home workers, empowering them to take proactive steps in preventing infections.
Customised Learning: The course can be tailored to the specific needs of a care home, addressing the unique challenges and risks associated with different settings.

The Impact of Effective IPC Training

The benefits of investing in high-quality IPC training are far-reaching:

Enhanced Resident Safety: Well-trained staff are better equipped to protect residents from infections, leading to improved overall health outcomes.
Increased Staff Morale: When staff feel confident in their ability to prevent and control infections, it reduces stress and burnout, leading to higher job satisfaction.
Improved Reputation: Care homes that prioritise IPC are seen as safer and more reliable, enhancing their reputation among residents, families, and regulatory bodies.
Cost Savings: By reducing the incidence of infections, care homes can save on healthcare costs associated with treating illnesses and managing outbreaks.

Conclusion

Infection prevention and control is a critical aspect of care in the care home sector. The health and safety of residents and staff depend on the effective implementation of IPC measures. Training plays a vital role in ensuring that care home workers are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to prevent and manage infections.

Investing in ecert training’s Infection Control course not only ensures compliance with regulations but also promotes a safer, healthier environment for everyone in the care home. By prioritising IPC training, care homes can maintain their reputation as trusted providers of care and safeguard the wellbeing of their residents.

Estimated reading time: 19 minutes

Infection Prevention and Control: Essential Training for Care Homes