Stroke Awareness

Course Overview

By the time a stroke looks obvious, time has already been lost.

The early signs are often subtle. A face that won’t quite smile right. An arm that feels strange. A sentence that comes out wrong. In a busy care setting, those things can be easy to miss, explain away or wait on.

But stroke doesn’t wait.

Around 100,000 people have a stroke each year in the UK, and it remains the fourth leading cause of death, with 38,000 stroke-related deaths every year. For those who survive, the consequences can be life-changing. The Stroke Association reports that there are currently 1.4 million stroke survivors in the UK living with its effects, making stroke the leading cause of complex adult disability in this country.

The single biggest factor in whether someone survives and recovers well is time. How quickly the signs are recognised. How fast someone calls 999. Whether the person nearest to them at that moment knew what they were looking at.

In care settings, that person is often your staff.

Our Stroke Awareness training gives care and support workers the knowledge to spot the signs of stroke quickly, respond without hesitation and follow the right escalation steps. It is not a clinical course. It does not teach diagnosis or treatment. What it does is prepare the people most likely to be first on the scene to do exactly what needs to be done in those critical first minutes.

The course reflects current NHS guidance and the Stroke Association’s recommendations, and is built around the Act FAST approach as promoted in the NHS England Act FAST campaign, most recently relaunched in November 2024. It supports safe practice in line with CQC Regulation 12: Safe Care and Treatment under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, which requires providers to have arrangements in place to respond appropriately to clinical and medical emergencies.

Course Details

  • Duration: Half day (3 hours)
  • Delivery: Face-to-face, in-house or remote via Zoom or Teams
  • Certificate: Stroke Awareness certificate
  • Validity: Recommended refresh every 1-2 years
  • Group size: Flexible

Who the Course Is For

This course is designed for care and support staff who work directly with adults, including:

  • Care assistants and support workers
  • Healthcare assistants
  • Domiciliary and residential care staff
  • Supported living staff
  • Personal assistants working under Personal Health Budgets or Direct Payments
  • Community and voluntary sector staff

It is particularly relevant for staff who support older adults or individuals with underlying health conditions that increase stroke risk, those who may be the only person present when a medical emergency occurs, and anyone whose role requires them to recognise deterioration quickly and escalate without delay.

Stroke does not only affect older people. Over a quarter of all strokes now occur in people of working age, under 65. Your staff need to be ready to recognise the signs in anyone they support, not just the residents or clients who already fit the expected profile.

Why This Training Is Important

The numbers are stark

A stroke strikes every five minutes in the UK. Many of those strokes happen in the presence of care workers: in residential homes, in someone’s own home during a domiciliary visit, in supported living settings. Without prompt treatment, stroke can result in death or long-term disabilities including paralysis, memory loss and communication problems.

The gap between a good outcome and a catastrophic one is often measured in minutes. Brain cells die rapidly when the blood supply is cut off. The sooner emergency treatment begins, the better the chance of survival and meaningful recovery.

Act FAST: what every care worker needs to know

The NHS Act FAST campaign, relaunched by NHS England in November 2024, is built on one principle: any sign of stroke is reason enough to call 999 immediately. The FAST acronym gives staff a simple, memorable framework for recognising the most common signs:

  • Face: Has one side of the face dropped? Can the person smile normally?
  • Arms: Can the person raise both arms and hold them there? Is there weakness or numbness on one side?
  • Speech: Is speech slurred, unclear or confused? Can the person understand what is being said to them?
  • Time: Call 999 immediately. Do not wait to see if symptoms improve.

The Stroke Association is clear: stroke is a medical emergency, even if symptoms appear to resolve on their own. A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) produces the same signs as a full stroke and must be treated with the same urgency. Symptoms that pass within minutes are not a reason to hold off calling for help. They are a warning that something serious has happened and that the risk of a full stroke is now significantly elevated.

What CQC expects from providers

Under CQC Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, providers must have arrangements in place to respond to clinical and medical emergencies. Staff must have the qualifications, competence, skills and experience to respond to those situations safely. Inspectors do not just check that training has been completed. They assess whether staff can actually apply that knowledge when it matters. Stroke awareness is a core part of demonstrating that your team can recognise deterioration and act without delay.

The experience behind the training

Training that has only ever existed on a slide deck is not the same as training delivered by someone who has seen this happen in real life. During a Prima Cura training session delivered in a Personal Health Budget holder’s home, the trainer recognised the signs of a TIA in the holder’s wife during the session itself. The appropriate response was taken immediately, emergency services were contacted, and the situation was managed correctly. It is also a regular feature of our stroke awareness sessions that learners bring their own experiences: family members who have had strokes, moments where they noticed something was wrong but were not sure what to do. That shared experience sits at the heart of how we deliver this course.

What You Will Learn

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Understand what a stroke is, how it affects the brain and why time is the single most critical factor in outcomes
  • Recognise the signs and symptoms of stroke and TIA using the Act FAST framework, including less obvious presentations
  • Respond appropriately and without delay to a suspected stroke, including what to do while waiting for emergency services
  • Distinguish between a stroke and a TIA, and understand why a TIA requires the same immediate response
  • Identify the key risk factors for stroke and recognise individuals in their care who may be at elevated risk
  • Follow correct escalation, recording and reporting procedures following a suspected stroke or medical emergency
  • Support individuals and their families in the aftermath of a stroke, with an understanding of the recovery process

Course Content

  • What is a stroke? How the brain is affected and why speed matters
  • Types of stroke: ischaemic and haemorrhagic
  • Transient Ischaemic Attack: what it is and why it is always a medical emergency
  • Causes and risk factors for stroke
  • Recognising the signs and symptoms of stroke, including atypical presentations
  • The NHS Act FAST approach in practice
  • Responding to a suspected stroke: what to do and what not to do
  • Emergency escalation: calling 999, what to tell the operator, recording the time of onset
  • What happens after emergency services arrive
  • Supporting individuals and families during recovery
  • Recording, reporting and documentation following a medical emergency

How the Course Is Delivered

Training is delivered face-to-face at your workplace or chosen venue, or remotely via Zoom or Teams.

