Special Focus
Depending on the type of setting and the people receiving support, frontline health and social care workers may also need to undertake training in additional specialist skills and knowledge, such as End of Life Care or Learning Disability Awareness.
Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Framework
First Response Training can provide essential training in line with the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Framework for Learning Disabilities and Autism. This standardised training package has been developed by Health Education England (HEE) and Skills for Care. It has been designed, delivered and evaluated with the help of people with learning disabilities and autism. There are two different tiers of training available and we can deliver both Tier 1 and Tier 2 of the framework using HEE approved Trainer Trios.
Instructor-Led Training
Our Special Focus courses are available via Classroom and Webinar training.
Special Focus Manuals
We offer Distance Learning for selected Health and Social Care Special Focus subjects.
Special Focus Training
First Response Training provides a range of additional Level 2 Awards for health and social care staff required to carry out more specialist tasks in their day to day roles.
Care Skills
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Be aware of guidance relating to the promotion of good continence
- Have a background understanding of continence/incontinence
- Understand types of continence problems
- Identify reversible causes of urinary incontinence including treatments and management of continence problems
- Consider promotion and management of good continence including toileting, independence and good hygiene
- Understand person-centred awareness, including dignity
- Be able to communicate effectively
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Explain what is meant by ‘palliative’ and ‘end of life’
- Understand effective communication in end of life care
- Identify pain and symptom management
- Explain ethical and legal issues around end of life care
- Be able to explain symptoms of the last few hours and the effect on staff
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Explain why oral hygiene is important
- Describe common diseases and the symptoms
- Explain what a good oral hygiene routine consists of
- Understand the basic anatomy of the mouth
- Understand how to assist individuals with basic oral hygiene
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Explain the role of oxygen
- Describe the respiratory system
- Understand normal and abnormal breathing
- Understand the role of pulse oximetry
- Identify and manage those who require supplementary oxygen
- Explain how to administer oxygen via a variety of delivery methods
- Explain the safe storage, use and practices in oxygen administration
This course is delivered via Classroom training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Explain the need for support staff to have their own high standards of personal care
- Describe ‘Care Plans’ – what they do and include
- Understand toileting, continence and its control
- Describe the processes involved in intimate care
- Explain the need for the individual to be involved in their personal hygiene procedures
- Consider pressure care management
- Understand the need for good nutrition and hydration
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- List the causes of pressure areas
- Describe the process of skin assessment
- List the classifications of skin ulcers
- Explain the treatment and prevention of pressure areas
- Person centred care
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 6 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- To understand the framework for a strengths-based approach
- To develop the skills to lead strengths-based practices
- To explore ways to test the effectiveness of using strengths-based models in your teams and/or services
- To build strategies for supporting team members to use strengths-based practices
- To learn how to record strengths-based care and support plans
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Learning Disability and Autism
Duration: 1 hour
Learning Objectives:
- Welcomes and ground rules
- Experts answer pre-agreed questions
- Discussion
- Reasonable adjustments
- Myth busting quiz
- Evaluation
This course can be delivered via Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 7 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Understand why autism is described as an invisible condition
- Reflect on your own values and beliefs
- Recognise potential differences, strengths and challenges for autistic people
- Identify potential triggers for anxiety
- Identify reasonable adjustments and ways to adapt your practice
- Be familiar with legislation and resources for inclusive enabling services
- Acknowledge and understand unconscious biases to avoid diagnostic overshadowing
- Acknowledge and understand the learnings from the Learning from Lives and Deaths reviews (LeDeR) including co-morbidities
- Stop the overmedication of people with a learning disability (STOMP and STAMP campaigns)
- Understand what reasonable adjustments are and how to make them – review The Equality Act 2010
- Understand when to use The Mental Capacity Act 2005
- Understand when to use and how to apply do not attempt cardiovascular resuscitation (DNACPR)
- Improve communication with a person with a learning disability (and their family)
- Recognise the important role hospital passports and annual health checks play in the care and support of people with a learning disability
This course is delivered via Classroom training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain what is meant by the terms Learning Disability (LD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Identify different types and levels of LD and ASD
- Explain how LD and ASD affect the way a person communicates and relates to people around them
- To explain behaviours exhibited by some people with LD and ASD
- To explain methods of supporting a person with LD or ASD
- To understand legislation and safeguarding responsibilities
This course is delivered via eLearning and available to purchase via our online shop.
