Mandatory training every healthcare professional needs 

Despite budget constraints and workforce challenges, effectively managing statutory and mandatory training is a key investment by NHS and healthcare employers, playing a crucial role in ensuring a high level of care to patients. This article outlines guidance across health and social care, with tips for sector specialisms.  

As authors of the Core Skills Training Framework® – the trusted benchmark for statutory and mandatory training – Skills for Health offer a range of eLearning courses aligned to the key learning outcomes for healthcare employees. 

What do we mean by mandatory training? 

Many organisations use the term mandatory training as a ‘catch all’ to cover mandatory and statutory training, but there’s a difference between the two. 

Mandatory Training 

Mandatory training is that determined essential by an organisation for the safe and efficient running in order to reduce organisational risks and comply with policies and government guidelines. For the purposes of this article, we will be using mandatory training as the catch all phrase throughout. 

Statutory Training 

Statutory training is that which an organisation is legally required to provide as defined by law and for which there is a stated legal reference and/or where a government or regulatory body have instructed employers to provide training on the basis of legislation. 

So, what topics should be covered within mandatory training? 

Skills for Health UK Core Skills Training Framework (CSTF) 

To help harmonise mandatory training for NHS and healthcare workers, Skills for Health developed the CSTF. Through this framework, statutory and mandatory training becomes portable between employers and skills can be passported around the system in an efficient and powerful way. Employers that align their statutory and mandatory training can be confident in the content of their training. 

The subjects in the statutory/mandatory Core Skills Training Framework are as follows: 

• Equality, Diversity and Human Rights 
• Fire Safety 
• Health, Safety and Welfare 
• Infection Prevention and Control 
• Information Governance and Data Security 
• Moving and Handling 
• NHS Conflict Resolution 
• Preventing Radicalisation 
• Resuscitation 
• Safeguarding Adults 
• Safeguarding Children 
• Violence and Aggression (Wales) 

These core skills and subjects all play a key role in the smooth, efficient and effective running of any healthcare organisation. Whether staff are being trained for the first time or are having their skills refreshed, this knowledge and the techniques provided all hold vital importance in the safety and level of care provided to patients. 

Skills for Health have also launched specialist core skills training frameworks in the following topics: 

• Dementia Core Skills Education and Training Framework (England) 

• Learning Disabilities Core Skills Education and Training Framework 

• Mental Health Core Skills Education and Training Framework 

• End of Life Care Core Skills Education and Training Framework 

In addition to the guidelines from the CSTF, mandatory training needs to adapt to the needs of the individual workplace. 

Mandatory training and the Care Certificate 

The Care Certificate is a set of 15 standards for health and social care workers produced with the aim of standardising introductory skills, knowledge and behaviours. The goal is to ensure compassionate, safe and high quality care. The Care Certificate is for new staff and whilst it isn’t mandatory per se, there’s still an expectation for it to be completed as part of an induction.  

The primary audience is Healthcare Support Workers or Adult Social Care Workers. These fields consist of Health Care Assistants, Assistant Practitioners, Care Support Workers and those giving support to clinical roles in the NHS where there is any direct contact with patients.  

Mandatory training for Care Homes and Hospices 

It’s up to the healthcare provider to ensure staff are qualified, experienced and competent. The topics for mandatory training will be in line with the Care Certificate, with additional training for topics such as Control of Substances Hazardous to Health, Caldicott Principles and Food Hygiene. As those working in care homes often go beyond the role of nursing to provide extra support and care to patients, it’s especially crucial that they understand aspects such as food safety. 

Likewise, knowledge of fire safety can potentially save lives in the event of an emergency. With infection control, this can play a crucial role in ensuring illnesses, bacteria and viruses aren’t spread throughout a care home, which could prove fatal with vulnerable patients all living under one roof. There would also be potential legal implications if an infection was to spread, and it was found that staff had not followed key training and management procedures. 

Mandatory training for GP Surgeries 

In addition to the CSTF, surgeries will have their own strategies in place for their doctors and nurses. It’s expected that each organisation will provide statutory/mandatory training depending on the needs of the practice and their staff. 

It’s specified under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 that all healthcare providers will have sufficient numbers of staff who are suitably qualified, skilled, and experienced for the visitors to the practice at all times. Some basic examples of expected training  at all practices include basic life support, fire safety training, infection control, knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, as well as training to an appropriate level for the safeguarding of at-risk children and adults. 

The CQC will undertake inspections to check that staff have the necessary qualifications and skills. They will check when the individual started their employment, what responsibilities they hold, and how the healthcare provider has been seeking to meet the learning needs of their team. They will also examine what training has been held, and whether they can see evidence of this training. They may ask for this to be demonstrated to them. 

Mandatory training for nurses 

The CQC team will make inspections to check levels of training and ensure that all staff are experienced, knowledgeable, responsible, qualified, competent, and skilled. They may be required to demonstrate these skills during an inspection, for example, showing that they can administer a vaccine, take samples for the cervical screening programme, take a blood sample, treat minor illnesses, explain the fire safety and evacuation procedures, and demonstrate safe moving and handling of patients. 

The RCN breaks down expectations for statutory and mandatory training. In the NHS, all new employees are required to undertake core health and safety awareness and training. This usually includes: 

• Awareness of the local health and safety policy 
• Awareness of the control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH) 
• When and how to report injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences (RIDDOR) 
• Fire safety awareness training 
• Manual handling training 
• Basic risk assessment training 
• Annual updates in essential areas of fire safety and manual handling.

Mandatory training might include (but isn’t limited to): 

• Blood transfusion processes 
• Child protection 
• Clinical record keeping 
• Complaints handling 
• Conflict resolution (managing violence and aggression) 
• Consent 
• Display and screen equipment 
• Information governance 
• Mental capacity and safeguarding adults 
• Medicines handling and management 
• Resuscitation 

Mandatory training in summary 

In some cases, due to budget constraints or staff being overworked and not having enough time to attend training, mandatory training has been overlooked. However, it’s not an area that healthcare organisations can afford to become lax with.  

Not only can training help ensure staff meet all necessary criteria and perform their duties effectively, but it can play a key role in their confidence. There’s a great need for healthcare organisations to allow their staff the time to attend mandatory training. Doing so will help to ensure staff and service users both experience safe, supportive environments leading to better patient outcomes