Make seizure training mandatory in all child and vulnerable adult work settings

Our family have been through a lot due to epilepsy. We want the government to change the law so that anyone working in a child or vulnerable adult care setting goes through seizure training as part of their training, before starting the job.

Currently there is no requirement for all staff to receive seizure‑specific training and many settings provide little or no training. We are concerned that this puts children and adults who suffer from seizures at risk. Seizures can be extremely dangerous. Simple training at the start of a new job could save lives. We are asking for this to be mandatory for all nursery, school and care setting staff.

The Government recognises the importance of children and vulnerable adults who experience seizures receiving care and support that is safe, responsive and tailored to their individual needs.

Enhancing the skills of staff working in adult social care is vital to ensuring that care provided is good quality and personalised to an individual. This includes equipping staff with the skills and confidence to support people who may experience seizures.

The Department of Health and Social Care launched the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme in September 2024, providing funding for eligible care staff to complete training courses and qualifications, including the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate.

The Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate includes training on areas such as health and safety, basic life support, medication management, and recognising changes in an individual’s condition. These core competencies help care workers to identify and respond appropriately to a wide range of health needs, including seizure activity, and to take action where necessary. In addition to the Level 2 certificate, the Learning and Development Support Scheme also provides funding for more specialist training, including the Level 3 Award in Epilepsy and the Administration of Buccal Midazolam, supporting staff to develop the skills needed to respond safely and effectively to more complex conditions.

The Care Workforce Pathway sets out the knowledge, skills, values and behaviours expected across adult social care roles, and is supported by the Care Certificate standards, which define the baseline training expected for staff who are new to care. The Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate builds on these standards and provides a recognised qualification aligned to the “new to care” role category in the Pathway, establishing the core knowledge that staff should have at the start of their careers.

The Government will continue to support a person-centred approach to adult social care, underpinned by a skilled workforce able to deliver tailored and responsive care focused on the needs of an individual.

Improving the support for children and young people with medical conditions is also a key priority for the Government. Staff training should be suitable to the role and level of responsibility expected of staff. The Department for Education recently consulted on revised statutory guidance on Supporting children and young people with medical conditions and allergy (https://consult.education.gov.uk/medical-conditions-at-school/medical-conditions-at-school-statutory-guidance/supporting_documents/supporting-children-and-young-people-with-medical-conditions-and-allergypdf) which will reinforce the expectation in our current statutory guidance (Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3) that staff in schools, colleges and early years settings should have training and awareness of medical conditions and know how to respond in an emergency. We are considering the responses to the consultation and will respond and publish the revised guidance in due course.

Provision of continuous professional development for employed social workers is a matter for their employer. The regulator for the social work profession, Social Work England, sets the professional standards which all social workers must meet. Social workers complete initial education and training courses which are approved by the regulator against the education and training standards. Course providers must update and design their courses as a result of developments in research, legislation, government policy and best practice.

Children’s homes providers must ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to respond to the individual health needs of children, including those arising from chronic conditions or other complex needs. At least one person on duty at any given time in a children’s home must have a suitable first aid qualification. We are undertaking a review of professional development (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-professional-development-for-the-childrens-homes-workforce-terms-of-reference) to ensure staff have the right skills, qualifications and training. Supported accommodation providers must ensure young people receive appropriate support and staff understand the health needs of young people, including responding to specific conditions in line with care or support plans.

Department for Education