Sessions are built around real care scenarios, not hypothetical textbook situations. Learners work through recognition and response exercises grounded in the environments they actually work in: what a TIA might look like during a morning care call, how to respond when a person cannot communicate clearly, and how to manage a situation when you are the only staff member present.

Training includes:

  • Recognition-based scenarios drawn from domiciliary, residential and supported living settings
  • Decision-making exercises around emergency response and escalation
  • Application of Act FAST in practical, realistic situations
  • Discussion of what the NHS and emergency services do next, so staff understand the full picture

Where appropriate, we build in your organisation’s emergency procedures, reporting systems and the specific needs and risks of the individuals you support. Training that reflects your actual working environment is training that holds when a real situation arises.

Certification and Validity

Learners receive a Stroke Awareness certificate on completion.

Refresher training is recommended every 1-2 years, or sooner, where:

  • Staff roles change and bring new responsibilities or higher-risk client groups
  • A stroke or suspected stroke has occurred in your service
  • NHS or Stroke Association guidance is updated
  • Inspection feedback identifies gaps in staff knowledge or emergency response confidence

In-House Training

All training is delivered in-house or remotely and built around your organisation and the people you support. We can:

  • Align training with your emergency procedures and escalation pathways
  • Incorporate the specific stroke risk profile of the individuals in your service
  • Adapt content to the care setting: residential, domiciliary, supported living or community
  • Support staff at different levels of existing knowledge and experience

This is not an off-the-shelf course with your logo on it. It is training built around the real risks your staff face and the real people they are responsible for.

Course Location and Service Areas

We deliver in-house training at your workplace or chosen venue, which means staff learn in the environment they work in every day.

Our trainers work across Manchester and Greater Manchester, with regular delivery throughout the North West. We also deliver nationwide, covering the North East, Midlands, London, Surrey and across South England via our experienced associate network.

Every session, wherever it is delivered, is held to the same Prima Cura standard.

FAQs

Is stroke awareness training a legal requirement for care providers?

There is no single regulation that names this course specifically. But the obligations on providers are clear. Under CQC Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, providers must ensure staff have the competence to respond to clinical and medical emergencies safely. Stroke is one of the most common medical emergencies in adult care settings. Demonstrating that your staff can recognise it and respond correctly is a direct part of evidencing Regulation 12 compliance. It also supports your duty of care under common law and the broader expectation, reflected throughout CQC inspection frameworks, that staff can identify deterioration and act without delay.

What should a care worker do if they suspect someone is having a stroke?

Call 999 immediately. Do not wait to see whether the symptoms improve or resolve. Note the time that symptoms were first observed and pass that information to the 999 operator, as it directly affects which treatments are available. Stay with the person, keep them calm, do not give them anything to eat or drink, and do not leave them alone. Follow your organisation’s emergency escalation procedures and document everything as soon as the immediate situation is managed. This course covers all of that in detail.

What if only one or two FAST signs are present?

Call 999 anyway. The NHS Act FAST campaign is clear: call 999 at the first sign of stroke, even if it does not seem like much. The signs of stroke can be subtle in the early stages, and waiting to see whether a second or third sign appears wastes time that directly affects outcomes. Any one sign is enough.

What is a TIA, and is it treated differently from a stroke?

A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) produces the same signs as a stroke, but symptoms may resolve within minutes or hours. It is sometimes called a mini-stroke. It must be treated with the same urgency as a full stroke. A TIA is a serious warning that the brain’s blood supply has been temporarily disrupted, and the risk of a full stroke in the days following a TIA is significantly elevated. Emergency services must be called. The Stroke Association has clear guidance on this: do not wait to see whether the person seems fine. Act FAST, all the same.

Can stroke awareness training replace first aid training?

No. This is an awareness course focused specifically on stroke recognition and emergency response. It works alongside our Emergency First Aid at Work and First Aid at Work courses, but does not replace them. Organisations supporting individuals with elevated health risks will want both in place.

Who is most at risk of stroke among the people we support?

Risk increases significantly with age, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking and previous TIA. People from Black or South Asian backgrounds have a higher risk of stroke and tend to experience strokes at an earlier age. If your service supports any of these groups, this training is not optional. The course covers risk factors in detail so staff can identify the individuals in their care who need the closest attention. The NHS stroke risk information gives a full breakdown of contributing factors.

Can the training be adapted for our setting and client group?

Yes. A domiciliary service, a care home supporting people with dementia and a supported living service for adults with learning disabilities all carry different day-to-day risks, even though the signs of stroke and the required response are the same. We build the training around your setting, your procedures and the people your staff support.

Related Courses

Book or Enquire

If your staff may ever be the first person to notice that something is wrong with someone they support, this course is for them.

Get in touch, and we will build a session around your service, your setting and your team.

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 NHS England, the Stroke Association, the Care Quality Commission and current UK healthcare guidance, including the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

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

Reviewed by Stephanie Austin– Owner & 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 course provides awareness of stroke recognition and response for non-clinical care and support staff. It does not replace clinical assessment, diagnosis or treatment. In all suspected cases of stroke or TIA, emergency services must be contacted immediately. All content reflects current NHS England guidance and Stroke Association recommendations as of April 2026.

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