Infection Prevention and Control Refresher Training: What Care Providers Should Include

Infection prevention and control is a core part of safe care. Whether you run a care home, domiciliary care agency, supported living service or community care service, staff need to understand how infections spread, how to reduce risk, and what their responsibilities are in day-to-day practice.

For care providers, infection prevention and control refresher training is not just about repeating a course every year. It is about making sure staff continue to apply safe practice consistently. This includes hand hygiene, PPE, cleaning, laundry, waste management, respiratory infection control, food hygiene links, outbreak procedures and accurate reporting.

Infection risks can change quickly. A person may develop symptoms, an outbreak may occur, guidance may change, or staff may become less consistent with everyday routines. Regular infection control training for care staff helps reinforce safe habits and supports compliance evidence.

This guide explains what IPC training for care providers should include, how refresher training should be organised, and how care providers can reduce infection risks across care homes, domiciliary care and supported living services.

Why IPC Refresher Training Matters

Infection prevention and control, often shortened to IPC, helps protect people receiving care, staff, visitors, families and wider communities. In care settings, people may be at higher risk of infection because of age, health conditions, reduced immunity, wounds, catheters, continence needs, respiratory illness or close contact with others.

IPC refresher training helps care providers:

• Reduce the spread of infection
• Protect people at higher risk
• Support safe and effective care
• Improve staff confidence
• Reinforce hand hygiene and PPE practice
• Support outbreak preparedness
• Improve cleaning and waste management
• Strengthen compliance evidence
• Reduce avoidable incidents and complaints
• Promote a safer care culture

For CQC-regulated providers in England, infection prevention links closely to safe care and treatment. Providers should be able to show that infection risks are assessed, managed and monitored, and that staff understand their responsibilities.

Training records alone are not enough. Providers should also be able to show that staff apply IPC practice correctly in the workplace.

What Should Infection Control Training for Care Staff Cover?

Effective infection control training for care staff should be practical, role-specific and relevant to the care setting. Staff should understand the principles of IPC, but also how those principles apply during personal care, medication support, meal preparation, cleaning, laundry, waste disposal, visits and outbreaks.

Core topics should include:

• How infections spread
• Standard infection control precautions
• Hand hygiene
• PPE use
• Respiratory hygiene
• Cleaning and disinfection
• Laundry management
• Waste disposal
• Food hygiene links
• Outbreak management
• Staff responsibilities
• Reporting symptoms or concerns
• Local policies and procedures

Training should be suitable for care assistants, senior carers, nurses, support workers, cleaners, kitchen staff, office teams, agency staff and managers. Each role may need a different level of detail depending on what they do.

Hand Hygiene Training

Hand hygiene training is one of the most important parts of infection prevention. Hands are one of the main ways infections can spread in care settings.

Staff should understand when and how to clean their hands. This includes before and after personal care, before handling food, after using the toilet, after removing PPE, after contact with body fluids, after cleaning tasks, after handling waste, and when moving between people receiving care.

Training should cover:

• When to wash hands with soap and water
• When alcohol hand rub may be appropriate
• Correct handwashing technique
• Drying hands properly
• Bare below the elbows where relevant
• Keeping nails short and clean
• Avoiding jewellery that affects hand hygiene
• Skin care and reporting skin problems
• Hand hygiene between care tasks

Care providers should not assume that staff are following good hand hygiene because they have completed a course. Managers should use observations, spot checks and supervision to confirm that hand hygiene is being applied consistently.

PPE Training for Care Staff

PPE training for care staff should explain what personal protective equipment is needed, when it should be used, how it should be put on and removed, and how it should be disposed of safely.

PPE may include gloves, aprons, masks, eye protection or other protective equipment depending on the task and risk assessment.

Staff should understand that PPE is not a substitute for hand hygiene. Gloves do not remove the need to clean hands before and after care. Staff should also understand that unnecessary or incorrect PPE use can create risk, waste resources and give false reassurance.

