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In order to raise standards in the basic care that care home residents receive and to protect elderly and vulnerable people from neglect and abuse, the Government is planning to introduce compulsory care training for all care home staff.

The measure was announced by Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat Minister for Care and Support, who said that a lack of training left pensioners in the hands of some people with “no idea what they are doing”. He also said:

“I would not want a loved one of mine – or indeed myself – to be cared for by someone who has no training”.

Mr Lamb now aims to put forward proposals to introduce nationwide minimum standards of care training for people working in care homes, believing that it is unacceptable that there are no such standards in place already.

Campaigners on this issue want all care workers to undergo medication awareness training, as well as training on nutrition, maintaining residents’ dignity and how to use certain types of required equipment.

If introduced, the new national standards of basic care training could also be extended to carers who visit people in their homes.