Nutrition and Hydration in Care Settings

Nutrition and Hydration in Care Settings

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Course Overview

Nutrition and hydration in care is not just about making sure people eat and drink. It is about recognising risk early, understanding the physical, emotional, and environmental factors that affect intake, knowing how to follow clinical guidance safely, and recording and escalating accurately when something is not right. In settings supporting older adults, people with dementia, or those with swallowing difficulties, that awareness is the difference between an individual staying well and a situation that escalates into a clinical emergency.

Changes in how a person eats and drinks are often one of the earliest signs that something is wrong. Reduced appetite that looks like stubbornness. Confusion that has been attributed to dementia progression when it is actually dehydration. A resident who has been losing weight slowly for weeks because the fluid intake chart has gaps and nobody joined the dots. A team that received SALT guidance on modified diets and thickened fluids, but were not consistently following it because they did not fully understand why it mattered.

All of these happen. All of them cause harm that was preventable. And all of them are addressed in this course.

Dehydration can cause acute confusion that is indistinguishable from dementia deterioration to an untrained eye. Malnutrition significantly increases the risk of falls, pressure damage, infection, and delayed recovery. Dysphagia, if not managed in line with SALT guidance and the IDDSI framework, can cause aspiration pneumonia, which remains a leading cause of death in people with swallowing difficulties. These are not worst-case scenarios. They are real outcomes, in real care settings, where the contributing factor was a staff team that had not been trained to recognise and respond.

This course gives care staff the knowledge and practical understanding to support nutrition and hydration safely, in line with individual care plans, SALT guidance, and current clinical frameworks.

The course aligns with CQC Regulation 14 (Meeting Nutritional and Hydration Needs), CQC Regulation 9 (Person-Centred Care), NICE guideline CG32 (Nutrition support for adults), the MUST (Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool) from BAPEN, the IDDSI framework, and the Care Act 2014 wellbeing principle. It supports Care Certificate Standard 8 (Fluids and Nutrition) in full.

Course Details

• Duration: Half day (3 to 4 hours), or full day on request
• Delivery: In-person at your venue, or live online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams
• Certificate: CPD-accredited certificate of achievement in Nutrition and Hydration in Care Settings
• Refresher: Every 2 to 3 years, or sooner following changes in the care needs of individuals supported, updates to SALT guidance or care plans, incidents or concerns relating to nutrition or hydration, or changes in organisational policy
• Group size: Up to 12 learners

Who This Course Is For

This course is right for any care staff whose role involves supporting individuals with eating, drinking, or mealtimes in any setting, including:

• Care assistants and support workers in care homes, supported living, and domiciliary care
• Senior carers and team leaders
• Residential and nursing home staff
• Domiciliary care workers supporting individuals with complex nutritional needs
• Health and social care professionals who contribute to nutrition and hydration monitoring and recording

Why Nutrition and Hydration Training Matters

CQC Regulation 14 (Meeting Nutritional and Hydration Needs) places a direct duty on providers to ensure that individuals receive adequate nutrition and hydration. CQC inspectors look specifically at whether care plans reflect individual nutritional needs, whether monitoring and recording systems are in place and being used correctly, whether SALT guidance is being followed, and whether staff can demonstrate awareness of the risks associated with poor nutritional intake. A service that cannot evidence consistent, safe practice in this area is failing a fundamental regulatory requirement.

NICE guideline CG32 (Nutrition support for adults) provides the clinical framework for identifying adults at risk of malnutrition and ensuring they receive appropriate support. It emphasises the importance of routine screening, monitoring, and escalation. The MUST tool, developed by BAPEN, is the most widely used malnutrition screening tool in UK care homes and community settings. It provides a structured, reproducible way to identify individuals at risk and is referenced in this course as the practical screening framework most care staff will encounter.

The Care Act 2014 places wellbeing at the heart of adult social care. For an individual in a care setting, well-being includes physical health, emotional well-being, and the experience of mealtimes as a social and dignified part of daily life, not just a clinical task. CQC Regulation 9 (Person-Centred Care) requires that care is designed around individual needs, preferences, and choices. Both apply directly to how nutrition and hydration support is delivered.

Dysphagia, difficulty swallowing, affects a significant proportion of people in care settings, particularly those with dementia, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and learning disabilities. Unmanaged or poorly managed dysphagia is a serious clinical risk. Aspiration, where food or fluid enters the airway, can cause aspiration pneumonia, which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in this population. The IDDSI framework provides the standardised terminology and texture descriptors for modified foods and thickened fluids used across UK health and social care. Staff who do not understand IDDSI levels cannot apply SALT recommendations correctly, regardless of how good those recommendations are.

Dehydration in older adults and people with dementia can present as acute confusion, increased agitation, or apparent deterioration in cognitive function. These presentations are frequently misread as disease progression rather than recognised as a reversible clinical problem. A care worker who understands this link will monitor fluid intake differently, record concerns more accurately, and escalate earlier. That is the difference this training makes.

Care Certificate Standard 8 and This Course

Care Certificate Standard 8 (Fluids and Nutrition) requires all new care workers to demonstrate knowledge of the importance of nutrition and hydration, how to support individuals with eating and drinking, and how to recognise and respond to concerns about intake. This course covers Standard 8 in full, including the knowledge requirements around dehydration and malnutrition risk, SALT guidance, modified diets and thickened fluids, monitoring and recording, and escalation.