PPE training should cover:

• When PPE is required
• How to choose the correct PPE
• How to put PPE on safely
• How to remove PPE without contamination
• Safe disposal of used PPE
• Hand hygiene before and after PPE use
• PPE for personal care
• PPE for cleaning and waste tasks
• PPE for respiratory infections
• Reporting PPE shortages

Managers should make sure staff know where PPE is stored, how to request supplies, and what to do if PPE is unavailable.

Cleaning and Waste Management in Care

Cleaning and waste management in care are essential parts of IPC. Poor cleaning routines can allow infection risks to build up, especially in shared environments such as care homes and supported living services.

Training should explain the difference between cleaning and disinfection. Cleaning removes dirt and organic matter, while disinfection reduces microorganisms to a safer level. Staff should know which products to use, how to use them safely, and how often cleaning should take place.

Training should cover:

• Cleaning schedules
• High-touch surfaces
• Shared equipment
• Bedrooms and communal areas
• Bathrooms and toilets
• Cleaning after body fluid spills
• Safe use of cleaning products
• Colour-coded cleaning systems where used
• COSHH awareness
• Waste segregation
• Disposal of clinical or contaminated waste
• Sharps disposal where relevant

In domiciliary care, staff should understand how to reduce infection risks in people’s own homes. This may include cleaning equipment after use, safe disposal of waste, using PPE correctly and reporting environmental concerns.

Waste management training should be clear and practical. Staff should know what waste goes where, how bags should be sealed, and when waste should be treated as contaminated.

Laundry Management

Laundry can be a source of infection risk if it is not handled safely. This is particularly important in care homes, supported living services and any setting where staff handle soiled clothing, bedding, towels or uniforms.

Training should cover:

• Safe handling of used laundry
• Avoiding shaking linen
• Use of PPE when handling soiled items
• Separating clean and dirty laundry
• Handling contaminated laundry
• Washing temperatures where relevant
• Storage of clean laundry
• Transporting laundry safely
• Managing laundry during outbreaks

Staff should understand that laundry procedures protect both the person receiving care and the worker. Good laundry practice also supports dignity, cleanliness and comfort.

Respiratory Infections and Cough Hygiene

Respiratory infections can spread quickly in care settings, especially where people live closely together or receive close personal care. IPC refresher training should include respiratory hygiene and symptom awareness.

Staff should understand common signs of respiratory infection, such as cough, fever, sore throat, breathlessness, fatigue or sudden deterioration. They should know how to report symptoms in themselves and in people receiving care.

Training should include:

• Encouraging people to cover coughs and sneezes
• Use of tissues and safe disposal
• Hand hygiene after coughing or sneezing
• Ventilation where appropriate
• PPE use where required
• Reporting symptoms promptly
• Supporting people with respiratory symptoms
• Reducing spread during visits or shared activities
• Following current public health advice

Respiratory infection training is especially important for care homes, where infections can spread quickly between residents, staff and visitors.

Food Hygiene Links to Infection Prevention

Food hygiene is closely linked to infection prevention. Staff who prepare, handle, serve or support people with food should understand how poor food hygiene can cause illness.

Training should cover:

• Hand hygiene before food handling
• Safe food storage
• Temperature control
• Avoiding cross-contamination
• Cleaning food preparation areas
• Managing allergies and special diets
• Reporting illness before food handling
• Safe support with eating and drinking
• Cleaning reusable cups, plates and cutlery
• Safe disposal of food waste

For care providers, food hygiene links to nutrition, hydration, dignity and infection prevention. Staff should know when to report concerns, such as vomiting, diarrhoea, suspected food poisoning or poor kitchen hygiene.

Outbreak Management in Care Homes and Care Settings

Outbreak management in care homes and other care services should be part of IPC refresher training. Staff need to know what to do if several people become unwell, or if there is a suspected outbreak of respiratory illness, diarrhoea, vomiting or another infection.

Training should explain:

• What may indicate an outbreak
• Who to report concerns to
• How to record symptoms
• When to seek advice
• How to support affected people
• How to reduce spread
• Cleaning during outbreaks
• PPE requirements
• Visitor arrangements
• Staff sickness reporting
• Communication with families and professionals
• Learning after an outbreak

Managers should make outbreak procedures easy to follow. Staff should not have to search for information during a fast-moving situation.

