Introduction and guidance

Caring for adults is an introductory course for both paid and unpaid carers who are supporting people at home or in a residential, community or day care setting.

Whether you are in a paid or a voluntary caring role, or caring for a family member, this course will help to extend your knowledge and skills to develop your awareness of a range of topics: interpersonal skills for care, mental health problems, dealing with emergencies and looking after yourself as a carer. The course also considers the difference between supporting other people with their basic daily needs and more involved care responsibilities that will also depend on the needs of the cared-for person.

Each section of the course offers short, interactive quizzes to test your knowledge and provide you with the opportunity to earn a digital badge.

Successful completion of the course will enable you to gain a suite of online badges and a statement of participation. The badges are validated by the Social Partnerships Network (SPN), a group of organisations with a shared commitment to extending education opportunities to all those who wish to benefit. These courses do not carry any formal academic credit. However, they do provide a way to help you progress from informal to formal learning.

Caring for adults is one of a suite of six free online SPN-badged courses that aim to provide you with an opportunity to engage with learning informally, studying as much or as little of the course and at your own pace.