1.2 Explain the range of required and recommended learning and development in adult care

This guide will help you answer 1.2 Explain the range of required and recommended learning and development in adult care.

Learning and development in adult care support both safe practice and high-quality service. Workers need the right knowledge, skills and values. Different topics and subjects will be necessary for every role and level of responsibility.

Every registered manager, leader, or supervisor in adult care has obligations. Some training is required by law, guidance, or national standards. Other topics are strongly encouraged to support personal and professional growth. Together, these elements make up a broad, ongoing approach to learning.

Statutory and Mandatory Training

Some subjects are non-negotiable for a safe and legally compliant service. These fall under statutory or mandatory training.

Statutory means required by law or regulation.
Mandatory means required by the employer, sometimes to meet registration standards or insurance.

The following topics always need to be covered:

• Health and Safety: Covers general workplace risks, manual handling, use of equipment, infection control, and reporting accidents.
• Safeguarding Adults: Explains signs of abuse, responsibilities to raise and report concerns, and following procedures.
• Fire Safety: Addresses evacuation plans, fire alarms, risk reduction, and correct use of extinguishers.
• First Aid: Basic emergency aid, including CPR, choking, and responding to injury until help arrives.
• Moving and Handling: Safe techniques to help people move or transfer, using equipment like hoists. Reduces risk of harm to both the worker and person supported.
• Infection Prevention and Control: Covers personal hygiene, safe disposal of waste, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and reducing the spread of infectious diseases.
• Data Protection and Confidentiality: Outlines responsibilities in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR. Explains how to keep records secure and manage data requests lawfully.
• Food Safety and Hygiene: Required for anyone involved in preparing, handling or serving food.
• Medicines Management: For those involved in handling or administering medications. Covers safe storage, administration, documentation, and disposal.

Employers must keep a record of this training and update it regularly. For example, some courses must be refreshed annually.

Recommended, Role-Specific and Specialist Learning

Once core training is completed, many other learning opportunities add depth and improve practice. These are strongly encouraged for high quality care but may not be law. Often, these are based on role, service type, or the needs of people supported.

Examples Include

• Person-Centred Practice: Focuses on putting the individual at the centre of their care. Emphasises choice, control, and inclusion.
• Autism Awareness: Covers understanding the needs and strengths of autistic people, supporting communication and sensory differences.
• Mental Health Awareness: Provides insight into common mental health conditions and how to respond to someone in distress.
• Dementia Care: Helps workers respond to the changing needs of people living with dementia. Includes communication, managing behaviours, and meaningful engagement.
• End of Life Care/Palliative Care: Supports dignity, comfort and pain management for those approaching end of life.
• Equality and Diversity: Teaches respect for differences, rights, and how to challenge discrimination.
• Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and Mental Capacity Act (MCA): Ensures people are supported to make decisions wherever possible, and legal frameworks are followed when not.
• Falls Prevention: Addresses risk factors, assessment, and practical solutions to reduce trips and falls.
• Communication Skills: Builds listening, observation, and using different methods (e.g., non-verbal, technology, easy read).
• Pressure Area Care: Prevents skin breakdown and pressure injuries, using repositioning techniques and equipment.

Specialist learning may be needed for some services. Examples include:

• Positive Behaviour Support (PBS): Especially for workers supporting people with learning disabilities or autism who may present with behaviour that challenges.
• Catheter Care, Stoma Care, PEG Feeding: For workers supporting specific health needs.
• Supporting Individuals with Drug or Alcohol Problems: Includes harm reduction, relapse prevention, and partnership working.
• Supporting Families and Carers: How to work with relatives and unpaid carers as partners.

Leadership and Management Development

Managers and leaders in adult care carry different responsibilities from frontline staff. Development for leaders includes operational, financial, people management, and regulatory requirements.

Key Subjects for Leaders

• Performance Management: Setting goals, giving feedback, managing absence or poor practice.
• Supervision and Appraisal: Holding regular, structured meetings with staff to discuss performance, wellbeing, and growth.
• Recruitment and Induction: Legal checks, safer recruitment principles, designing effective induction programmes.
• Conflict Resolution and Complaints Handling: Responding to disagreements, mediating between staff or families, and following clear complaints procedures.
• Quality Assurance and Improvement: Monitoring outcomes, understanding audits, learning from incidents, and embedding learning.
• Safeguarding Leadership: Taking a lead role in investigations, referrals, and multi-agency meetings.
• Finance and Budgeting: Managing budgets, understanding funding streams, and cost control.
• Health and Safety at a Strategic Level: Overseeing policies, delivering training, and compliance monitoring.
• Regulation and Inspection Requirements: Keeping up to date with CQC standards and preparing for inspection.
• Coaching and Mentoring Skills: Supporting the development of others in the team.
• Organisational Culture and Change Management: Leading through organisational change, building resilience, and managing resistance.

