Infection Prevention and Control
Infection Prevention & ControlLevel 1

Infection Prevention and Control

Most care workers believe they already know infection control. Then someone on the round is sick on a Thursday, there is no soap at the sink, and the gel in your pocket does nothing against norovirus. This course is built for the way you actually work: in someone's home, on your own, with whatever you carried in from the car. You follow one week on a real round and learn to break the chain of infection at the points you control, wash your hands to the standard the World Health Organization sets, choose the right protective equipment for the task in front of you (and skip it when it is not needed), clean equipment and surfaces properly, put waste in the right bag, and spot the moment two people with the same symptoms stop being a coincidence. You also learn who to tell, in what order, and why the first call outside your organisation goes to the UK Health Security Agency health protection team, not the Care Quality Commission. About an hour, in modules you can finish between visits.

1 hour 12 minutes
Created by Sophie Barber Updated 10/2026 English
Part of Mandatory Training · Course 5 of 15
  • 100% online, any time
  • On any device
  • Accredited certificate on completion
  • Learn by doing
  • Storytelling built around your routine
  • Audio and alt text throughout
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What you'll learn

Describe the chain of infection and how transmission is broken in a care setting.
Demonstrate correct hand hygiene technique in line with WHO guidance.
Identify appropriate PPE for common care tasks and describe safe donning and doffing.
Recognise the basic signs of an infection outbreak and the correct reporting route.

Course content

6 modules

How infection travels from one person to another, the six links in the chain, and the standard precautions that break those links on an ordinary visit, before anyone knows an infection is there.
When to clean your hands, the WHO technique step by step, and which product to reach for. Includes hand hygiene where there is no soap, no clean towel and no time.
Which PPE each care task needs, the fixed order for putting it on and taking it off, and how to tell when a task is outside your role and needs someone else.
Cleaning care equipment and frequently touched surfaces, dealing with a spill of blood or body fluid, handling used laundry, and putting each type of waste in the right bag.
Spotting the early signs that two or more people have a linked infection, who you tell and in what order, and how isolation is used without stripping away someone's dignity.
The graded assessment for the course. Ten questions drawn from a bank of 30, covering the chain of infection, hand hygiene, PPE, cleaning and waste, and outbreak reporting.

Specialist

Sophie Barber

A qualified teacher, examiner and content creator, Sophie has over 10 years experience developing resources for examination boards to ensure that they are using effective learning tools. An ex-medic, Sophie has a huge passion for the healthcare profession and the importance of delivering quality care.

Training you can trust

How this course works. You will work through self-paced modules, check your understanding with knowledge checks, and finish with a short assessment. On passing, your CPD-certified certificate is available to download immediately, ready for your CQC evidence file or employer records.

Recommended renewal: every year. Your certificate is valid for 12 months. Skills for Care's minimum for most topics is every 3 years. Refresher periods by topic

Accredited by CPD

All of our courses are accredited by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to universally accepted Continuing Professional Development (CPD) guidelines.

Frequently asked questions

There is no deadline: a one-off purchase gives you lifetime access to the course, including updates, so you can complete it at your own pace across shifts.
Yes. Every course is accredited by the CPD Certification Service, and the certificate states the course, the level and the date you passed.
Yes. It works on phone, tablet and computer, and your progress syncs between them.
Your certificate is generated the moment you pass the final assessment, ready to download or print.