Why Mandatory Training Matters More Than Ever
Under the CQC Single Assessment Framework, Quality Statement 6 (Safe and effective staffing) is assessed in the vast majority of safety-focused inspections. Inspectors will ask to see evidence that all staff have completed mandatory training relevant to their role — and a failure to produce this evidence is one of the most common triggers for a “Requires Improvement” or “Inadequate” rating.
The Skills for Care Statutory and Mandatory Training Guide (updated December 2025) sets out the training areas that all care providers should evidence. This checklist is based on that guidance, combined with our experience of what CQC inspectors actually look for.
The Mandatory Training Checklist
Statutory Training (Legal Requirement)
These are required by law regardless of role:
- Health and Safety — Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
- Fire Safety — Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
- Manual Handling — Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
- Infection Prevention and Control — Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice
Safeguarding (Mandatory for All Staff)
- Safeguarding Adults Level 1 — All staff
- Safeguarding Adults Level 2 — Senior staff and designated leads
- Safeguarding Children Awareness — Where staff may encounter children
Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training (Legal Requirement from 2022)
- Oliver McGowan Tier 1 — All CQC-registered provider staff
- Oliver McGowan Tier 2 — Staff who provide direct care to people with learning disabilities or autism
Core Mandatory Training (Skills for Care Aligned)
- Medication Administration — All staff who administer medications
- Food Safety and Hygiene — Staff involved in meal preparation
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion — All staff
- Data Protection / GDPR — All staff who handle personal data
- Recording and Reporting — All staff
- Communication — All staff
- Basic Life Support — All staff (with face-to-face practical)
- Mental Capacity Act and DoLS — All staff (essential for domiciliary care)
- Duty of Care — All staff
- Person-Centred Care — All staff
- Privacy and Dignity — All staff
Domiciliary Care Specific
- Lone Working — Essential for all domiciliary care workers
Renewal Frequencies
Different training areas have different recommended renewal frequencies:
| Training Area | Recommended Renewal |
|---|---|
| Fire Safety | Annual |
| Manual Handling | Annual (or when role changes) |
| Basic Life Support | Annual |
| Safeguarding (all levels) | Every 2–3 years |
| IPC | Annual |
| Medication | Annual |
| MCA / DoLS | Every 2–3 years |
| Most other mandatory training | Every 2–3 years |
Note: These are recommended intervals. CQC does not specify fixed renewal periods for most training. What matters is that providers can demonstrate competency is current and that their training policy specifies renewal intervals.
How to Organise Your Evidence
CQC inspectors will look for:
- A training matrix showing all staff and their training completion dates
- Individual training records for each staff member
- Certificates or records from each training course
- A training policy that sets out mandatory training requirements and renewal intervals
- Evidence that new staff complete mandatory training within induction
Start Building Your Evidence Today
All of the mandatory training courses on this checklist are available in the Custoris Academy course catalogue. We also offer organisational packages that allow you to enrol your entire team, track completion rates, and generate training records for CQC inspection.