Social Care
The Social Care Training Hub was established in 2022 to provide support to adult social care organisations in Lancashire and South Cumbria, bringing together education and training resources as a central focus point for information about workforce development, including support about career pathways and student nursing placements.
Unfortunately due to lack of continued funding, the difficult decision was taken to discontinue the Social Care Training Hub (SCTH) project. However, these pages have been developed and updated to April 2025 to leave a legacy of support and resources available for social care staff.
Link to Apprenticeship page
Apprenticeship Guide for Social Care Managers
Social Care Apprenticeships Employer Toolkit
Information
If you are seeking a role within the NHS or social care, please visit the NHS jobs website, the Adult Social Care website (GOV) or the NHS Careers North West website.
Platforms for Recruitment
DWP’s ‘Find a Job’ site attracts thousands of quality candidates each year. It’s where the national recruitment campaign will direct people, so if you advertise your jobs here they will be seen by an enormous pool of potential candidates.
Posting your job is simple and quick. It’s really important you use the terms “social care” in the role description, to ensure it is visible on adultsocialcare.co.uk.
Download this one-page PDF guide if you need help.
To advertise a role on the NHS Careers North West Website. Please contact their team here: https://nhscareersnw.co.uk/contact-us/
Resources to help Employers
Look here for resources from Skills for Care that can help you get your recruitment right. Including:
- Values-based recruitment support
- International recruitment support
- Recruiting younger people
- Recruitment and retention webinars and podcasts
And much more!
This guide shows you how to use the national recruitment campaign to support your organisation’s recruitment efforts. Including:
- Campaign materials
- Social media templates and images
- Recruitment templates
- Videos
- Newsletter templates
- Recruitment best practice checklist
and much more click here for more information
Useful E-learning packages
- The core course, ‘Clinical Risk Management Training’, comprises seven sessions and one assessment session. The second module, ’Community of Interest’, is an area where people can find knowledge and share good practice.
This Certified online training program about oxygen, is specifically for people working in care homes and hospices. The course content supports CQC requirements for care home staff to receive training on oxygen as a medicine and its storage, and for fire risk assessments to be in place for every resident on oxygen.
All care home or hospice staff who engage with residents or visitors using oxygen, or who enter areas where oxygen equipment is used or stored, including nurses, healthcare assistants, personal care staff, activity coordinators, cleaning and maintenance employees
- Understand how to store oxygen equipment to protect residents & staff, & building
- Understand who is responsible for aspects of the resident’s oxygen therapy & equipment
- Know who to contact in event of a problem or concern
- Be able to identify risks of oxygen relating to the resident’s care & activities including
- Personal care
- Bedroom layout & cleaning
- Receiving visitors or trips out
Note: this course is not about how to prescribe or identify clinical need for oxygen therapy.
- You will be sent an Individual log-in, where you can access the course 24/7
- You will be able to stop/resume the training at any pointThere are extra resource available upon completionYou can track your progress by module
- You will receive a end-of-course assessment
- You will also receive a certified completion
- Individual log-in
- Convenient 24/7 access, where you can stop/resume at any point
- Extra resource available upon completion
- Trackable progress by module
- End-of-course assessment
- Certified completion
You can click on the e-learning and video guides below:
- THINK DELIRIUM e-learning
- West Yorkshire & Harrogate Partnership produced some free awareness raising materials and e-Learning.
- Film 3 – Grace = A scenario set in a care home. Grace (elderly lady) is in a care home and over the last 2 weeks she has been falling frequently. She frequently appears to be talking to herself, sometimes loudly, but it is hard to understand what she is saying.
- Film 4 – Eric = A scenario in a domiciliary care setting. Eric (older man, mild dementia) lives alone in a sheltered flat and his domiciliary carer, who knows him well, arrives for his morning visit to help get him up, washed and dressed and to have his breakfast.
