Epilepsy Awareness

Course Overview

Epilepsy Awareness Training gives care workers, education staff, and support workers the knowledge, confidence, and practical understanding to respond safely and appropriately when a seizure occurs, and to support individuals with epilepsy in a way that is genuinely person-centred rather than reactive and frightened.

Not all seizures look the way most people expect them to. The dramatic full-body convulsion that films and television have taught us to associate with epilepsy is one type. But there are many others. Absence seizures, where a person simply appears to blank out for a few seconds. Focal aware seizures, where someone remains conscious but experiences unusual sensations, movements, or emotions. Focal impaired awareness seizures, where a person seems confused, repetitive, or unresponsive without falling or convulsing at all.

A care worker who has only ever been shown one version of a seizure will not recognise the others. And a care worker who does not recognise what they are seeing cannot respond appropriately to it.

This is one of the most important things this course changes. Over the years, learners who have completed this training have gone on to recognise seizure types they had previously misread as behavioural episodes, absence episodes they had attributed to daydreaming, and focal seizures they had not realised were happening at all. In one case, a care worker was able to support an individual through a focal aware seizure because they recognised what was happening, stayed calm, understood why the person was behaving the way they were, and responded in exactly the right way. That is what this training is for.

This course is not a clinical programme. It does not cover emergency medication administration. It is an awareness course that ensures the people closest to an individual with epilepsy understand what epilepsy is, what different seizures look like, what to do and what not to do, and when to call for help.

The course reflects current guidance from NICE guideline NG217 (Epilepsies: diagnosis and management), updated 2024, best practice guidance from Epilepsy Action and the Epilepsy Society, and aligns with the expectations of the Care Quality Commission under Regulation 12 (Safe Care and Treatment) and Regulation 9 (Person-Centred Care).

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 Epilepsy Awareness
  • Refresher: Every 2 years
  • Group size: Flexible for team training

Who This Course Is For

This course is right for anyone who supports, works alongside, or is responsible for the care or supervision of individuals with epilepsy, including:

  • Care assistants and support workers in care homes, supported living, and domiciliary care
  • Senior carers and team leaders
  • Education staff, teaching assistants, and early years practitioners
  • School and college support teams working with children and young people with epilepsy
  • Health and social care staff across residential, nursing, and community settings
  • Managers and supervisors responsible for staff competence in seizure response
  • Anyone who may encounter a person having a seizure in a workplace or community setting

Why This Training Matters

Epilepsy affects around 630,000 people in the UK, making it one of the most common neurological conditions. Around 87 people are diagnosed with epilepsy every day. Despite this, it remains widely misunderstood, and the gap between what most people believe about seizures and what seizures actually look like is one of the most significant risks in everyday care and education settings.

The myths cause real harm. The belief that you should put something in the mouth of a person having a seizure to stop them swallowing their tongue is one of the most persistent. It is also wrong and potentially dangerous. You cannot swallow your tongue. Putting an object in someone’s mouth during a seizure can cause injury to them and to you. This course challenges these myths directly, replacing them with an accurate, current, evidence-based understanding.

NICE guideline NG217, updated in 2024, provides the current clinical framework for epilepsy diagnosis and management in the UK. While this course does not deliver clinical training, it ensures that care workers understand their role within the wider care and risk management framework and can respond in line with an individual’s documented seizure management plan.

Under CQC Regulation 12 (Safe Care and Treatment), providers are required to ensure that care is delivered in a way that protects individuals from avoidable harm. For a service supporting people with epilepsy, that includes ensuring staff can recognise a seizure when it happens, respond appropriately, and escalate correctly. A service where staff have never been trained in seizure response, or where training is based on outdated or inaccurate information, carries direct regulatory risk.

Under the Equality Act 2010, epilepsy is a protected characteristic as a disability. Employers and service providers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments. Understanding seizure triggers, environmental risk factors, and individual needs is part of meeting that duty in practice.

