Food, Drink and Swallowing Safety in Care Settings

A cup of tea, a meal, a glass of water: in care these are never just routine. A person may need help to eat, may not notice they are thirsty, or may have a swallowing problem that makes the wrong food or drink harmful. This course is a short, plain-English guide to what you need to know and do: follow the person’s care plan and the instructions of the speech and language therapist or dietitian, and never change a texture, a thickness or a diet yourself.

Who this course is for

• Care workers and support workers in care homes and home care
• Kitchen and catering staff who cook or serve food for people in care
• Activity staff who share food and drink with the people they support
• New staff, and experienced staff who would like a refresher (no earlier knowledge needed)

What you’ll learn

• Why food and drink matter to people in care, what Regulation 14 requires and where your role fits
• Where to find each person’s needs, and why choice, culture, allergies and changes in needs matter
• The signs of dehydration and malnutrition that the NHS lists, how to help people drink, and who to tell and what to record
• What dysphagia (a swallowing problem) is, the signs to notice and who looks into it
• Following the plan at mealtimes, supporting someone to eat and drink, and what to do if someone chokes
• How kitchen, care and activity staff pass on information, raise a concern, and the day-one habits to take to work

How it works

Six lessons, each split into short topics with a “Remember” box at the end. Every lesson finishes with its own assessment of 10 questions drawn at random from its question bank, so no two attempts are the same. The course ends with a final exam of 20 questions drawn from a bank of more than 40 covering everything. The pass mark is 80% and you get three attempts at each assessment. Finish the course and your certificate, with your name and a reference anyone can check, is issued to My Account → Certificates.

12 months’ access · any device · certificate the moment you pass

Worth being clear about: this course is awareness training. It is not a qualification, it is not a swallowing assessment, diet advice or first aid training, and it does not replace your workplace’s own training or a person’s care plan. It is written for England; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own regulators.

Course content

• Before you startLesson
• Food, drink and the law in careLesson
• Why food and drink matterTopic
• What Regulation 14 saysTopic
• The four parts of “nutritional and hydration needs”Topic
• What CQC can doTopic
• Where you fitTopic
• Scenario: A new care assistant’s first mealtimeTopic
• 🎮 Practice: Whose job is it?Topic
• Lesson Assessment: Food, drink and the law in careQuiz
• Knowing what each person needsLesson
• The care plan and the latest assessmentTopic
• What the assessment looks atTopic
• Choice, preference, religion and cultureTopic
• Allergies and intolerancesTopic
• When someone says noTopic
• When needs changeTopic
• Scenario: A faith-friendly meal and an old planTopic
• 🎮 Practice: When needs changeTopic
• Lesson Assessment: Knowing what each person needsQuiz
• Eating and drinking enough: spotting the signsLesson
• Dehydration: signs and causesTopic
• When dehydration is urgentTopic
• Helping people drinkTopic
• Malnutrition: signs and who is at riskTopic
• Screening and watching intake (awareness)Topic
• Recording and tellingTopic
• Scenario: A full cup at three o’clockTopic
• 🎮 Practice: Spot the signsTopic
• Lesson Assessment: Eating and drinking enough: spotting the signsQuiz
• Swallowing problems (dysphagia): what to knowLesson
• What dysphagia isTopic
• Signs to noticeTopic
• Who is more likely to have swallowing problemsTopic
• Who looks into swallowing problemsTopic
• Why swallowing problems matterTopic
• What you can contributeTopic
• Scenario: “He has always done that”Topic
• 🎮 Practice: Signs and effectsTopic
• Lesson Assessment: Swallowing problems (dysphagia): what to knowQuiz
• Safe mealtimes and modified food and drinkLesson
• Why food and drink are sometimes changedTopic
• Follow the plan and use clear wordsTopic
• Supporting someone to eat and drinkTopic
• Posture, pace and the roomTopic
• Tablets and medicinesTopic
• If someone chokesTopic
• Scenario: A note that says “soft diet”Topic
• 🎮 Practice: If someone chokesTopic
• Lesson Assessment: Safe mealtimes and modified food and drinkQuiz
• Working together: kitchen, care and activity staffLesson
• From care record to plateTopic
• Kitchen and catering staffTopic
• Care, support and activity staffTopic
• Raising a concernTopic
• Putting it together: your checklistTopic
• Scenario: Birthday teaTopic
• 🎮 Practice: From care record to plateTopic
• Lesson Assessment: Working together: kitchen, care and activity staffQuiz
• Course summaryLesson
• Final examQuiz