Outbreak training should also include the importance of early reporting. A delay in reporting symptoms can allow infection to spread further.

Infection Prevention in Care Homes

Infection prevention in care homes has specific challenges because people live in a shared environment. Staff may support many residents during one shift, and infection can spread through close contact, shared equipment, communal areas, laundry, visitors and staff movement.

Care home IPC refresher training should include:

• Cleaning shared spaces
• Managing communal dining
• Supporting residents with symptoms
• Safe visiting arrangements during illness
• Laundry processes
• Waste disposal
• Shared equipment cleaning
• Outbreak response
• Staff sickness procedures
• Communication between shifts
• Documentation and audits

Care homes should also consider training for non-care staff. Housekeeping, kitchen, maintenance and activities staff all contribute to infection prevention.

Infection Control in Domiciliary Care

Infection control in domiciliary care is different because staff work across multiple homes. This creates risks around moving between visits, carrying equipment, using PPE correctly and recognising infection risks in different environments.

Domiciliary care IPC training should include:

• Hand hygiene between visits
• Safe use and disposal of PPE
• Carrying clean supplies
• Managing waste in the person’s home
• Cleaning reusable equipment
• Reporting environmental concerns
• Supporting people with symptoms
• Reducing cross-contamination between homes
• Lone working and escalation
• Digital or paper record keeping
• Staff sickness reporting

Domiciliary care workers often work independently, so they must know exactly what to do if they identify infection risks, symptoms or unsafe conditions.

Staff Responsibilities for Infection Control

Staff responsibilities for infection control should be clear in every care service. IPC is not only the responsibility of the registered manager or infection control lead. Every worker has a role in preventing infection.

Care staff should:

• Follow IPC policies and procedures
• Complete refresher training
• Use PPE correctly
• Clean hands at the right times
• Report symptoms in themselves or others
• Follow cleaning and waste procedures
• Record and escalate concerns
• Attend supervision and updates
• Follow outbreak instructions
• Challenge unsafe practice where needed

Senior staff and managers should:

• Monitor training compliance
• Provide enough PPE and cleaning supplies
• Complete IPC audits
• Respond to concerns
• Review incidents and outbreaks
• Update policies
• Support staff supervision
• Reinforce safe practice
• Keep evidence of training and competence

A strong IPC culture depends on everyone understanding their role.

Step-by-Step Guide: Building an IPC Refresher Training Plan

Step 1: Review Your Service Risks

Start by reviewing your care setting. A care home, domiciliary care agency and supported living service will have different infection risks.

Consider the people you support, the tasks staff perform, shared environments, equipment use, personal care needs, respiratory risks, laundry processes, food handling and outbreak history.

Step 2: Identify Who Needs Training

List every role that needs IPC training. This may include care assistants, senior carers, nurses, support workers, cleaners, kitchen staff, office staff, drivers, agency workers, volunteers and managers.

Do not forget staff who do not provide direct care. Office staff, cleaners and kitchen staff can still affect infection prevention.

Step 3: Define the Training Content

Your refresher training should cover hand hygiene, PPE, cleaning, waste, laundry, respiratory infections, food hygiene links, outbreak procedures, staff sickness and local reporting routes.

Make sure the training reflects your service type. Domiciliary care workers need practical examples from home care. Care home staff need examples from shared living environments.

Step 4: Include Local Policies and Procedures

Generic online training is useful, but staff must also understand your local procedures.

Include:

• Where PPE is stored
• How to report symptoms
• Who to contact during an outbreak
• Where cleaning schedules are kept
• How waste is managed
• How laundry is handled
• How incidents are recorded
• How staff sickness is reported
• What to do out of hours

Step 5: Check Understanding

Use quizzes, scenarios, supervision discussions and practical questions to check whether staff understand the training.

Ask staff what they would do if a person develops diarrhoea, if PPE is unavailable, if they notice poor hand hygiene, or if several residents develop respiratory symptoms.

Step 6: Observe Practice

Training should be supported by workplace observation. Managers or senior staff should check whether staff apply IPC correctly.

