Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether healthcare assistants will be required to undertake mandatory continence care training as part of their basic training.

It is for each individual trust to decide the exact content of its initial healthcare assistant training.

As of 1 April 2015, all new healthcare assistants and social care support workers are expected to attain the new Care Certificate within their first 12 weeks of employment, where each new worker must demonstrate to their employer that they meet all 15 standards of fundamental skills and knowledge.

Whilst there is no specific mention in the Care Certificate standards, the Care Certificate can provide the foundations for continence care training. For example, standard 5 of the Care Certificate concerns working in a person-centred way. In meeting this standard, each worker must show that they understand how to take appropriate action where there is pain or discomfort. This includes ensuring equipment or medical devices are working properly or in the correct position e.g. catheter tubes. They must also remove or minimise any environmental factors causing pain or discomfort including wet or soiled clothing or bed linen. Other relevant standards cover “Privacy and Dignity”, “Fluids and Nutrition” and “Infection Prevention and Control”.