The quality of care and support service users receive is totally dependent upon the skills of their carers. Health and social care training needs to be structured to deliver specific, practical training tailored to the needs of the individual client group.

That is why ICCM set up ICCM Training Limited, in 2003. ICCM Training was initially created to enhance and maintain the knowledge, care skills, practice of ICCM's own care staff but has expanded to provide training to both local and national care companies.

ICCM Training delivers mandatory and specialist training, with a strong emphasis on practical techniques and support. Not just a theoretical education but also the delivery of proven, good-practice care techniques.

Courses are designed to comply with provider registration standards for the Commission for Social Care Inspection. They also contribute towards individual support worker, and manager, National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) requirements.

ICCM training courses can be tailored to the needs of individual care organisations, or groups of care workers.

Mandatory courses are based upon the requirements of the Commission for Social Care Inspection, and the fundamental needs of local authorities. In addition, ICCM Training has also included a limited number of courses which it believes are essential training requirements for care staff.

Specialist Training courses are for advanced care skills and usually related to the health and care needs of individual clients.

ICCM Training programmes are designed for the following staff and their managers -

• Support Workers
• Health Care Assistants
• Care Home Staff
• Supported Living Staff
• Domiciliary Care Workers
• Rest Home Staff
• Respite Care Staff

The report has identified that when a care home is failing to meet the medication standard, there is a high probability that the service will also be failing in other areas such as staff training.

Both of these elements, training and record-keeping, have been shown to be causative factors in poor standards of practice.

Extracts from -

Handled With Care?

Managing medication for residents of care homes and children’s homes – a follow-up study.

Commission for Social Care Inspection, February 2006.