Stories from the training room

Stories and guides

Latest from the blog

Light-hearted stories about a typical day delivering our courses, plus practical guides to help your service deliver safe, good care every day. Our newest post is at the top of this page.

Care staff sitting around tables during a classroom training session while the trainer shows a piece of equipment

Choosing training

What mandatory training do care workers need?

Seven subjects for every care worker, four more that depend on the role, and the minimum refresher periods. What CQC expects, in plain English.

27 October 2026 · 7 min read

Office, contact centre, warehouse and hospitality staff practising CPR during workplace first aid training

Choosing training

Which first aid course does your workplace need?

Four courses, similar names, very different lengths. What the law actually asks for, how many first aiders you need and which course fits.

22 October 2026 · 6 min read

Two colleagues laughing together at a desk in a bright office, one with a mug of tea

World Menopause Day: supporting staff through menopause at work

Symptoms can last years, and most people say nothing. What menopause at work looks like, the adjustments that help and where the law stands.

18 October 2026 · 5 min read

A hallway at home with a dog lead hanging by the front door, a coat over the bannister and trainers on the floor

What ADHD actually feels like

Awake at 3am with a brain running a triathlon. A first-hand account of what ADHD feels like as an adult, with autism alongside it.

16 October 2026 · 10 min read

Hands being washed thoroughly with soap under a running tap

Global Handwashing Day: why clean hands still matter in care

Hand hygiene is one of the simplest ways to stop infections spreading. When to wash your hands, how to do it well, and why it still matters.

15 October 2026 · 4 min read

Two colleagues talking quietly on a bench outside their office in autumn

World Mental Health Day: listening to lived experience in care

This year’s theme is about lived experience. What that means for care teams, how to listen well and where to get help quickly.

10 October 2026 · 5 min read

An older man reading a large print book with a magnifying glass in his armchair

World Sight Day: supporting people with sight loss in care

Changes in sight are easy to miss. How care teams can spot the signs, get eye tests arranged and support people with sight loss every day.

8 October 2026 · 5 min read

An older woman and a younger woman laughing together over a family photo album in a bright living room

International Day of Older Persons: seeing the person, not the age

Age says very little about what someone wants or can do. How care teams can listen first, protect choice and support independence.

1 October 2026 · 4 min read

A delegate practising chest compressions on a CPR manikin during first aid training

World Heart Day: heart attack or cardiac arrest? Know what to do

A heart attack and a cardiac arrest need different responses. How to spot each one, and what your team should do in the first few minutes.

29 September 2026 · 4 min read

A closed fire door with a Fire door keep shut sign in a care home corridor

CQC and compliance

Fire Door Safety Week: why a fire door only works when it’s closed

A wedged-open fire door can’t stop fire or smoke. Why fire doors matter in care, the five-step check and what to report.

21 September 2026 · 4 min read

A carer in a navy uniform listening warmly to a woman during a one-to-one conversation

Eating disorders: what care staff need to know

Eating disorders can affect anyone, at any age. What to look out for, how to respond if you’re worried, and where to find support.

16 September 2026 · 5 min read

Moving and Handling

A spine called Colin, a runaway slide sheet and a queue to be hoisted. Follow our trainer through a full day of Moving and Handling training.

15 September 2026 · 4 min read

An older woman sitting alone on her bed, looking out of the window

Safeguarding

The hardest safeguarding cases rarely begin with evidence

Abuse rarely looks obvious at first. How care staff can spot the small signs, why people don’t always tell, and what to do before you’re certain.

20 May 2026 · 6 min read

Margaret’s story: you don’t need all the answers

One evening shift, a usually chatty resident became withdrawn and distressed. Margaret didn’t rush to fix it. Here’s what she did, and what it teaches us.

12 May 2026 · 4 min read

Mental Health Awareness Week: from awareness to action

Mental health awareness should be more than a box-ticking exercise. Small, everyday actions care teams can take to support good mental health, all year round.

8 May 2026 · 4 min read

A care home manager and two carers looking through a folder of care records together

CQC and compliance

How to be ready for a CQC inspection every day

CQC won’t tell you when it’s coming. Here’s how care services can be ready every day, not just when they hear an inspection is due, and what’s changing at CQC in 2026.

5 May 2026 · 5 min read

Two smiling men sharing a high five at a table in a bright lounge

Every person communicates differently: supporting autistic people

Every person communicates differently, and every person deserves to be understood. Practical ways care teams can move beyond awareness.

31 March 2026 · 6 min read

A smiling carer chatting with an older woman holding a mug at a table in a care home lounge

Could you recognise the early signs of dementia?

Many symptoms are mistaken for normal ageing, so chances for early support can be missed. What care staff should look out for, and how to respond.

13 March 2026 · 5 min read

Cancer awareness ribbons in many colours laid on a white background

World Cancer Day: seeing the person before the patient

Every experience of cancer is unique. How care teams can support people living with cancer, their families and each other, with compassion.

4 February 2026 · 4 min read

A person checking their blood glucose with a meter at a table, beside a health goals notebook, fruit and a water bottle

World Diabetes Day: supporting people with diabetes in care

Small things make the biggest difference. How care teams can recognise symptoms early, respond safely and support people living with diabetes.

14 November 2025 · 5 min read

A woman holding a mug and watching the sunrise, with the words ‘There is always hope’

World Suicide Prevention Day: start the conversation

No one should feel they have to struggle alone. How care teams can notice when someone isn’t OK, start the conversation and help them find support.

10 September 2025 · 5 min read

An Orchard Rock trainer showing a medication box at a medication trolley to two care staff

Medication Administration

Strong coffee, a grumpy liver and a Mars bar confession. Follow our trainer through a full day of Medication Administration training for care staff.

12 July 2025 · 3 min read

Fire Marshal training in a care home

A stubborn HDMI cable, a cat who runs the place and a plant pot called Doris. Follow our trainer through a day of Fire Marshal training in a care home.

4 July 2025 · 3 min read

A trainer demonstrating choking first aid on a delegate wearing a choking training vest

Emergency First Aid at Work

Manikins packed, no working plug sockets and one learner bandaged to a CPR dummy. Follow our trainer through a day of Emergency First Aid at Work.

17 June 2025 · 3 min read

A green sapling growing from rock at sunrise

World Environment Day: how care homes can go greener

Greener care can be better care. Practical ways care homes can protect the planet while improving quality of life for residents.

5 June 2025 · 4 min read

Two carers chatting and smiling with an older woman in a bright care home lounge

World Health Day: good health, every day, in care

Good health is the foundation for a fulfilling life. The everyday habits that help care teams protect the health and wellbeing of the people they support, and their own.

7 April 2025 · 4 min read