Working Safely in Domiciliary Care Course

Working Safely in Domiciliary Care – Online Course

Course overview
This online course introduces the principles of safe working in domiciliary care, where support is provided to individuals in their own homes. It focuses on infection prevention, risk reduction and safe working practices to help protect care recipients and those delivering care. Learners explore practical approaches to infection control, hygiene, personal protective equipment and the safe management of care environments. The course takes approximately 2 hours to complete and carries 2 CPD points.

Please note: This is a Level 1 introductory course providing awareness and knowledge of safe working practices in domiciliary care. It does not replace practical, regulated or role-specific training that an employer may require.

What the course covers
• Introduction to working safely in domiciliary care
• Preventing infection and breaking the chain of infection
• Infection risk assessments and risk reduction
• The hierarchy of control
• Standard infection control precautions
• Hand hygiene and correct handwashing techniques
• Respiratory and cough hygiene
• Personal protective equipment, including gloves, aprons, face masks, respiratory protective equipment and eye protection
• Safe management of care equipment and single-use items
• Cleaning the care environment and maintaining ventilation
• Laundry management and storage
• Managing blood and body fluid spills
• Waste management principles and procedures
• Managing exposure to infection
• Vaccination and antimicrobial resistance
• Infection prevention when moving between settings
• Managing infectious individuals and isolation
• Supporting individuals receiving care in isolation
• Outbreak management in residential services
• Collecting specimens
• Relevant legislation and annual statements for residential settings
• Training and education in infection prevention and control

Who is it for?
This course is suitable for people involved in delivering, supporting or overseeing care in individuals’ homes. Its introductory Level 1 content makes it appropriate for learners seeking basic awareness, induction training, refresher learning or knowledge enhancement.

It may be useful for:
• Domiciliary care workers and care assistants
• Support workers and healthcare assistants
• Care managers, supervisors and team leaders
• Registered nurses and other healthcare professionals supporting domiciliary care
• Clinical and non-clinical healthcare staff
• Family caregivers and personal assistants
• Volunteers providing care and support in the home
• Staff who provide domiciliary care occasionally as part of their wider role

Practical benefits
• Develop awareness of common infection risks in home care settings
• Understand how hygiene and infection control precautions help protect care recipients and workers
• Recognise the importance of risk assessments and appropriate control measures
• Improve understanding of personal protective equipment and its use
• Learn principles for managing equipment, laundry, waste and environmental cleanliness safely
• Understand infection-related concerns that may require reporting or escalation
• Support induction and refresher training for staff working in domiciliary care
• Gain a CPD-accredited certificate after successfully completing the course quiz

What learners will be able to do
• Explain key principles and terminology associated with safe working in domiciliary care
• Recognise why safe working practices are important when providing care in an individual’s home
• Identify common infection risks and relevant workplace concerns
• Understand individual responsibilities and the boundaries of their role
• Describe appropriate infection prevention and control measures
• Recognise the importance of hand hygiene, personal protective equipment and environmental cleanliness
• Understand how to manage care equipment, laundry, waste and bodily fluid spills safely
• Recognise when advice, reporting or escalation may be necessary
• Communicate relevant concerns to appropriate people
• Apply the learning to support safer and more consistent care practices

Is this training a legal requirement?
The supplied course information refers to relevant legislation, Care Quality Commission (CQC) requirements and care frameworks in the context of working safely in domiciliary care. It describes the training as supporting awareness of safety and infection prevention practices. The supplied information does not establish that this specific course is a universal legal requirement for all domiciliary care workers. Employers should determine the training needed for their staff and roles.

Assessment and certificate
Learners complete an online quiz at the end of the course. Successful completion results in a free CPD-accredited digital certificate that can be downloaded or printed. The course awards 2 CPD points and takes approximately 2 hours to complete. The supplied course information also states that learners can retake the assessment without a stated limit.