In the UK over as million people are employed as carers and millions more provide informal care and support for relatives and friends. The Department of Health has drawn up a code of practice acknowledging that everyone involved in care provision needs training to tackle the risk of Health Care Acquired Infection (HCAI). This new CIEH qualification is designed as an introduction to hygiene and ensure that vulnerable people are not exposed to unnecessary risks. It will help everyone, including those in private and voluntary health care sectors, to play their part in maintaining a clean and safe environment.

Who needs this qualification?

This is for employees who have already received basic health and safety training and would benefit from additional focused training in hygiene hazards and controls. This would include carers and others who provide cleaning and support services in a broad range of contexts, for example:

Benefits

• Provides knowledge necessary to prevent spread of infection in care environments
• The first and only qualification of its kind in the market
• Provides employees with understanding of:
  • Good hygiene practice
  • Hygiene hazards and how risks can be controlled
  • The importance of good personal hygiene
  • The importance of high hygiene standards and cleaning

Subjects covered

• Hygiene standards, as applied to the health and care sector
• Personal hygiene
• Cleaning

Outcomes
This qualification delivers heightened awareness of the realities of health and social care practice and guides for employees in applying knowledge and good hygiene to ensure that patients and clients are treated in a safe, clean environment. On completing this qualification candidates will be able to:

• Understand the terminology used in good hygiene practice
• Understand the concepts of hygiene hazards and how the risks can be controlled
• Understand the importance of good personal hygiene
• Recognise the need for high standards of hygiene and the importance of cleaning

Duration - half day, multiple choice examination.