Our commitment
Bubble Fresh (Bubblefresh Limited, company number 12691029) is committed to providing all employees with the training and development they need to carry out their roles safely, competently, and confidently. Given the specialist nature of our work — supporting vulnerable adults in their homes, often in sensitive and challenging situations — proper training is not optional. It is essential to the safety of our clients, our staff, and the quality of the service we deliver to our council partners, including Northamptonshire Council, Milton Keynes Council, Norfolk County Council, and Norwich City Council. The Director, Lance James, has overall responsibility for training and development and ensures that adequate resources are available to meet our training commitments.
Who this policy covers
This policy applies to all Bubble Fresh employees, including full-time and part-time staff, team leaders, and management. It also applies to agency workers, temporary staff, and any other individuals carrying out work on our behalf (see the section on agency and temporary staff below). Volunteers, if engaged, must complete the same mandatory training as employed staff before undertaking any client-facing activity.
Training hours
Each employee receives a minimum of 20 hours of training per year, comprising induction modules, mandatory refreshers, and specialist development. All training is delivered during paid working hours. We track training hours per employee and report them to council partners on request. Training hours are recorded in each employee's individual training record and reviewed as part of the annual performance review. Where an employee joins part-way through the year, we calculate a pro-rata training hours target based on their start date.
Induction and probationary period
All new employees complete a structured induction programme before starting any client-facing work. No employee carries out client-facing duties until every mandatory training module has been completed and signed off. The induction covers all mandatory training topics listed in this policy, an introduction to Bubble Fresh values and ways of working, an overview of our key policies (including our Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct, Professional Boundaries Policy, Health and Safety Policy, and Lone Working Policy), practical demonstrations of equipment and cleaning methods, the expectations of our council partners, and (where the employee will be assigned to a particular council area) an introduction to the specific requirements of that council. During the probationary period (normally the first 3 months of employment), new employees work alongside an experienced team member. A team leader or manager carries out observed practice assessments at regular intervals during this period, typically at weeks 2, 6, and 12. Employees must pass all observed assessments before working independently on client-facing jobs. Where an employee does not meet the required standard, we provide additional support and training and extend the assessment period as needed.
Mandatory training
All new employees complete mandatory training before starting client-facing work. Mandatory training includes safeguarding awareness (Level 2 minimum, delivered by an accredited provider, with annual refresher), Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check clearance, health and safety induction, manual handling, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) awareness, infection control and hygiene, fire safety awareness, data protection and confidentiality, professional boundaries, lone working awareness, equality and diversity awareness, and modern slavery awareness. Team leaders complete Level 3 safeguarding training. Where legislation or guidance changes between scheduled refreshers, we deliver updated training as soon as practicable.
Specialist training
Employees involved in specific types of work receive additional specialist training before carrying out that work. This includes biohazard cleaning procedures and the safe handling of clinical waste, hoarding awareness and compassionate working practices (including use of the Clutter Image Rating Scale and understanding of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System as it relates to hoarding), self-neglect awareness (understanding the signs and appropriate responses when a client may be neglecting their own care or living environment), trauma-informed practice (see the dedicated section below), mental health awareness, end-of-life and bereavement-sensitive cleaning (working with respect and care in properties where a death has occurred or where a family is grieving), first aid (selected team members, refreshed every 3 years as required by the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981), body-worn camera operation and data handling (in line with our Body-Worn Camera Policy), asbestos awareness, and waste segregation and documentation (in line with our Waste Management Policy). The Director decides which specialist training each employee requires based on their role and the types of work they will carry out.
Trauma-informed practice
Because our work regularly involves people who have experienced trauma, loss, or prolonged difficulty, we train all client-facing staff in trauma-informed practice. This training covers understanding how trauma affects people's behaviour, emotions, and ability to make decisions, recognising signs of distress and knowing how to respond calmly and without judgement, working at the client's pace and respecting their choices about their belongings and their home, understanding that behaviour which may seem difficult or uncooperative is often a response to past experience, maintaining professional boundaries while showing genuine compassion, understanding the link between trauma and self-neglect so that staff can respond with awareness rather than assumption, and knowing when and how to refer concerns to the appropriate support service. Trauma-informed practice is not a one-off course. We reinforce these principles through regular team discussions, reflective practice sessions, and supervision. We refresh formal trauma-informed training annually. Our approach to safeguarding, set out in our Safeguarding Policy, works alongside trauma-informed practice to keep clients safe while treating them with dignity and respect.