Observation may include:

• Hand hygiene practice
• PPE use
• Cleaning routines
• Waste disposal
• Laundry handling
• Food handling
• Equipment cleaning
• Recording and escalation

Step 7: Keep Clear Evidence

Keep records of training completion, refresher dates, supervision discussions, practical observations, IPC audits, cleaning checks and actions taken after concerns.

Evidence should show that the provider is not only delivering training, but also monitoring whether IPC is working in practice.

Step 8: Review After Incidents or Outbreaks

After an infection incident or outbreak, review what happened and what can be improved.

Ask:

• Were staff trained?
• Was PPE available?
• Were symptoms reported quickly?
• Were cleaning procedures followed?
• Were records accurate?
• Was escalation timely?
• Did staff understand the outbreak plan?
• Is refresher training needed?
• Do policies need updating?

This helps providers learn and improve.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Treating IPC as a One-Off Course

IPC training should be refreshed regularly and reinforced through supervision, observation, audits and team discussions.

Focusing Only on PPE

PPE is important, but infection prevention also includes hand hygiene, cleaning, waste, laundry, food hygiene, respiratory hygiene, reporting and outbreak management.

Forgetting Domiciliary Care Risks

Home care workers move between different environments. Training should address cross-contamination between visits, PPE disposal, hand hygiene and reporting concerns in people’s homes.

Not Including Non-Care Staff

Cleaners, kitchen staff, maintenance staff, office staff and agency workers all need IPC awareness relevant to their role.

Poor Hand Hygiene Practice

Hand hygiene is simple but often where practice slips. Providers should observe practice and remind staff regularly.

Not Updating Staff After Guidance Changes

IPC guidance can change. Providers should make sure staff receive updates when policies, public health advice or local procedures change.

Keeping Training Records but No Practice Evidence

Certificates are useful, but providers should also keep evidence of audits, observations, supervision and actions taken after concerns.

Not Learning from Outbreaks

After an outbreak, providers should review what happened and strengthen training, supplies, communication and procedures where needed.

FAQ: Infection Prevention and Control Refresher Training

What is infection prevention and control refresher training?

Infection prevention and control refresher training updates staff on how to reduce infection risks in care settings. It usually covers hand hygiene, PPE, cleaning, laundry, waste, respiratory infections, outbreak procedures and staff responsibilities.

How often should care staff complete IPC refresher training?

Refresh periods depend on provider policy, service risk, role and current guidance. Many providers refresh IPC training regularly and provide additional updates after outbreaks, incidents, new guidance or changes in procedures.

Is online IPC training suitable for care staff?

Yes, online IPC training can support knowledge-based learning and refresher training. Providers should also check workplace practice through observation, audits and supervision.

What should PPE training for care staff include?

PPE training should include when PPE is needed, how to choose the correct PPE, how to put it on and remove it safely, how to dispose of it, and why hand hygiene is still essential.

What should hand hygiene training include?

Hand hygiene training should cover when to clean hands, correct handwashing technique, when alcohol hand rub may be suitable, skin care, and why hand hygiene matters before and after care tasks.

What should care homes include in outbreak training?

Outbreak training should include recognising symptoms, reporting concerns, reducing spread, cleaning, PPE, communication, visiting arrangements, staff sickness reporting and learning after the outbreak.

What is different about infection control in domiciliary care?

Domiciliary care workers move between people’s homes, so training should cover cross-contamination between visits, PPE use, hand hygiene, equipment cleaning, waste disposal and reporting environmental concerns.

What evidence should care providers keep?

Providers should keep IPC training records, refresher dates, certificates, supervision notes, IPC audits, cleaning records, observation records, outbreak reviews and action plans.

How ACSTRA Can Support IPC Training

ACSTRA provides online healthcare courses for care providers across the United Kingdom. Our online training can support infection control training for care staff, refresher learning, induction and compliance evidence.

Whether you need IPC training for care providers, mandatory training for care workers, refresher online healthcare courses or support building a safer training plan, ACSTRA can help.

Explore available courses here:

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For care providers who need support choosing suitable online infection prevention and control training, contact ACSTRA for guidance. We can help you identify appropriate courses based on your service type, staff roles and infection risks.