Aim of the course

This course aims to give learners the knowledge required to support people’s nutritional and hydration needs while maintaining safe food-hygiene practices.

It helps learners recognise malnutrition, dehydration, food-safety risks and changes in eating or drinking patterns. It also promotes person-centred support that respects individual preferences, independence, dignity, culture, religion, medical requirements and communication needs.

Scope of the course

The course is designed for care workers, healthcare assistants, support workers, nurses, catering staff, housekeeping teams, agency workers and other people involved in preparing, serving, monitoring or supporting food and drink in health and social care settings.

It covers awareness-level knowledge relating to:

1. Balanced nutrition and hydration.
2. Individual dietary requirements.
3. Supporting eating and drinking.
4. Malnutrition and dehydration risks.
5. Food allergies and intolerances.
6. Personal and food hygiene.
7. Safe food storage, preparation and service.
8. Monitoring, recording and escalation.

This course does not qualify a learner to prescribe therapeutic diets, diagnose malnutrition, independently modify food textures or fluid consistency, provide specialist swallowing therapy, or manage enteral or parenteral nutrition without additional role-specific training and competency assessment.

Learners must follow the person’s assessed care plan, workplace food-safety procedures and advice from appropriately qualified professionals.

Topics covered

The course covers:

1. The meaning of nutrition, hydration and food hygiene.
2. The importance of adequate food and fluid intake.
3. The main food groups and components of a balanced diet.
4. Factors that affect nutritional and hydration needs.
5. Person-centred food and drink support.
6. Cultural, religious, ethical and personal dietary preferences.
7. Medical diets, allergies and food intolerances.
8. Recognising malnutrition and unintended weight loss.
9. Recognising dehydration and inadequate fluid intake.
10. Screening, monitoring and escalating nutritional concerns.
11. Supporting independence, choice, dignity and privacy.
12. Safe assistance with eating and drinking.
13. Mealtime positioning and environmental considerations.
14. Dysphagia awareness and choking risks.
15. Following prescribed texture-modified diets and fluid recommendations.
16. Oral health and its effect on eating and drinking.
17. Personal hygiene and effective handwashing.
18. Fitness to work and reporting symptoms of illness.
19. The Food Standards Agency’s four food-safety principles: cleaning, cooking, chilling and avoiding cross-contamination.
20. Safe storage, preparation, cooking, reheating and serving.
21. Temperature control and maintaining the cold chain.
22. Cleaning and disinfection of food-contact surfaces and equipment.
23. Preventing bacterial, physical, chemical and allergen contamination.
24. Food allergen awareness and accurate communication.
25. Safe management of leftovers and food waste.
26. Recording food and fluid intake.
27. Reporting concerns and changes in the person’s condition.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, learners should be able to:

1. Define nutrition, hydration, malnutrition, dehydration and food hygiene.
2. Explain why adequate nutrition and hydration are essential for health and wellbeing.
3. Identify the main components of a balanced diet.
4. Recognise factors that can affect a person’s food and fluid intake.
5. Describe how to provide person-centred nutritional support.
6. Explain how culture, religion, preferences and medical needs may influence food choices.
7. Recognise common signs of malnutrition and dehydration.
8. Identify when poor intake, weight loss or swallowing concerns require escalation.
9. Explain how oral health, positioning and the dining environment can affect intake.
10. Describe safe ways to support a person with eating and drinking.
11. Recognise the importance of following assessed texture and fluid recommendations.
12. Explain the importance of personal hygiene and effective handwashing.
13. Apply the principles of cleaning, cooking, chilling and preventing cross-contamination.
14. Identify common sources of bacterial, physical, chemical and allergen contamination.
15. Describe how food should be stored, prepared and served safely.
16. Explain the importance of food-allergy information and preventing allergen cross-contact.
17. Record food and fluid intake accurately where required.
18. Report changes, concerns, errors and food-safety incidents promptly.

The course supports the principles of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, particularly Regulation 14: Meeting nutritional and hydration needs. Its food-hygiene content follows the Food Standards Agency’s approach to food-safety management, including cleaning, cooking, chilling and avoiding cross-contamination.