The UCLPartners End of Life Care Team has created an innovative educational resource called What’s Best for Lily, designed specifically for care home staff, supporting them to deliver excellent care for residents (including those with dementia) at the end of life:
- Compassionate care of a resident with dementia and those important to the resident
- Communication and documentation of wishes/recommendations on what to do should the resident deteriorate
- The importance of using this documentation in a situation when the resident deteriorates, to avoid a hospital admission
- Recognition that a resident with dementia is reaching the last days of life
- Communication with the resident, those important to the resident, and other staff in the last days of life
- Compassionate care in the last days of life
These resources include an educational film, a lesson planning guide and a facilitator pack.
What’s best for Lily? End of life training for care home staff – UCLPartners
Free online training called “Freda’s fall” on: e-LfH Hub
Make a real difference – become a RoSPA Fall Fighter – Read more
This is an e-learning programme split into 3 tiers (1, 2a &2b) for general public, health and social care professionals respectively that is compliant with the skills for health ‘Frailty core capabilities framework’. This programme offers promotion of a common language across all sectors to support embedding enhanced clinical skills and competencies in an existing workforce. This programme endorses the prerequisite to personalise care to meet the needs of individuals living with varying degrees of frailty to support improved health outcomes.
During 2020/21, work on frailty screening resources continued and a best practice screening for social care toolkit has been developed in conjunction with Hampshire County Council
Health Education England e-learning programme (eLfH)
You can access the elearning sessions free of charge even if you do not work for an NHS organisation and / or do not have an NHS email address. You will need to register with the elfh Hub at https://portal.e-lfh.org.uk/Register and complete all the registration fields. Enter your email address and confirm. On the following screen, ‘Registration/About you’ select ‘None of the above apply to me’ and press CONTINUE. On the next screen, ‘Registration details’, if you cannot find your job role in the choices under Your Current Role, Job Role (Staff Group), please type “other” into the box and select that option. If you cannot find your place of work within the list, please select “Unknown location”.
All resources are freely available to colleagues working in the NHS, independent sector, and social care. The full catalogue of over 100 e-learning materials including topics such as:
MCA Medications, dementia, preventing falls, end of life care, improving mouth care, care certificate, hydration, management and leadership skills, continence, safeguarding and more!
Skills for Care
Skills for Care have e-learning resources, guides and a wealth of information regarding the learning and development of your staff, to look at the resources available here.
Social Care Institute for Excellence
Social Care Institute for Excellence has online latest information and training for social care staff, sorted by topic.
- An e-learning programme has been developed to increase knowledge and confidence in assessing an older person’s hydration needs and minimise the risk of poor hydration in a person-centred way.
Aimed at any person working with older people in the community, including care home staff, home carers, family carers and volunteers, the e-learning builds on the information and skills you may have already learnt and implemented from the Care Certificate.
The hydration e-learning programme is part of the Hydration at Home toolkit which includes resources for the general public, including a hydration leaflet and poster.
Accessing the e-Learning
For more information about the e-learning resource, including access details, please visit e-lfh.
E learning is available from the NHS Learning Hub which can be accessed by anyone working in the care sector
The link to access the training can be found here and this is free
How to use NHS Learning Hub v1.0
Medicines Management ASC NHS Learning Hub v1.0
Carers UK has teamed up with Nutricia to develop this e-learning course, which aims to help carers understand the role of nutrition both for yourselves and for the person you’re looking after.
REACT training
React To Deterioration has been created by the East Midlands Patient Safety Collaborative (PSC), to be used as a resource pack for care homes. It provides information and training about frailty, Advance Care Planning, ‘soft signs’ of deterioration and ways to improve communication using the SBARD communication tool.
East Midlands PSC would like to thank Adam Gordon, Professor of the Care of Older People at the University of Nottingham, for his contribution and expertise, and to the care homes who provided invaluable input and feedback into developing these resources. Also, the staff and residents from Beech House Care Home, Worksop, Nottinghamshire and in particular; Alan Hickson (Registered Manager) Charlotte Streets (Team Leader) and Megan Steemson (Senior Team Leader) for taking part in the videos.
These films and resources were designed and produced by Crocodile House.
