Do care homes pay for internal training?
Before you can begin working in a care home, you must complete comprehensive training in areas like health and safety and medication management to equip you with all the skills and knowledge you need to carry out your role safely and competently and provide a high level of care.
In this article, we will explore what “mandatory training” means, who pays the bills for it, and whether you can expect compensation for your time spent in internal training sessions.
What is mandatory training?
In the care sector, the term “mandatory training” refers to any training essential to carrying out your role safely and in accordance with the law.
This includes training needed to meet guidelines set forth by regulatory bodies like the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and any training that the care home deems essential for carrying out the role effectively.
Some of the most common types of mandatory training required to work in a care home include the following.
- Health and safety
- Fire safety
- Equality, diversity, and human rights
- Infection prevention and control
- Manual handling
- Safeguarding adults
- First aid
- Assisting and moving people
- Communication
- Dignity
- Medication management
- Mental capacity
- Food hygiene
- Nutrition and hydration
- Person-centred care
- Recording and reporting
- Dementia awareness
It is impossible to provide a definitive list, as training requirements vary depending on the individual’s role and the care home’s requirements. Specialised training may be required for those caring for individuals with particular health conditions, such as autism or epilepsy.
Quality training is a regulatory requirement and cornerstone for delivering high-quality care. Care home staff frequently look after individuals who are exceptionally vulnerable and have complex health needs – people who are placing their trust in their care. When care home workers have not received adequate training, it jeopardises the standard of care delivered and increases the risk of errors.
Undergoing comprehensive mandatory training helps care home staff maintain consistently high standards of care, safeguards the wellbeing of patients, and reduces the risk of the care provider violating its legal obligations and regulatory requirements.
Do care homes pay for internal training?
Having established what mandatory training you may be required to complete before beginning a career in care, you may wonder, “Who pays for this training?”
All care staff must complete mandatory training before they begin working in a care home. It is their employer’s responsibility to ensure that they have received adequate training to meet the demands of the role they will be working in. Therefore, the employer usually selects the training course and decides when and how that training will be carried out.
If the care home employed you after 6 April 2020, your employment contract should state what training you will need to complete, including any training the employer does not pay for.
Usually, any mandatory training that care staff require to carry out their role safely and in accordance with the law and CQC regulations is paid for by the care home and carried out during normal working hours.
However, it’s always best to check your employment contract or speak with your employer to verify this.
Will I get paid to attend mandatory training courses?
Ok, so it is likely that your employer will pay for your mandatory training, but do they also pay your wage during the time that you are training? This can be a bit of a grey area, so it’s always best to check your employment contract and speak with your employer so that you know what to expect.
Whether you get paid for the time you spend carrying out mandatory training is down to the care home you work for and, sometimes, how much you earn.
If you earn more than the National Minimum Wage and the internal training is to be completed during work hours, then your pay is likely already covered. If the training is being completed outside of work hours, check your employment contract or speak with your employer to determine if you will be paid for the time you spend training.
If you earn less than the National Minimum Wage, or close to it, your employer should pay you for any time you spend training. This is because if they fail to do so, it could bring you below the National Minimum Wage.
CBAT mandatory care training courses
Here at Care Business Associate Training, we are proud to be one of the UK’s leading care training providers.
We offer an extensive catalogue of professional training courses, including dementia awareness, infection control, and medication management courses.
Our courses are available either online or in person and are delivered by trainers with extensive practical experience. We also offer bespoke training if required, tailoring your training course to your needs.
For more information, either browse and book a training course online or speak to a member of our team by calling 01772 816 922.