Healthcare and Social Assistance

Working closely with those who need special care requires employees to be compassionate, empathetic, and deeply knowledgeable. Healthcare courses can ensure professionals consistently provide the care that people need.

But why is healthcare training important, and how can busy caregivers learn while under pressure and facing increasingly stressful and busy work environments?

Why it’s important to learn about healthcare and social care

Because staff work regularly with people who are unwell or struggling, regular training in healthcare and social care is imperative. Refreshing knowledge and teaching staff new skills helps them to adopt the right approaches to how they work, including attitudes, behaviors, and the type of care they give.

When working closely with people, staff have to deliver continuously safe care that is person focused. They also need to be aware of risks, remain calm under pressure, and have excellent communication and problem-solving skills. By neglecting any of the key skills needed to work in health and social care, staff won’t be equipped to deliver the very best care.

It’s also important to note that compliance must be met from a legal and ethical point of view. Failure to do so can result in legal action or fines, as well as ineffective care.

How to learn about healthcare and social care

There are many different ways to learn about health and social care, as well as refresh knowledge and upskill. These include:

• Work shadowing - where those new to healthcare work alongside an industry professional to learn directly from them.
• Classroom learning - of course, it’s vital that health and social care workers receive the appropriate qualifications in a college or university setting, but upskilling and refresher training can also be done in a classroom environment.
• Books/videos - these can be great resources but printed and video training materials can become outdated quickly.
• eLearning - online healthcare courses are cost-effective, easily accessible courses that can be accessed at any time, any place.

The benefits of taking a healthcare and social care course

By offering your staff the opportunity to develop their skills and learn new knowledge on a regular basis, it allows them to provide the best possible care. If they’re not encouraged to learn, then they risk using outdated practices, giving incorrect information, and risking the safety of the people in their care.

However, there are also plenty of benefits to your organization and your staff.

Benefits to your organization

The benefits to your organization are:

• Better care - when your staff receive regular training they’re able to deliver the very best care.
• Ensure safety and compliance - when staff are equipped with the latest skills and knowledge it ensures their safety and the safety of the people in their care.
• Improved productivity - staff that are trained in the most up-to-date processes can deliver quality care in a shorter amount of time.
• Fewer mistakes - in health and social care, mistakes can have devastating consequences, and training will help reduce these and prevent issues from occurring.
• Reduced staff turnover - when staff receive all the necessary training they’re less likely to leave your organization. Upskilling existing staff also allows you to promote from within, which is much cheaper than recruiting externally.

Benefits to your staff

Of course, there are also benefits to your staff when you offer healthcare training:

• Improved confidence - the more skills and knowledge your staff have, the more confident they’ll be at delivering care.
• More motivation - when staff have more motivation they’re more efficient and productive, which will be reflected in the quality of their work.
• Convenience - with eLearning, healthcare employee training is convenient and can be accessed using any device. That means training can be completed as and when staff have the time, even during the commute.
• Feel valued - creating a learning culture in your organization enables staff to feel valued.

How long does it take to complete a health and social care course?

There’s a wide variety of online health and social care training courses available that can cover a specific topic or a range of topics. The time it takes to complete a course depends on the topic and whether it’s intended for beginners or experienced professionals.

The more in-depth the course is, the longer it will generally take. However, certain refresher courses can be completed in less than an hour.

As we’ve already mentioned, eLearning courses are convenient and can be picked up whenever an employee has the time. That means with just 10 to 15 minutes of learning a day, an hour-long course can be completed in just a week.

Why eLearning is a great way to learn about health and social care

While you can’t rely on eLearning alone as a way of gaining relevant industry qualifications, it’s a fantastic and reliable tool many health and social care professionals use to upskill and refresh their knowledge. 

Below are just some of the reasons why online healthcare career training is such a useful resource:

Up-to-date

Because the health and social care industry is always evolving, printed and video training materials quickly become outdated. However, eLearning materials are up-to-date and produced by experts who have all the latest knowledge.

Cost-effective

In-person training can be a great way to learn, but it’s also expensive. eLearning enables staff to learn using pre-produced materials that can be accessed instantly. It’s also easily scalable, so whether you’re training 1o employees or 100, it’s far more budget-friendly than classroom learning.

Convenient

We know that working in health and social care leaves employees with little free time to dedicate to learning and development - especially long periods that involve time away from daily duties. However, eLearning can be done as and when staff have time - even if it’s just ten minutes. Courses can be accessed anytime, using devices such as a PC, tablet, or even a smartphone.

Track engagement

There may be certain training modules that are mandatory to ensure compliance. Whether it’s first aid, fire safety, or something else that is compulsory, if your organization uses a CMS you can track how staff engage with their training. This allows you to identify which employees may require additional support.

What are the best health and social care courses for your staff?

There’s a variety of online courses related to health and social care that make it a versatile tool and a key part of your organization’s learning and development strategy. Courses are available across a multitude of topics for both those new to the industry and experienced professionals.

Health and social care courses for the fundamentals and refresher training

Just because an employee has been working in health and social care for many years, it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t continue their development. It’s also important to remember that the industry goes through regular changes and developments of its own, so staff need to ensure they have all the latest knowledge.

Below are some of the best healthcare courses for both new and experienced staff who want refresher training to remain at the top of their field.

• Basic Life Support
• Fluids and Nutrition – for Health and Social Care
• Effective Communication - for Health and Social Care
• Equality and Diversity - for Health and Social Care
• Oral Health: Nursing Assessment and Interventions
• Emergency and Evacuation Healthcare
• Palliative Care - Nutrition and Hydration at the End of Life
• Managing Difficult or Challenging Behaviors in Primary Healthcare
• Strategies to Enhance Team Work in the Acute Healthcare Setting

Health and social care courses for health & safety, compliance, and governance

The health and safety of your staff, as well as the people in their care, is paramount. As a result, all health and social care professionals should take regular training in health and safety, compliance, and governance.

• Duty of Care - for Health and Social Care
• Health and Safety Induction - for Health and Social Care
• Fire Safety for Healthcare Professionals
• Workplace Health and Safety Awareness in Healthcare
• Organizational/Clinical Governance (including open disclosure) – Aged Care Quality Standard 8
• Healthcare Compliance Bundle

Health and social care courses for mental health

Below are some key courses health and social care workers should consider to increase their knowledge, awareness, and skills when it comes to dealing with mental health.

• Mental Health, Dementia and Learning Disability - for Health and Social Care
• Perinatal Mental Health Conditions
• Paranoia (CPD certified)

Can anyone take an online health and social care course?

Online health and social care courses can be taken regardless of an employee's level of experience. Even those who don’t work in the industry and either want to pursue a career or simply increase their own knowledge and skills will also find eLearning courses accessible.

However, more advanced healthcare training courses are recommended for those in health and social care, or for those who have existing knowledge.

Interested in taking a health and social care course online with Go1?

At Go1, we have a wide range of online healthcare courses that can be accessed right now, anytime and anywhere. For more information on how Go1 can help your organization create a culture centered on growth and development, book a demo with our team today.