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- To explain Autistic Spectrum Disorder
- To explain how Autistic Spectrum Disorder affects the way a person communicates and relates to people around them
- To explain the behaviours exhibited by some people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
- To explain methods of supporting a person with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
This course is delivered via Classroom training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 7 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Explain what is meant by the term learning disability
- Identify different types and levels of learning disabilities
- Explain different communication strategies used by people with learning disabilities
- Identify how work practices need to be adjusted in order to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities
- Explain how to support individuals with learning disabilities with health and wellbeing
- Understand risk and safeguarding for individuals with learning disabilities
- Know the importance of CPD
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Explain what is meant by the term learning disability
- Identify different types and levels of learning disabilities
- Explain different communication strategies used by people with learning disabilities
- Identify how work practices need to be adjusted in order to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities
- Explain how to support individuals with learning disabilities with health and wellbeing
- Understand risk and safeguarding for individuals with learning disabilities
- Know the importance of CPD
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 7 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- To understand what Autism is
- To understand how to communicate and socially interact
- To understand how to communicate and socially interact
- To understand sensory processing, perception and cognition
- To understand how to support positive behaviour
- To understand how to support individuals with autism to live healthy and fulfilled lives
This course is delivered via Classroom training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Medication
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the legislation, policy and procedures relevant to the administration and safe handling of medicines
- Describe common medications and their use
- Understand the procedures and techniques for the safe administration of medication
- Explain the medication classifications and types and routes of administration
- Describe common side-effects and adverse reactions
- Understanding receiving storage and disposal
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 7 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the legislation, policy and procedures relevant to the administration and safe handling of medicines
- Describe common medications and their use
- Understand the procedures and techniques for the safe administration of medication
- Explain the medication classifications and types and routes of administration
- Describe common side-effects and adverse reactions
- Understanding receiving storage and disposal
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 7 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- To identify poor practice in handling medication and how to manage this
- To understand how to complete audit trails in line with regulations
- Explain how to carry out competency assessments on staff administering medication
- To know the importance of safe management of medicines in the workplace (including storage, administering and recording)
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 1 hour
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- What is Clozapine?
- Side effects
- Risks
- Guidelines and guidance
- Person-centred support
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Mental Capacity Act
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Explain the aims of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA)
- Outline the 5 principles of the MCA
- Describe who might be affected by the Act
- Explain how and when to assess someone’s mental capacity
- Explain how to work out what is in a person’s best interests
- Describe how to recognise restraint and deprivation of liberty
- Outline the protections given by the deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS)
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 7 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Describe how to use the MCA in practice, including any exclusions
- Confidently complete a mental capacity assessment including using effective communication
- Explain how to work with the best interests principle and apply the statutory best interests check list
- Describe the Best Interests Meetings - the role of the decision maker and others
- Explain the need to adhere to local policy and guidance and the MCA Code of Practice
- Describe your role and responsibilities in relation to the provisions in the act, in particular working with an IMCA and the person who has made an advanced decision
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Positive Behaviour Support
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Understand what Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is
- Understand the primary importance of quality of life within PBS
- Relate active support to the increase in quality of life and reduction in behaviours of concern
- Understand behaviour has a meaning for an individual
- Relate Positive Behaviour Support to our daily work
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Define challenging behaviour, its causes and forms
- Discuss and practice the communication skills required to diffuse challenging behaviour
- Recognise when we might be at risk if situations escalate
- Describe how to avoid danger and recognise your limits of practice
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 7 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Understand what Positive Behaviour Support is
- Understand the primary importance of Quality of Life within PBS
- Relate Active Support to the increase in Quality of Life and reduction in behaviours of concern
- Understand behaviour has a meaning for an individual
- Relate Positive Behaviour Support to our daily work
This course is delivered via Classroom training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Define behaviour that challenges and understand why individuals exhibit behaviour that challenges
- Understand the different stages of behaviour, how behaviour is assessed and identify behaviours that we find challenging and how to manage them
- Explain the role of medication in managing behaviour that challenges
- Understand the role communication plays in managing behaviour that challenges
- Consider the functions of behaviour and strategies to manage behaviour
- Understand reducing restrictive interventions
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Consider what dementia is
- Understand what behaviours that challenge are and why individuals exhibit them
- Discuss needs and the effect of those needs not being met
- Identify the behaviours that we find challenging and how to support these, adopting a having a person-centred approach