Managing deterioration is one of the priorities of the National Patient Safety Improvement Programmes and is strongly aligned with the NHS Patient Safety Strategy. The Managing Deterioration Safety Improvement Programme is commissioned by NHS England, and delivered in the region by East Midlands Patient Safety Collaborative, part of East Midlands Academic Health Science Network.
Extracts from RESTORE2 and
React To Deterioration : Reactto
RESTORE2mini are reproduced with kind permission. RESTORE2 is trademarked by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board. For more information, visit https://www.hantsiowhealthandcare.org.uk/your-health/schemes-and-projects/restore2
React To Quality Improvement : Reactto
Funded by The Health Foundation’s Supporting Local Learning programme, The East Midlands Academic Health Science Network have worked with care homes across the region to design and develop a this series of films and resources about Quality Improvement and the benefits it can bring to care homes. These films and resources aim to empower care home staff to improve care quality through accessible tools, designed for use in the care home setting.
The script for these films and resources has been written by care home staff, a big thank you to Jane Borland from Rathgar Residential Care Home Northampton, Tara Spencer and Mandy Jones from Church Farm Care Nottingham and Jack Titterton from Monarch Healthcare East Midlands.
The script was also written and narrated by Natalie Riley – East Midlands Academic Health Science Network.
React To Home Rounds : Reactto
React To Home Rounds provides training and information about the home round and wider multi-disciplinary team (MDT) processes in line with Enhanced Health in Care Homes Framework guidance.
It gives best practice guidance around what ‘good’ looks like for care home and healthcare MDT working. Finally, it offers practical resources and process around how to identify if a resident is unwell as well as an escalation framework to support access to the right service at the right time.
React To Frailty has been designed by the Nottingham & Nottinghamshire ICS Frailty Group for all health and social care colleagues across the ICS. React To Frailty has been designed as a resource pack with two accompanying videos which explain how to use the Clinical Frailty Scale to identify different levels of frailty, and to improve awareness and understanding of what frailty means and how it can be managed.These films and resources were designed and produced by Crocodile House.
React To Falls : Training resources for care home staff
React To Falls resources have been developed by Professor Pip Logan, Dr Jane Horne, Dr Katie Robinson, Katherine Jones, Jane Balmbra and Kate Robertson in collaboration with clinical colleagues at
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Crocodile House Ltd. The work has been supported by the University of Nottingham Division of Rehabilitation, Ageing and Wellbeing, the
Academic Health Science Network East Midlands and funded by NHS Improvement. Previous research conducted by Professor Pip Logan at the University of Nottingham was used to provide
the basis for the development of these resources.
React To Moisture : Training resources for care home staff
Through the success of React To Red it was evident that a resource focussing on moisture damage (commonly linked to pressure damage) was required and so React To Moisture has been developed with funding from the East Midlands Patient Safety Collaborative. It was written by Nottinghamshire Healthcare Tissue Viability Team, reviewed by the Specialist Continence Team
and produced by Crocodile House.
React To Infection : Training resources for care home staff
React To Infection is divided into two sets of resources which explain how to identify, prevent and manage Influenza and Norovirus. These resources were reproduced from the resources within the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual with permission from Health Protection Scotland, March 2019. This was on behalf of NHS Improvement. These films and resources were designed and produced by Crocodile House.
Malnutrition and Dehydration : Reactto
The React To Malnutrition and Dehydration resources were written by Doncaster and Bassetlaw Dietetic Team. The nutritional care plans in these resources have been developed and trialled by Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber Dietetic Service. These films and resources were designed and produced by Crocodile House.
This React to Dementia resource has been developed as part of the work of the Integrated Care Home Group set up by Claire Poole (Optimum Workforce Leadership, Nottingham County Council), Donna Nussey (Head of Quality and Improvement, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care System), Anita Astle MBE (Owner/Manager, Wren Hall Nursing Home), Gemma Shelton (Quality and Market Management Team, Nottingham County Council and Ros Heath (Owner / Manager, Landermeads).
