This Infection Prevention and Control Level 1 course is designed for health and social care workers who need a clear understanding of safe everyday IPC practice. It is suitable for staff in direct care, support, administrative, cleaning, catering, estates, reception, volunteer and contractor roles.
This free course explains how infection can spread, why IPC is everyone’s responsibility, and how staff can follow safe routines within their own role. It covers standard infection control precautions, hand hygiene, PPE, spills, sharps, waste, environmental cleanliness, equipment handling, personal fitness to work and reporting concerns.
This course is mapped to the Infection Prevention and Control Level 1 learning outcomes in the Core Skills Training Framework. It is intended for all staff as Level 1 awareness training. Local organisations remain responsible for confirming role suitability, local policy alignment, assessment, recording, refresher frequency and any formal declaration of CSTF alignment.
Why Take This eLearning Course?
Infection prevention and control is part of safe daily practice across health and social care settings. This course supports learners to recognise common risks, follow local procedures and take appropriate action when something is unsafe or unclear.
This course will help you to:
- Understand what infection prevention and control means in everyday practice
- Recognise how micro-organisms can spread through hands, surfaces, equipment and droplets
- Follow standard precautions during routine workplace activities
- Know when hand hygiene is needed and how to support good practice
- Understand when PPE may be required and how to use it safely within role boundaries
- Respond appropriately to spills, sharps risks and possible exposure incidents
- Support clean, safe and uncluttered healthcare environments
- Handle care equipment safely within your training and responsibilities
- Recognise when illness or symptoms may affect fitness to work
- Report IPC concerns, missing supplies and poor practice through local routes
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Define infection prevention and control in a healthcare and care workplace context
- Explain why IPC is the responsibility of all staff groups
- Identify everyday situations where infection can spread
- Describe the purpose and use of standard infection control precautions
- Identify when hand hygiene is needed and which methods may be appropriate
- Explain how skin, nails, jewellery and clothing can affect hand hygiene
- Describe what PPE is and when it may be needed in a Level 1 role
- Identify safe first actions for spills, sharps injuries and exposure concerns
- Explain how the environment and care equipment can affect infection risk
- Describe when and how to report IPC risks, concerns and poor practice
Course Outline
Infection Prevention and Control Level 1 – Course Content Outline
Module 1: Understanding Infection Prevention and Control
Learners will explore what infection prevention and control means and why it matters across healthcare and care settings. This module introduces IPC as a shared responsibility, showing how staff in direct contact and support roles can reduce risk through safe routines, reporting and role-appropriate action. It also explains everyday situations where infection may spread and clarifies the limits of a Level 1 role.
Module 2: Standard Infection Control Precautions
Learners will examine the basic precautions used to reduce the spread of infection, whether infection is known, suspected or not known. This module covers how to assess tasks, prepare safely, apply precautions, avoid contamination, finish tasks correctly and report concerns. It also explains when standard precautions should be used, how micro-organisms commonly spread and how to find and follow local IPC procedures.
Module 3: Hand Hygiene
Learners will develop an understanding of when hand hygiene is required and why it is one of the simplest ways to reduce infection spread. This module covers hand hygiene at key points such as entering and leaving care areas, after toilet use, after coughing, after glove removal and before eating. It also explains the use of soap and water, alcohol hand rub, the impact of skin, nails, jewellery and clothing, and ways to support good hand hygiene in the workplace.
Module 4: Personal Protective Equipment
Learners will review what personal protective equipment is and how it helps reduce exposure to infection risks during specific tasks. This module explains common PPE, matching PPE to task risk, when PPE may be needed in a Level 1 role, and safe ways to put on, remove and dispose of it. It also covers what staff should do if PPE is missing, damaged or unsuitable.
Module 5: Spills, Sharps and Exposure Risks
Learners will learn how to recognise blood and body fluid spill risks, sharps hazards, contaminated waste and possible exposure incidents. This module focuses on safe first actions, including keeping clear, reporting promptly, seeking health advice and staying within role boundaries. It also explains why sharps and contaminated waste must be handled safely and when concerns should be escalated.
Module 6: Environment and Care Equipment
Learners will consider how the workplace environment can affect infection risk, including clutter, shared touchpoints and shared areas. This module explains simple actions that support clean healthcare areas, such as keeping workspaces tidy and reporting dirt, damage or blocked access. It also covers safe handling of care equipment within role, including cleanliness checks, storage, damage reporting and escalation.
Module 7: Personal Fitness to Work and Reporting Concerns
Learners will explore how personal health, symptoms, recent illness and occupational health advice relate to infection risk. This module explains when to seek advice before attending or continuing work, how vaccination and health checks can support IPC, and why concerns should be reported clearly and promptly. It also covers reporting hazards, missing supplies, waste issues, exposure incidents and poor practice through local systems.
Target Audience
This course is suitable for:
- Health and social care workers completing Level 1 IPC training
- New starters and staff completing induction training
- Support staff working in healthcare or care environments
- Cleaning, catering, reception, estates and administrative staff
- Volunteers, contractors and workers who enter care areas
- Managers or supervisors supporting basic IPC awareness
No previous specialist knowledge is required.
FAQ
Who is this course suitable for?
This course is suitable for staff, volunteers and contractors working in or around UK health and social care settings. It is particularly useful for people who need a Level 1 understanding of infection prevention and control as part of induction or ongoing workplace training.
Do I need any previous experience?
No previous specialist experience is required. The course is written for Level 1 learners and explains key IPC principles in clear, practical terms.
What will I learn on this course?
You will learn what infection prevention and control means, how infection can spread, when standard precautions are used, how hand hygiene and PPE support safer practice, and how to report spills, sharps risks, unsafe waste, missing supplies and other concerns.
Will this infection prevention and control course help with day-to-day practice?
Yes. The course focuses on everyday workplace situations, including shared spaces, care areas, cleaning concerns, PPE use, hand hygiene, equipment handling and reporting. It helps learners understand what they can do safely within their own role.
Does the course cover practical skills?
The course covers practical awareness and safe workplace actions, including when to clean hands, how to support clean environments, when PPE may be required, and what first steps to take after spills, sharps injuries or exposure concerns. It does not authorise learners to carry out tasks outside their local training or role.
Does it cover relevant responsibilities or good practice?
Yes. The course explains the importance of following local IPC procedures, staying within role boundaries, reporting concerns promptly, seeking advice when unsure and using occupational health or manager support where needed.
How long does the course take?
The course is self-paced and usually takes around 1 hour to complete.
Will I receive a certificate?
Yes. A certificate is issued after successful completion.
This Infection Prevention and Control Level 1 course gives learners a practical foundation for safer everyday working in health and social care environments. It supports consistent IPC habits, clearer reporting and greater confidence in recognising and escalating risks.
Enrol now to build your understanding of infection prevention and control.
