Workforce · Training

CQC training matrix

A training matrix is the single view of who has done which training and when it is next due. Inspectors often ask for it early, because it shows quickly whether staff have the skills Regulation 18 requires. A good matrix also shows competency — that the person can actually do the task, not just that they attended a course.

MyCareCompliance brings practical CQC audits, evidence, workforce oversight and improvement actions into one platform for adult social care providers.

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Last reviewed: 30 September 2026. Independent guidance from AJG Advisory — not official CQC guidance. Always check the official sources listed below for current requirements.

Who it applies to

Registered managers and training leads in any CQC-registered adult social care service. CQC does not publish one mandatory course list; you decide what is needed based on the people you support and your staff roles.

What the matrix should show

Every current staff member, including bank and regular agency staff
Induction and Care Certificate progress for new care workers
Core training most providers treat as essential: safeguarding, moving and handling, infection prevention, fire safety, first aid, food hygiene, medicines, Mental Capacity Act and DoLS, health and safety, equality and diversity, data protection
Role-specific training linked to the people you support, such as epilepsy and rescue medication, PEG feeding, dementia, positive behaviour support or catheter care
Learning disability and autism training appropriate to each role (Health and Care Act 2022 requirement)
Completion date, expiry or refresher date, and whether competency has been observed

How inspectors use it

An inspector may pick a person you support with specific needs, then check whether the staff on that person's rota have the relevant training and a competency sign-off. A matrix that is 95% green overall can still fail this test if the specialist training is missing for the few staff who need it.

Keeping it honest

Colour by due date: overdue, due within 30 days, in date
Separate 'course completed' from 'competency assessed' for medicines and moving and handling
Record why someone is exempt, rather than leaving a blank
Review the matrix at every supervision and in the monthly governance report

Internal audit questions

1.Does the matrix include every current staff member, including bank staff?
2.Are refresher intervals set for each course and applied consistently?
3.Is overdue training visible, with an action and date to complete it?
4.Do staff giving medicines have both training and a current competency assessment?
5.Does specialist training match the needs of the people currently supported?
6.Have new starters completed or started the Care Certificate within the expected timeframe?

Practical checklist

Staff list reconciled with the rota
Refresher intervals agreed and recorded
Overdue items actioned with dates
Competency assessments recorded separately from courses
Specialist training mapped to people supported
Matrix reviewed in governance meeting

How MyCareCompliance can help

MyCareCompliance holds training records against each staff member in Workforce, with expiry warnings and a Training Matrix Audit template. Competency assessments can be uploaded or completed on screen and signed by both the assessor and the staff member, so the matrix and the evidence sit in one place.

Official sources

MyCareCompliance is founded by Jack Green, ACC Accredited Care Consultant, with over 10 years in adult social care and registered manager experience. Read Jack’s background.

See how the platform organises this work

Genuine product screenshots using demo data. Scores show internal assurance, not CQC ratings. Features vary by plan.

Compliance Centre showing overall score and domain ratings for a care service — Compliance Centre — one snapshot of where the service stands today.

Audit register listing scheduled and completed CQC audits with due dates — Audit programme — scheduled, completed and overdue audits in one register.

Improvement action plan with owners, priorities and due dates — Improvement plan — findings become actions with an owner and a deadline.

Workforce compliance records showing DBS, right to work and training expiry status — Workforce compliance — DBS, right to work, training and supervision expiry.

Need to manage this in your service?

Use MyCareCompliance to organise audits, actions, evidence and governance in one place. 7 days free, then from £24.99 per month for the whole organisation, inclusive of VAT. Features vary by plan.

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MyCareCompliance does not guarantee a CQC rating or inspection outcome.