Training delivery methods
We deliver training through a range of methods to suit different learning needs and topics. All training is provided during paid working hours; we never require employees to complete training in their own time. Methods include face-to-face classroom sessions led by a qualified trainer or the Director, online learning modules that employees can complete at their own pace, shadowing experienced team members on real jobs (under supervision), observed practice where a team leader watches an employee carry out a task and provides feedback, practical demonstrations of equipment, products, and cleaning techniques, team briefings and toolbox talks covering specific topics or updates, and external courses delivered by accredited providers (for example, safeguarding, first aid, and asbestos awareness). We choose the delivery method that best suits the topic and the learner. For practical skills such as biohazard cleaning and manual handling, we always include a hands-on element. We do not rely solely on online learning for any safety-critical topic.
Accessibility of training
We are committed to making training accessible to all employees, including those with learning difficulties, dyslexia, low literacy, or other additional needs. We take the following steps to make sure no one is excluded from training: we offer training in spoken and visual formats, not just written materials, we use plain English in all training materials with a target reading age of around 12, we allow extra time for assessments where needed, we provide one-to-one support during training where an employee would benefit from it, we check understanding through conversation and practical demonstration rather than relying on written tests alone, and we ask employees about their learning needs during induction and adjust our approach accordingly. If an employee tells us they need training to be delivered differently, we will do our best to make that happen. Reasonable adjustments are made in line with our obligations under the Equality Act 2010. Our commitment to equal treatment in training is also set out in our Equality and Diversity Policy.
Agency and temporary staff
Agency workers and temporary staff must complete mandatory training before carrying out any client-facing work on our behalf. Where an agency worker can provide evidence of equivalent training completed within the last 12 months (for example, a current safeguarding certificate from an accredited provider), we will accept that evidence subject to verification. Where evidence is not available or does not meet our standards, the agency worker must complete our own training before starting work. An agency worker who has not completed the required training will not be permitted to work on site. Agency and temporary staff also receive a site-specific briefing before each new job, covering the particular requirements of the client, the property, and the referring council. We keep training records for agency and temporary staff in the same way as for directly employed staff. The agency supplying the worker is responsible for ensuring valid DBS checks are in place before the worker starts; we verify this before allowing any client-facing activity. For more detail on our approach to subcontracted and agency work, see our Subcontractor Policy.
Council-specific training requirements
Each of our council partners may have specific training requirements that go beyond our standard programme. For example, a council may require particular safeguarding training, specific reporting procedures, or additional awareness training related to local service user needs. We identify council-specific requirements at the start of each contract or referral arrangement and build them into the training plans for staff working on that council's jobs. Where a council updates its requirements during the contract period, we update our training within the timescale agreed with that council. We keep a record of council-specific training requirements alongside each contract and make sure that only staff who have completed the relevant training are assigned to that council's work. We report training compliance to each council partner as part of our regular contract reporting, in line with our Quality Assurance Policy.
Training for managers and team leaders
Team leaders and managers have additional training responsibilities and receive additional training to reflect those responsibilities. This includes Level 3 safeguarding training (and refresher), managing and supervising others, carrying out observed practice assessments, recognising and responding to staff wellbeing concerns, conducting performance reviews and identifying training needs, incident investigation (in line with our Incident Reporting Policy), and understanding the council-specific requirements for the teams they lead. The Director ensures that all managers and team leaders are confident in their supervisory and training-related duties. Where a team leader identifies a gap in their own skills or knowledge, they can raise this at any time and we will arrange appropriate development.
Training matrix and refresher schedule
We maintain a training matrix that records, for each employee, which training modules they have completed, the date of completion, the provider, the date the next refresher is due, and whether the module is mandatory, specialist, or council-specific. The training matrix allows us to see at a glance whether any employee is overdue for a refresher or missing a required module. The Director reviews the training matrix at least quarterly to identify gaps and ensure compliance. Our standard refresher schedule is as follows: safeguarding awareness is refreshed annually, health and safety induction is refreshed annually, manual handling is refreshed annually, COSHH awareness is refreshed annually, infection control is refreshed annually, fire safety is refreshed annually, data protection is refreshed annually, professional boundaries is refreshed annually, equality and diversity awareness is refreshed annually, modern slavery awareness is refreshed annually, trauma-informed practice is refreshed annually, first aid is refreshed every 3 years, and DBS checks are renewed every 3 years (or sooner if required by a council partner). Where a council partner requires more frequent refreshers than our standard schedule, we follow the council's requirement. Any employee can ask to see their own training matrix record at any time.