The remit of the group is to implement the Enhanced Health in Care Homes initiative and this resource was funded by NHS England and NHS Improvement.
The content of the workbook has been written by Ros Heath and was designed by Crocodile House. The film was produced by Ian Donaghy.
React To Feet : Training resources for care home staff
React To Feet introduces some simple ‘steps’ to help keep your residents feet happier and
healthier. It was written by Sarah Pankhurst – Head of Tissue Viability and Clinical Nurse Specialist
at City Care, Lisa Metcalf – Advanced Diabetes Podiatrist at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS
Foundation Trust and produced by Crocodile House.
RESTORE2
Wessex Patient Safety Collaborative have recorded training sessions for RESTORE2 and RESTORE2mini which can be delivered virtually to support the implementation of these tools in your care setting. The video presentations can be viewed on the Wessex AHSN YouTube channel at:
• Restore 2 mini Training video
• RESTORE2™ official :: NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight (icb.nhs.uk)
• Restore 2 Presentation Slides from Training WebinarVital Signs Presentation
LSC Social Care Training Hub have created a webinar to guide adult social care staff through taking observations for residents in your care
· Observations Video Link
Skills for Care
Visit the skills for care website Home – Skills for Care
Skills for Care work across the whole system to understand the key drivers of workforce change using insight, data and evidence. They provide managers and those involved in the delivery of social care with guidance on best practice, tools, resources and intelligence to support workforce recruitment, capabilities, and culture. This combination of strategic and operational activity is the cornerstone of our reach and insight into the sector.
The Caring View
The Caring View is a weekly social care chatshow that addresses all things social care and a few things that aren’t. Hosted by the inspiring industry leaders, Adam Purnell and Mark Topps, the show provides varied views and opinions on a sector that does not get a large enough media platform. Click here for more details.
Link here to the Caring View’s guides to CQC Single Assessment Framework:
The Outstanding Society
The Outstanding Society’s primary purpose is to serve as a platform for sharing and celebrating best practices in social care while supporting others to enhance standards and elevate the visibility of the sector.
The collective goal is to offer complimentary memberships, providing unrestricted access to virtual events, newsletters, podcasts, and an array of valuable resources. This initiative strives to create an inclusive platform, ensuring that everyone can access information, celebrate innovation, and exchange invaluable best practices.
Helping everyone achieve outstanding care together
Lead to Succeed
Lead to succeed is a practical learning programme aimed at aspiring managers and deputies in adult social care services.
The programme is delivered through five interactive modules covering the objectives below:
- Successful behaviours for leaders and managers
- Developing a positive culture
- Effective supervision
- Leading and managing the process of change
- Leading and managing the inspection process
Lead to succeed is at the forefront of the more formal development of aspiring new managers and deputies. This learning programme will help individuals to develop their leadership and management potential, gain knowledge and be supported and challenged to put this into practice. We’ve received overwhelming feedback about the difference it can make.
Unlike undertaking formal qualifications, which can often feel like a solitary process, Lead to succeed connects aspiring managers with their peers.
Learners completing Lead to succeed will understand how successful behaviours and practical strategies can support them in their day-to-day work. They will be challenged to put these into practice, boosting their capacity to lead and manage effectively.
The programme includes an emphasis on reflection, helping individuals to learn from their
day-to-day experiences and think about how they can do things differently or get better at
recognising what they do well.
This learning programme is exclusively available from a number of Skills for Care’s endorsed learning providers
Information
T Levels are a 2-year Level 3 qualification for 16- to 19-year-olds. Designed with employers from multiple sectors and combines classroom study with an industry placement.
Each T Level is equivalent to 3 A levels and helps young people develop the knowledge, attitude, and practical skills to progress into skilled employment or an apprenticeship.
Every T Level student must complete an industry placement that lasts a minimum 45 days. This provides learners the opportunity to put their learning, knowledge and skills into practice in a real workplace environment and prepares them for the world of work or further study like higher apprenticeships. Industry placements also gives employers a unique opportunity to develop new talent and help young people to become work ready and develop their career in the Social Care sector.