For a complete guide to the Care Certificate, all 16 standards, and how Prima Cura Training supports organisations to deliver and assess it, visit our Care Certificate UK Guide.

What You Will Learn

By the end of the session, learners will be able to:

• Explain why nutrition and hydration are fundamental to health, recovery, and quality of life in care settings
• Recognise the signs and symptoms of dehydration and malnutrition, including presentations that are commonly misread in people with dementia or learning disabilities
• Understand the MUST tool and how it is used to screen individuals for malnutrition risk
• Identify the physical, emotional, environmental, and medication-related factors that affect appetite and fluid intake
• Understand dysphagia, the risks associated with unmanaged swallowing difficulties, and how aspiration pneumonia develops
• Apply the IDDSI framework at an awareness level, including understanding texture and fluid consistency descriptors and why they must be followed precisely
• Follow SALT guidance and modified diet and thickened fluid recommendations correctly and safely
• Support eating and drinking in a way that maintains dignity, promotes independence, and respects individual preferences and care plans
• Monitor and record food and fluid intake accurately, and understand how records are used clinically to identify deterioration
• Recognise when to escalate concerns about nutrition and hydration and know who to contact

Course Content

Content is adapted to your service type, your client group, and the specific nutrition and hydration challenges most relevant to your team. Topics covered include:

• Why nutrition and hydration matter clinically
• Dehydration in care settings
• Malnutrition and the MUST tool
• Factors affecting intake
• The IDDSI framework
• Following SALT guidance
• Person-centred mealtime support
• Monitoring and recording
• Escalation
• Care Certificate Standard 8

How the Course Is Delivered

Sessions are practical, discussion-based, and built around the real nutrition and hydration situations care staff encounter. The aim is a genuine understanding of the risks and responsibilities involved, not a theoretical overview of why food and drink matter. Delivery includes:

• Direct discussion of the presentations most commonly misread in care settings, including dehydration presenting as acute confusion and weight loss masked by incomplete recording
• Practical discussion of the IDDSI framework and what following SALT guidance correctly looks like in everyday mealtime support
• Scenario-based work covering the decisions care workers face when supporting individuals with complex nutritional needs
• Time for questions, because nutrition and hydration consistently generates them once staff start applying the clinical context to the people they support

Certification and Validity

On completion, learners receive a CPD-accredited certificate of achievement in Nutrition and Hydration in Care Settings.

A refresher is recommended every 2 to 3 years, or sooner following changes in the care needs of individuals supported, updates to SALT guidance or individual care plans, any incident or concern relating to nutrition, hydration, or dysphagia management, or where CQC inspection feedback identifies nutrition and hydration practice as a concern.

In-House and Bespoke Training

We adapt every session to your service, your client group, and the specific nutrition and hydration challenges most relevant to your team.

We can build content around:

• Your specific client group, including services supporting people with dementia, learning disabilities, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, or other conditions that affect eating and drinking
• Your SALT referral pathway, the IDDSI levels most relevant to your service, and any specific modified diet or thickened fluid protocols in use
• Your monitoring and recording systems, including how fluid balance charts and food diaries are completed and reviewed
• Specific incidents, CQC feedback, or SALT recommendations that your team needs to understand more deeply

Course Location and Service Areas

We deliver in-house training at your workplace or chosen venue across Manchester, Greater Manchester, and the wider North West. We also deliver nationally across England, including North England, South England, London, and Surrey.

For teams in multiple locations or with remote workers, this course is available live online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

All sessions are led by experienced Prima Cura Training instructors. Every trainer holds an Enhanced DBS certificate.

FAQs

Related Courses

• Safeguarding Adults Training
• Mental Capacity Act 2005 & DoLS
• Dysphagia Awareness
• Key Working with Individuals
• Enteral feeding (PEG/PEJ) Training

Book or Enquire

To book Nutrition and Hydration in Care Settings Training or request a quote for your team, use the enquiry form on this page or contact us directly.

Our Commitment to Quality and Compliance

At Prima Cura Training, all courses reflect current UK guidance and best practice.

All trainers are experienced professionals with relevant qualifications and ongoing CPD. Because many of the organisations we support work with vulnerable individuals, all trainers hold Enhanced DBS checks.

This course is reviewed against updates from the Care Quality Commission, NICE, BAPEN, RCSLT, and current UK legislation, including the Care Act 2014 and the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Course content aligns with NICE guideline CG32, the MUST tool, the IDDSI framework, CQC Regulation 14, and Care Certificate Standard 8.

You can read more on our Quality Assurance and Compliance page.

Reviewed by Stephanie Austin, Owner and Lead Trainer, Prima Cura Training | 25+ years in health and social care | 15+ years as a trainer | Last reviewed: April 2026 | Next review: April 2027

This page is for general guidance only and reflects current UK legislation, CQC guidance, NICE guidelines, and clinical best practice at the date of review. It does not constitute clinical, dietetic, or medical advice. Nutrition and Hydration in Care Settings Training is a CPD-accredited awareness course for care staff and does not replace clinical assessment by a registered dietitian, speech and language therapist, or other qualified clinician. Where individuals have swallowing difficulties, malnutrition risk, or complex nutritional needs, care must be delivered in accordance with the recommendations of the relevant clinical team and the individual’s care plan. Providers remain responsible for ensuring their nutrition and hydration arrangements, SALT pathway, monitoring systems, and staff training comply with CQC Regulation 14, the Care Act 2014, and all applicable legislation and regulatory guidance.

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