Evaluating training effectiveness
We do not assume that training has been effective just because it has been delivered. We evaluate training effectiveness in several ways: observed practice assessments after training, where a team leader watches the employee apply what they have learned on real jobs, feedback from employees about the quality and usefulness of training sessions, monitoring of incidents, complaints, and near misses to identify whether training gaps contributed to the issue, feedback from council partners about the competence and conduct of our staff, review of quality inspection results to spot patterns that may indicate a training need, and regular one-to-one conversations between team leaders and their team members. Where evaluation shows that training has not been effective, we review the content, delivery method, or both, and retrain as needed. The Director considers training effectiveness data as part of the quarterly management review, alongside quality and incident data from our Quality Assurance Policy and Incident Reporting Policy.
Ongoing development
Beyond mandatory and specialist training, we support the ongoing professional development of all employees. We encourage employees to identify areas where they would benefit from further training or development. Annual performance reviews include a formal discussion of training needs and result in a personal development plan for the year ahead. We support employees in working towards nationally recognised qualifications where appropriate and relevant to their role. We address training gaps identified through reviews, incident analysis, council feedback, or quality inspections within agreed timeframes. We share learning from incidents, complaints, and good practice across the team through regular briefings. We also stay up to date with guidance from relevant professional bodies, such as the British Institute of Cleaning Science and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, and incorporate relevant learning into our programme.
Staff wellbeing and training
Our work can be emotionally demanding. We include mental health awareness in our mandatory training programme so that all employees can recognise signs of stress or distress in themselves and their colleagues. Team leaders receive additional training on supporting staff wellbeing and knowing when to escalate concerns. We encourage open conversations about the emotional impact of our work and provide regular check-ins. Where an employee is affected by a particularly difficult job, we offer a debrief and access to further support. Any employee who has concerns about the quality or safety of our training can raise them with the Director or through our Whistleblowing Policy without fear of penalty. Our approach to staff wellbeing is set out in more detail in our Social Value Statement.
Training records
We maintain detailed records of all training completed by each employee, including the date, content, provider, and outcome (pass, further development needed, or not yet assessed). We verify competency after training through observed practice assessments or supervisor sign-off, normally within 4 weeks of the training being delivered. Training records are stored securely with access restricted to the Director, the employee's line manager, and the employee themselves. Council partners and regulatory bodies can audit training compliance summaries on request; we share compliance summaries rather than full individual records to support data minimisation. The legal basis for processing training records is contractual necessity under Article 6(1)(b) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) for our employees, and legitimate interests under Article 6(1)(f) for reporting to council partners. We retain training records for the duration of employment plus 6 years after the employee leaves, in line with our Privacy Policy. When an employee leaves, their training records are archived securely and access is restricted to the Director.
Related policies
This policy should be read alongside our Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct, Professional Boundaries Policy, Health and Safety Policy, Lone Working Policy, COSHH Policy, Infection Control Policy, Body-Worn Camera Policy, Equality and Diversity Policy, Quality Assurance Policy, Incident Reporting Policy, Waste Management Policy, Subcontractor Policy, Whistleblowing Policy, Social Value Statement, and Privacy Policy.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, best practice, or the needs of our team and council partners. Where we make material changes — for example, changes to mandatory training requirements, refresher schedules, or competency assessment methods — we will notify all employees and brief them on the changes before they take effect. We will also inform our council partners of any material changes that may affect the training of staff working on their contracts.
Contact us
If you have any questions about our training and development programme, contact us on 01933 213045 (Relay UK: 18001 then 01933 213045) or by post at Bubblefresh Limited, 6 Carnegie Street, Rushden, Northamptonshire, NN10 9SN.
Review
The Director, Lance James, reviews this policy and our training programme annually to ensure they remain current and reflect changes in legislation, best practice, and the needs of our team. We actively seek feedback from employees and council partners and use it to improve training content and delivery. Last reviewed: February 2026. Next review due: February 2027.
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