Benefit to Employers
- Attract motivated young people to your business, bringing in imaginative and new ideas
- Improve the recruitment pipeline for your business
- Address local and national skills gaps by helping young people develop the skills your industry needs
- Develop existing staff’s mentoring and management skills
- Build a more diverse and creative workforce
- Play an important role in the local community
- Build partnerships with local training and education providers
- Save recruitment costs by providing the opportunity to see what the young person can offer, on a no-obligation employment basis
College Programme Information
Information
Offering student nurse placements is beneficial for nursing homes in many ways, and we hope that through learning in the setting of social care practise in a nursing home we will encourage more newly qualified nurses to seek permanent roles within the care sector. The student nurse will apply their knowledge to practice and learn key skills required for registration.
You will contribute to developing a skilled and effective workforce and have the following benefits for your Nursing Home:
- Student nurses are supernumerary providing an asset to your existing workforce
- Your staff can benefit from training opportunities when working alongside student nurses
- You will receive tariff payments for each student you support
In order for your Nursing Home to become a placement provider – or ‘Clinical Learning Environment’ (CLE) – you will need to complete an audit, sign a contract with NHS England and train clinical staff to become Practice Assessors and Supervisors.
In Lancashire & South Cumbria – students from four Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) – University of Cumbria, University of Central Lancashire, University of Greater Manchester and Edge Hill University – require placements for their undergraduate student nurses. Each Clinical Learning Environment will be audited by the University and it will be highlighted as to whether that placement area can accept Adult, Mental Health or Learning Disability nursing students, or a mixture of these specialities.
As a nursing home which offers to support the education of our nurses, you are entitled to a payment tariff for each student nurse you accept.
Become a Learning Environment
Do you want to become a Clinical Learning Environment to train undergraduate learners? It is our ambition that all social care services become Learning Environment’s, and that all learners get to experience working within social care. This enables opportunities to educate the future workforce, recruit new members of staff, contributes to personal development and revalidation and there are tariff payments available.
In Lancashire & South Cumbria we support students from four HEIs including University of Cumbria, University of Central Lancashire, University of Bolton and Edge Hill University. Each Clinical Learning Environment will be audited by the University and it will be highlighted as to whether that placement area can accept Adult, Mental Health or Learning Disability nursing students, or a mixture of these specialities.
The placements typically last between 6-12 weeks and learners will need to be allocated a Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor. These are nursing staff who are registered with the NMC. We advise that newly qualified nurses can become Practice Supervisors and qualified nurses with at least 1 years’ experience can become Practice Assessors. There is no need to do a formal qualification anymore. The University can provide Practice Assessor/Supervisor updates and a learning link for Registered Nurses to complete an online course to become an Assessor/Supervisor.
Information for practice assessors and supervisors
As Practice Supervisors and Practice Assessors, you will play a key role in developing, fostering and promoting an ethos of education in the workplace. The positive contribution that you can make to this, as an individual, cannot be overstated.
This means being invested and interested in your learner, who could potentially be a future colleague. A Practice Supervisor/Assessor can demonstrate a supportive approach to the learner in several ways; being keen and motivated to facilitate learning; planning future learning activities, asking questions and giving feedback.
Included in the training for Assessors and Supervisors is information on how to navigate the PARE system which is where the learner’s learning outcomes and proficiencies will be signed off. Here, we have added a presentation as an easy guide on ‘How to navigate PARE’
In addition, the Practice Assessors and Supervisors can access the NMC Standards for Student nurses here to gain further information on how to support learners, including what proficiencies they may need to complete whilst on placement.
Creating a supportive learning Environment
Whilst learners are out on placement it is important to ensure they have a high-quality learning experience. This may involve teaching all members of the Social Care team about what is expected of them as health care professionals, within their setting, to be able to support a student nurse whilst on placement.
It would also be beneficial to have a learner board located within the Social Care setting to provide information and updates to support both the student nurses and the staff working alongside the learner. Learner Board Suggestions