New Training For Care Home Workers could be extended to health care assistants

Sunday, March 17th, 2013 |  by

Government Introduce New Training For Care Home Workers

UK- The Government has introduced plans to make training mandatory for care home staff in order to protect the elderly.  Norman Lamb, the Health Minister, is proposing a minimum standard which all new recruits have to reach before they can start working in nursing homes.  It is also planned that carers that look after pensioners in their own homes will have to undertake training too.

Training could be extended to health care assistants and auxiliary nurses, after the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust scandal highlighted the urgent need to improve standards of care which is delivered by staff.  Lamb has expressed his concern that there are no clear levels of training for carers and that a course of essential skills should be imperative for care staff.

At present there are no legal requirements for training, except a criminal record check, for people who want to pursue a career in caring for older people in a nursing home or home help environment.  Campaigners have said that they want the training to cover how to provide intimate care e.g. bathing and dressing someone, dispensing medication, nutrition and using equipment correctly e.g. hoists.

Recent reports concerning the mistreatment of elderly and disabled adults in care homes and NHS hospitals have triggered Age UK to highlight the importance of training workers to report any instances of abuse that they see or suspect by their colleagues.  Around 460 000 British residents are being looked after in care homes and a further 1.1 million people in England receive care in their own homes.  Therefore it is vital that all agencies that provide care staff meet safety and quality legal requirements.

The reforms are intended to prepare the UK for the fact that the number of people over the age of 85 is expected to double by 2030. Training is on course to be introduced by the end of March to all care staff and nursing assistants in hospitals after David Cameron commented that he did not want any workers who do not have a basic level of training to provide hands on care within the system.

The training group ‘Skills for Care’ has been developing the training strategies with the Government.  Skills for Care also want to see staff provided with support while they work after they receive their training.

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