Mandatory Training for Care Workers

Health and social care workers need robust induction and refresher training to meet legal duties, inspectorate expectations and safe practice. Training is mandatory when it is a statutory requirement, required by CQC/local authorities, or essential for staff to perform their roles safely and effectively. 
👉 Skills for Care

Common mandatory subjects (adult social care)

• Learning Disability & Autism (Oliver McGowan training), legal requirement for CQC‑registered providers, to a level appropriate to role, as set out in the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice.
• Safeguarding Adults and Safeguarding Children (role‑appropriate).
• Health & Safety, Fire Safety, Infection Prevention & Control, Moving & Assisting/Manual Handling, Food Hygiene/Food Safety, Equality, Diversity & Human Rights, Duty of Candour.

Care Certificate (England): now 16 standards. In March 2025 the Care Certificate was updated to 16 standards, adding awareness of learning disability and autism. The Care Certificate is an individual requirement for new workers; your organisation’s mandatory training depends on services and risk.

What CQC looks for

Under Regulation 18 (Staffing) and the Single Assessment Framework, CQC checks that you have enough suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff, with training and supervision that keep people safe. Inspectors look for evidence of capability and culture rather than a fixed course list.

Refresher periods

Skills for Care’s current position is competence led refresh, not “annual by default”. As a rule of thumb: refresh at least every 3 years unless risk, role changes, external standards or your own assessments indicate sooner. Evidence of competence is key. Source – Skills for Care

Where your risk assessment, commissioner contracts, or local safeguarding/medicines policies set shorter cycles, follow those. Keep supervision, observations and competency checks alongside eLearning to evidence capability at inspection.

How CareTutor supports you

• CPD‑accredited, Skills for Care‑endorsed eLearning mapped to inspectorate expectations across the UK.
• Role‑based pathways covering the subjects above, including the updated Care Certificate 16 standards for England.
• LMS evidence for inspections: training matrices, auto‑reminders, certificates on demand, configurable refresher rules including 3‑year cycles where appropriate.
• Blended competence approach, combining video learning with supervisor observations and knowledge checks aligned to CQC Regulation 18 and NICE recommendations.