Promoting the prevention and control of infection is a key concern for care services. The impact of the Covid -19 pandemic has resulted in an urgency for care providers to develop and manage the control of viruses and bacteria. This course has a specific focus on control measures to manage the potential risk of a Covid -19 before, during and after an outbreak.

Learners will develop as an appointed person or ‘champion’, and will be able to promote and maintain a culture in which infection prevention and control is manageable. 

To fulfil this role the ‘appointed person’ requires further knowledge of the principles of infection control than the basics, in order to enable them to work with colleagues to improve infection control practices within the area they work. Staff should be able to take charge of a situation, and have the ability to cascade their knowledge to others. 

• The role of the appointed person for infection prevention and control within the care setting
• To develop and maintain infection control standards and ensure national requirements are met
• To develop and maintain infection control policy and ensure staff are aware of the policy
• To understand the Covid -19 virus and its behaviour and the risks it imposes on the elderly or vulnerable sectors in care
• To understand the current government advice in relation to Covid -19 outbreak
• To highlight what action is to be taken in the event of an outbreak
• To advise managers and staff as to how long staff should avoid work if they are affected
• To know what documentation needs completing and to ensure all staff have completed a ‘declaration of health’
• How to audit and flag potential infection control risks in the setting
• To establish and monitor a robust domestic and clinical cleaning regime in the practice
• To ensure staff are appropriately trained in infection control, including hand hygiene training