What You Will Learn

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

  • Explain what epilepsy is, what causes it, and why it affects people differently
  • Identify different types of seizures, including tonic-clonic, absence, focal aware, focal impaired awareness, and myoclonic seizures, and understand what each looks like in practice
  • Recognise that many seizures do not look like the dramatic convulsions shown in films and media, and respond appropriately to the full range of seizure presentations
  • Respond safely during a seizure, including what to do, what not to do, and the specific myths that must be challenged
  • Understand common seizure triggers and individual risk factors, and know how to minimise environmental risks
  • Provide appropriate support before, during, and after a seizure, including post-ictal care and reassurance
  • Know when to call emergency services and understand the specific criteria that require a 999 call
  • Follow an individual’s seizure management care plan correctly
  • Record and report seizures accurately, including what information to capture and why it matters clinically
  • Support dignity, independence, and inclusion for individuals with epilepsy in everyday life

Course Content

Content is adapted to your setting and team, but typically covers:

  • What epilepsy is, how it develops, and common misconceptions, including the myths that cause the most harm in care settings
  • The brain and seizures
  • Types of seizures
  • Seizure triggers
  • Safe seizure response
  • When to call 999
  • Post-ictal care
  • Individual seizure management plans
  • Recording and reporting
  • Environmental risk assessment and reasonable adjustments
  • Dignity, inclusion, and person-centred support

How the Course Is Delivered

Sessions are practical, scenario-based, and built around the real situations care workers, education staff, and support workers encounter. The aim is not just knowledge of what epilepsy is but genuine confidence in recognising and responding to it when it happens.

Delivery includes:

  • Scenario-based learning covering the full range of seizure types, including presentations that are commonly misread or missed entirely
  • Direct challenge of the persistent myths that lead to unsafe responses in practice
  • Discussion of real care situations, including how to follow a seizure management plan and when it applies
  • Practical guidance on recording, reporting, and escalation
  • Time for questions, because epilepsy consistently generates them once learners start understanding the range of what it involves

Certification and Validity

On completion, learners receive a CPD-accredited certificate of achievement in Epilepsy Awareness, valid for 2 years.

Refresher training at the two-year mark keeps knowledge current, maintains practical confidence, and reflects any updates to NICE guidance or organisational care plans. For services supporting individuals whose epilepsy is complex or actively changing, earlier refresher training is advisable.

In-House and Bespoke Training

We adapt delivery to your setting, your team, and the individuals you support.

We can build content around:

  • The specific seizure types and care plans relevant to individuals in your service
  • Your internal recording, reporting, and escalation procedures
  • Environmental risk assessment and reasonable adjustments specific to your setting
  • Education settings, including safeguarding responsibilities, individual healthcare plans, and school-based seizure response
  • Combined delivery with Epilepsy Awareness with Emergency Medication for teams who also need to cover buccal midazolam or other emergency interventions

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, 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, with no drop in quality or interaction.

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

FAQs

When should emergency services be called?

A 999 call is required if a seizure lasts longer than five minutes, if a second seizure begins without the person recovering from the first, if the person is injured during the seizure, if it is the person’s first known seizure, if the person does not regain consciousness, or if there are concerns about breathing. Where an individual has a seizure management plan in place, that plan may contain specific instructions. This course covers the decision-making criteria clearly, so care workers know when to act without hesitation.

Does this course cover emergency medication such as buccal midazolam?

No. This course covers epilepsy awareness and seizure response. The administration of emergency rescue medication such as buccal midazolam or rectal diazepam requires separate, role-specific training. If your team needs to cover emergency medication alongside awareness, our Epilepsy Awareness with Emergency Medication course covers both. We are happy to advise on the right option for your setting.

Is this course suitable for schools and education settings?

es. The course is suitable for schools, colleges, and early years settings and can be tailored to reflect individual healthcare plans, safeguarding responsibilities, and the specific duty of care obligations that apply in education. For schools, this course supports compliance with the Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school guidance (DfE, updated 2023).

Related Courses

You may also be interested in the following related training courses:

Book or Enquire

To book Epilepsy Awareness 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 NICE, Epilepsy Action, the Epilepsy Society, the Care Quality Commission, and current UK legislation, including the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and the Equality Act 2010. Course content aligns with NICE guideline NG217 (Epilepsies: diagnosis and management, updated 2024).

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, NICE guidance, and sector best practice at the date of review. It does not constitute clinical or medical advice. Epilepsy Awareness Training is an awareness-level course for care workers, education staff, and support workers and does not replace clinical assessment, specialist neurological input, or the management of epilepsy by appropriately qualified healthcare professionals. This course does not train or authorise staff to administer emergency rescue medication. Where individuals require emergency medication as part of their seizure management plan, staff must receive separate, role-specific training. Care workers must always act within their role, in line with the individual’s epilepsy care plan, and in accordance with their organisation’s policies and procedures. Individuals with concerns about epilepsy diagnosis or management should contact their GP or specialist neurologist.

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