- Understand the role communication plays in managing behaviour that challenges and how good support is dependent on recognising individuality
- Consider proactive and reactive strategies and restrictive practice
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 7 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Define behaviour that challenges and understand why individuals exhibit behaviour that challenges
- Understand the different stages of behaviour, how behaviour is assessed and identify behaviours that we find challenging and how to manage them
- Explain the role of medication in managing behaviour that challenges
- Understand the role communication plays in managing behaviour that challenges
- Consider the functions of behaviour and strategies to manage it
- Understand reducing restrictive interventions by using a range of physical techniques to break away from aggressive situations
This course is delivered via Classroom training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Safeguarding
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Identify legislation and guidance relevant to safeguarding
- List types of abuse and consider examples of each type
- Identify signs, symptoms and risk factors of abuse
- Explain employer and employee responsibilities
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 7 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Understand legislation, guidance, policy and procedure relating to safeguarding
- Identify points regarding making safeguarding personal
- Be able to identify examples and signs of possible abuse
- Know how to report and respond to disclosures of abuse
- Understand how to support adults at risk who make a disclosure
- Identify the role of other agencies and who to contact
- Be able to answer some key questions
- Understand how to manage practice that helps to safeguard individuals from harm or abuse
- Be able to explain your policy regarding monitoring
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 7 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Identify legislation and guidance relevant to safeguarding
- List types of abuse
- Identify general indicators of abuse
- Consider risk factors that might make abuse of an adult or child more likely to occur
- Understand the differences and similarities between adult and child safeguarding
- Understand the effects of childhood abuse on the adult
- Understand issues regarding the silence and stigma of abuse
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Specific Conditions and Disorders
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the basic anatomy and functions of the brain
- Understand the main types and causes of ABI
- Identify the main symptoms, treatment and rehabilitation
- Understand key aspects of supporting individuals with ABI
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Understand what dementia is
- Know the most common types of dementia and their causes
- Identify some common symptoms of the condition
- Understand key features of the theoretical models of dementia
- Consider factors relating to an individual’s experience of dementia
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Know the definition of dysphagia
- Understand the normal and abnormal swallowing reflex
- List the causes of dysphagia
- Recognise the signs, symptoms and complications
- Understand how dysphagia is diagnosed
- Discuss the management of a person with dysphagia
- Understand the importance of multi-disciplinary approach to risk assessments and management of dysphagia
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Explain what Parkinson’s is
- Know who Parkinson’s can affect
- Identify key features and symptoms of the disease
- Describe factors relating to an individual’s experience of Parkinson’s
- Consider factors relating to encouraging person-centred care planning
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Understand and clarify the signs and symptoms of a stroke
- Understand the effect of a stroke, both physically and on the nervous system
- Know what to do when you suspect someone has had a stroke
- Appreciate the aspects of an individual’s life that can be affected by a stroke
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 7 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the legislation involved with supporting people with dementia, including advocacy
- Identify the different types of dementia and some of the signs and symptoms, risk factors and areas of the brain affected
- Understand the physiology of the brain and memory, models of the condition, identity and needs
- Consider ways of supporting those living with dementia to live fulfilling lives, incl. equality, diversity and inclusion in a person-centred way and how individuals living with dementia may communicate through behaviour
This course is delivered via Classroom training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 6 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Define what trauma is
- Explain the impact that trauma can have on service users' wellbeing and engagement with services
- Describe how trauma can build up over time and how services might unintentionally cause further harm
- Identify ways in which you can look at your own practice through a trauma-informed lens
- Recognise the signs of trauma and PTSD, and identify when to refer individuals for specialist support
- Identify ways the organisation can adjust processes, procedures, or communication methods to provide trauma-informed services
- Understand where to find additional support and advice in your organisation
This course is delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
The Care Sector
Duration: 7 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Describe what constitutes professional and unprofessional practice
- Explain the boundaries between personal and professional relationships
- Uphold appropriate limits of confidentiality and self-disclosure
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Describe what constitutes professional and unprofessional practice
- Explain the boundaries between personal and professional relationships
- Uphold appropriate limits of confidentiality and self-disclosure
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the definition of dignity
- Be able to explain what the eight key components of dignity in care are
- Have knowledge of how the eight components come together to promote and maintain dignity in care
- Understand how to practically apply the eight key components of dignity of care
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: Up to 12 delegates
Learning Objectives:
- To understand supervision and why it is required
- To understand what an appraisal is and how it differs from supervision
- To understand the importance of effective communication
- To understand the duty of care
- To understand performance and professional development through supervision and appraisal
- To understand how to record supervision and appraisal
This course can be delivered via Classroom or Webinar training. Please contact us to schedule training.
CPD Points Available
These training courses are CPD accredited. This means that your staff members can receive nationally recognised CPD points for completing our high quality, externally verified training programmes.