Continuous Professional Development (CPD)

Learning is not a one-off event. Workers need to maintain awareness and develop skills across their careers. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) covers this ongoing process.

CPD can include:

• Formal courses or qualifications
• E-learning modules
• Attending conferences or seminars
• Mentoring or coaching
• Reading research or professional journals
• Reflection on practice
• Peer support and peer learning
• Shadowing or working with other teams

Employers support CPD through supervision and annual appraisal. Workers must show evidence of learning and how it improves their practice.

Values-Based Learning

The Care Certificate and the Skills for Care Core Skills Framework both promote a focus on values. This means attitudes like compassion, respect, inclusiveness, and privacy are as important as technical skills. Values-based recruitment and training seek to recruit, develop, and retain workers who uphold the core values of adult social care.

Common values required by CQC and other bodies include:

• Promoting dignity and respect in all interactions
• Building relationships based on trust
• Encouraging independence
• Supporting individual choice and control

Values-based learning uses reflective practice, case studies, group discussions, and honest feedback. This helps develop the right mindset alongside technical ability.

Legal and Regulatory Frameworks

Managers and leaders need to understand the legal and regulatory frameworks guiding learning and development in adult care. The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations set out clear requirements around training:

• Staff must have appropriate qualifications, competence, skills and experience to carry out their duties.
• Service providers must provide appropriate support, training, professional development, supervision and appraisal.
• CQC’s Fundamental Standards reinforce these principles. They review training during inspection.

Employers are expected to keep thorough records. This evidence shows inspectors that staff are trained, skilled, and supported.

Induction and the Care Certificate

All new care workers should complete an induction. The Care Certificate is a set of 15 standards everyone new to care must learn. These cover core skills and knowledge, including safeguarding, infection control, communication, privacy and dignity.

While the Care Certificate is aimed at new or unregulated care staff, leaders may need a strong grasp to support others completing it. Ensuring robust induction safeguards quality and reduces early turnover.

Learning for Different Service Types

Service type affects required and recommended learning. For example:

• Residential care homes have a different risk profile to home care.
• Some services require lone working training or managing medication off-site.
• Day services may focus on community access, social inclusion and supporting people in groups.
• Short breaks or respite services may train staff in complex care for short periods.

Workers need a mix of shared core learning and targeted development unique to the needs of their service.

Learning Delivery Methods

Training or learning and development do not always mean attending a classroom course. Modern approaches cover a range of methods:

• Face-to-face classroom-based learning
• Online and virtual learning (e-learning)
• Blended learning (mix of online and in-person)
• Simulations and role play
• Practical demonstrations
• Shadowing more experienced staff
• Self-directed study
• Group learning through team meetings or discussions
• Peer-led training and communities of practice

Choosing the right mix depends on the topic, learner style, and resources. Adult learners often respond best to training that is interactive, practical, and relevant to real situations.

Addressing Individual Learning Needs

Learning and development must meet the individual needs of staff. This does not mean a one-size-fits-all system. Individual learning plans (ILPs) are sometimes used. These identify:

• Training that has been completed
• Any knowledge or skills gaps
• Interests and future ambitions
• Support needed to complete training (such as literacy support or adjustments)

Supporting staff with different backgrounds, cultures, languages or confidence levels improves learning and workforce retention.

Reflection and Supervision in Learning

Reflective practice means taking time to think about what worked, what didn’t, and what could be done differently. Supervision is a structured conversation where workers discuss their performance, feelings and development goals with a manager. Both processes support ongoing learning and improvement.

Effective supervision includes:

• Reviewing training needs
• Setting goals and timelines
• Discussing how learning is applied in practice
• Addressing any concerns

Reflection and supervision help learning stick. They support people to change and improve their practice.

Meeting Organisational and Personal Objectives

Learning and development support both the aims of the services and the ambitions of individuals. For an organisation, a well-trained workforce is safer, more confident, and able to respond to challenges. For the individual worker, learning:

• Raises confidence
• Improves career prospects
• Reduces risk of errors
• Makes the work more satisfying

Managers can discuss career pathways, promotion, and new responsibilities during supervision and appraisal.

Keeping Up to Date

Adult care is subject to frequent developments. There may be changes in law, best practice, or the introduction of new equipment or medication. Keeping learning under review and updating skills means staff are ready to respond.

Best ways:

• Subscribe to regulatory updates and professional newsletters
• Use Skills for Care, Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), NICE and CQC resources
• Attend local or regional networks
• Use feedback from incidents and complaints
• Act on inspection findings

Some employers require annual updates, while others refresh every two or three years for certain topics. The important thing is to identify learning needs in regular reviews.

Final Thoughts

Learning and development are at the heart of competent, motivated, and safe practice in adult care. Some subjects are required by law or guidance. Others are recommended to match the needs of people supported and the service provided. Managers must take the lead in role modelling learning and developing teams who are ready and able to give high standards of care now and in the future.