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At present, safety is the primary issue on the minds of everyone – not just those working in the care industry. Best practices and how best to ensure the maintained health of yourself and others in the midst of the current coronavirus pandemic are integral in ensuring the damage of this pandemic is minimised.
Those working in social care have been presented with one of the most challenging situations by this pandemic. Continuing to provide an excellent level of care to those who need it whilst confronted by a global pandemic, is a demanding task.
In response to COVID-19, Skills for Care have invited selected Endorsed providers such as Access Skills, to support the launch of essential induction training courses for those working in care. There is a comprehensive package for care workers of every ability, every level, both new and experienced. The training is designed to provide workers with key knowledge and information necessary to perform safely in either a staff or volunteer role during this COVID-19 pandemic.
Here, we’ve outlined what the courses available can offer you.
How the courses are completed
The courses have been designed to upskill the care sector so that staff are accessible for everyone remotely at this unprecedented and extremely difficult time. To ensure all workers, no matter their workloads or free time, can complete the training that they need, the courses are delivered through a mixture of live tutor led webinars, tutorials, tutor support and E-learning. This makes them flexible to complete, and hopefully designed to accommodate the varying needs of all care workers, and maximise the number of individuals who can complete the course.
Tailored coronavirus training for existing staff
Ensuring your existing workforce is competent and well-equipped to deal with this challenging situation is an important priority consideration for all employers. This Access Skills course contains a variety of essential modules that are tailored to help current care workers deal with these unique times.
These include:
- Assisting and moving people
- Basic life support
- Fire safety
- Food safety
- Health and safety awareness
- Infection prevention and control
- Medication
- Safeguarding (specifically in relation to isolation)
These key modules have been tailored to the current coronavirus pandemic, ensuring that the information workers have and the skills they possess are sufficient to effectively deal with those that they care for during COVID-19 outbreak.
Modules relating to infection and prevention control are particularly relevant, as this information is important in controlling the spread of the virus, should someone within a care establishment become infected. The information in this course can help workers effectively provide care for anyone who becomes ill with the virus while ensuring they know how to protect others from the infection and minimise the chance of the virus spreading.
Similarly, safeguarding, specifically in relation to isolation, is another important module tailored for the current situation. Knowing how to provide an individual with the care they need in the unique and unorthodox situation of self-isolation is a vital skill at the present time, and will help workers continue to look after those who are vulnerable.
Rapid induction for new staff to get them working as soon as possible
Right now, all care organisations will understand the need to have as many trained and adept staff as possible at hand to provide care for those who need it. Part of this is ensuring any new staff are well-equipped to start working, but also ensuring that they get the skills and information they need as quickly as possible.
In addition to the modules outlined that are provided to existing staff, the COVID-19 Essential Training Programme includes a rapid induction designed to get new staff trained and up-to-speed with procedures and developments, so that they’re ready as rapidly as possible to start providing care for those who need it the most in these difficult times.. This includes all the knowledge topics contained within the Care Certificate.
Up-to-date training for staff who are being redeployed
The present situation has called for care workers to be redeployed and other individuals who are either retired or have stopped working in care to come back to work to help out in this incredibly trying time. Ensuring these workers are up-to-date is important and they can then become vital additions to the workforce of any care organisation, helping them to effectively deal with this demanding scenario.
This course is designed to give experienced care workers the information they need to get working as soon as possible, covering all of the modules mentioned in the section about training for existing workers, if required.
Key training for volunteers
Now more than ever, care organisations need all the help they can get. So many organisations are finding that they’re relying on the help of volunteers more and more. This COVID-19 Volunteer Workshop provides would-be volunteers with the information and training they need to help care for individuals at this difficult time, including a focus on infection and prevention control to ensure volunteers are up-to-speed with best practices surrounding the coronavirus and how to deal with any potential cases.
Modules covered include:
- Introduction to adult social care
- Role and responsibilities
- Whistleblowing
- Equality, diversity, and person-centred values
- Telephone support and communication
- Pain and discomfort
- Infection prevention and control
- Food safety
- Fluids and hydration
- Health and safety
- Stress
These courses are free and fully funded by the government
To ensure all care workers are accessing these vital, potentially life-saving courses, the package is fully funded by the government. Care organisations can get these courses for all of their workers, free of charge*. Make sure everyone who works for you is CQC compliant, able to work safely and ready to fight coronavirus in care.
*subject to numbers
If you are interested in these courses then please email us at info@accessskills.co.uk or call us on 0121 510 2169.
