Unfortunately, some members of the team will be less willing to partake in care training due to anxiety towards changes and other hurdles they may face during studying. However, there are many care training courses and learning methods out there. Researching to find the best option for your care service is key to success.
The Access Group has a fantastic selection of care training courses. With over 20 years of experience working with care services, we know what works for the sector and how to support teams through the process. We’ve used our knowledge to help you choose the right care training solutions for you, so you can use safe and flexible training methods that meet the needs of your staff.
Why Are Care Training Courses Important?
Having fully-trained staff is important in health and social care to ensure the safety of people receiving and giving care and to maintain high standards of care quality. Training care staff helps engrain the necessary behaviours, attitudes, skills and knowledge to deliver high-quality, safe, person-centred care. It helps them take the right steps to prevent risk from occurring and prepares them to respond correctly should a risk emerge in the course of delivering care. This helps keep everyone safe from harm.
Without the right training, there is more chance something (minor or major) could go wrong. This could put people at serious risk of harm. Training staff to understand how to communicate more effectively, to manage people who have behavioural difficulties and how to work towards their personal outcomes are just some examples of how the right training regime boosts care quality, for individuals and across care services.
We take a more in-depth look at how to better care-providing skills in our article on what training and qualifications do care workers need?
You can also read our article on how to choose the best care training providers for your care business.
Types of Training Methods in Health and Social Care
There are a variety of training methods in health and social care to consider, including in-person training, eLearning and virtual learning. Doing your research into each method is highly recommended, as it means you can tailor your care support worker training to match their preferences and circumstances alongside the business's time and budget. We have covered the key features of each training method below. You can read a more in-depth comparison of online care training vs. in-person learning to decide whether eLearning for care workers is right for you.
In-Person Training for Care Workers
As the title suggests, in-person training is a hands-on method that requires physical attendance. This will usually be on a specific schedule and in the presence of a qualified instructor. Also known as face-to-face training, this method is highly recommended for care providers, as it’s the best way to learn practical skills, which are extremely important in a care environment. Having a set class schedule to follow can also help care staff better organise their own time and learning.
However, in-person training does have its faults. As staff need to attend the class physically, it means they can only access learning opportunities at specific times on specific days, which can be disruptive, time-consuming and inconvenient. This can make it difficult to juggle learning with work, which could lead to stress. On the other hand, some employees may not take the classes seriously, only attending to have a break from their job, which can turn it into a waste of time.
eLearning for Care Workers
Also known as electronic learning, eLearning is the delivery of study and training through online courses. While it is based on formalised learning, it’s mainly provided through electronic devices including computers, tablets and smartphones. It’s easy to access, convenient, manageable, cost-effective and engaging. You won’t have to worry about things going out of date, as the information can be updated regularly, and your staff can learn in their own time.
Always remember - your chosen eLearning platform should include social elements that engage your staff and keep your staff updated with any company activities or notices. Doing this will help reduce staff churn, and it can be a great tool when pre-boarding staff – giving them a glimpse into the company they will be working for.
While eLearning is a great training method, there are some cons that you should be aware of. Firstly, as everyone learns in their own time, it could create a sense of isolation. It requires self-discipline and there is a lack of control from an employer's perspective. There are also technical issues to think about, alongside encouraging staff to increase their screen time.
Virtual Learning
Another popular training method is Virtual Training - this will help companies with low staff numbers that can’t afford to send staff off to do training. The difference between eLearning and virtual learning is the amount of interaction involved. For example, virtual learning tends to involve more interaction between the trainers and the students, whereas eLearning is more self-paced.
Just like eLearning, virtual learning is flexible, accessible and saves time. However, due to taking place on technology that requires internet access, distractions and technical problems can become an issue. There is also a lack of structure and limited interaction with colleagues when completing tasks, which could lead to a sense of isolation.
Remember the Nature of Your Business
When choosing the best courses and learning methods, you need to consider the nature of your business: Do you have a residential or domiciliary care service? This is important to keep in mind as it will determine how flexible your staff can be.
For example, will residential staff be able to do the training during work hours? If so, can you schedule in time each week for staff to do an online course? Finding the time for your staff to complete care worker training courses on the job will reduce your training costs, as you won’t have to pay your staff for time spent doing eLearning out of hours. They will also be able to support each other during the learning process, which can help everyone remain motivated and engaged.
If you are a domiciliary provider, due to staff being mobile, the most common barriers to training will be removed and your staff won’t have piers to help and support them whilst on the road. Ensuring you have a mobile app for accessibility and eLearning courses with a dyslexia tool will help staff train better and remove common barriers associated with remote training. Also, as English is not the first language of 18% of care staff in the UK, you should also consider a language-translation tool.
What is the Best Approach?
When it comes to training methods, the best approach for your care service will depend on a variety of factors, for example, the size of your business, the amount of time and money you have to dedicate towards care worker training, the service your provide and the attitude of your staff. However, due to the pros and cons of each method, the best approach for most care services is a blended approach.
This includes a mixture of in-person training and online care worker training. For example, eLearning should be used to cover all of your theory-based training and in-person training should be used for your practical sessions. The best way to do this is to create practical masterclasses, combining a few practical sessions in a single face-to-face session
Please note that getting staff training in care right can have knock-on effects in other areas, like regulatory compliance and keeping your care service well-staffed.
Invest in Care Training Online Today
As you can see, the best care courses to invest in can be a mixture of choice and obligation, and finding a good provider is strongly advised. However, learning methods are completely up to you, your staff and the type of service you provide. In most cases, a combination of in-person and online training is best. Finding an online learning platform that contains all of the mandatory training, alongside additional and up-to-date courses that could help assist personal development plus continuing professional development is highly recommended.
Whatever the care setting, you can make training more manageable, engaging and cost-effective with Access eLearning for Health and Social Care. Endorsed by Skills for Care, you can expect plenty of engaging content that replaces costly, time-consuming and interruptive face-to-face training. These care courses can be accessed anytime, anywhere and progress can be easily tracked and monitored. With over 30 years of experience digitising all kinds of businesses from start-ups to international organisations, no challenge is too big or too small.
Explore our eLearning for health and social care courses. If you like the look of our unique eLearning management system for health and social care, contact us today to learn more or get a demonstration.