A domiciliary care worker has a unique role. By offering care at home, they allow people who need support to remain independent and comfortable. For a variety of reasons, including loss of regular mobility, some individuals need help with household tasks they can no longer accomplish like preparing meals and running errands. It is also a way for a professional to manage someone’s medication and health condition regularly. On top of this, domiciliary care workers offer companionship and mental health support. Their regular visits nurture a sense of safety and comfort. It is an important job and designed for people who care.

Like all care positions, good training is absolutely crucial and not just for new recruits. Refresher courses keep domiciliary care professionals skills relevant and polished. Not only do new developments in the industry occur, but even the best long time care worker can start developing bad habits. In the beginning, a student is inundated with the information they need to do their job. In a refresher course, after years of working in the field, they have the time to take in the details and ask questions or raise concerns. 

Refresher courses will likely be just as extensive as an induction course and cover all of the necessities. Courses like Equality and Diversity, Effective Communication, and Duty of Care allow the carer to reflect on the time they have had on the job thus far. Have they remained focused on their responsibilities of care? Was there a time they saw the effects of ineffective communication? Do they see diversity in their job? A refresher course can be an opportunity to learn from past mistakes, whether they are your own or others.

Some topics are unlikely to see many updates but have important information that isn’t used everyday. For instance, Fire Safety Awareness and Resuscitation Courses which cover crucial skills for an emergency but sometimes get tucked away when they aren’t being used actively. That is another benefit of frequent refresher training.

Some courses have information that is constantly being updated, like when new medicines or information is introduced. For instance, the Information Governance Course which explores data protection and confidentiality might be adjusted as technology and laws change. The Care Skill Academy courses are always written, reviewed, and regularly updated by qualified professionals. So they are designed as an induction and refresher tool that will greatly improve anyone’s knowledge and skill set