Reading List

A curated Reading List to support and extend learning from Infection Prevention, Cleaning and Decontamination for Residential Care Staff.

This course is written for UK residential care staff. Where relevant and current, examples come from England; the four-nations section directs you to equivalent operational manuals or guidance for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

1. Core Adult Social Care IPC Guidance

• DHSC - Infection prevention and control: resource for adult social care
  The main England adult social care IPC resource. It covers IPC principles, safe management of care equipment, cleaning, decontamination, laundry, waste, spillages, outbreak response, and roles and responsibilities in adult social care settings.
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/infection-prevention-and-control-in-adult-social-care-settings/infection-prevention-and-control-resource-for-adult-social-care

• DHSC - Infection prevention and control: quick guide for care workers
  A practical frontline summary covering hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, PPE, cleaning, laundry and waste disposal. Handy for day-to-day care-worker actions that reduce infection risk.
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/infection-prevention-and-control-in-adult-social-care-settings/infection-prevention-and-control-quick-guide-for-care-workers

• Health and Social Care Act 2008 - code of practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance
  The England regulatory framework that sets IPC expectations for registered adult social care providers, including policies, training, risk assessment, cleanliness, outbreak management, staff health arrangements and annual review requirements.
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-health-and-social-care-act-2008-code-of-practice-on-the-prevention-and-control-of-infections-and-related-guidance/health-and-social-care-act-2008-code-of-practice-on-the-prevention-and-control-of-infections-and-related-guidance

2. Cleaning, Decontamination, and Operational Standards

• NHS England - National infection prevention and control manual for England: Chapter 1 Standard infection control precautions
  An operational source on standard precautions, including safe management of care equipment, the care environment, linen, waste, spillages and occupational safety. Particularly useful for cleaning and decontamination practice.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/national-infection-prevention-and-control-manual-nipcm-for-england/chapter-1-standard-infection-control-precautions-sicps/

• NHS England - National standards of healthcare cleanliness 2025
  A national cleaning standards document covering governance, responsibilities, definitions of cleaning and disinfection, audit expectations and safe systems for cleaning work.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/national-standards-of-healthcare-cleanliness-2025/

• HSE - COSHH and cleaners: key messages
  Health and safety advice on risks from cleaning chemicals, including dermatitis and occupational asthma, safe storage, exposure minimisation, ventilation, PPE and hand care. Relevant where care staff carry out cleaning tasks.
  https://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/industry/cleaning.htm

3. Infection Recognition and Outbreak Response

• UKHSA and DHSC - Infection prevention and control (IPC) in adult social care: acute respiratory infection (ARI)
  An England guide for adult social care on preparation, resident and staff symptoms, testing arrangements, outbreak response, visiting, isolation support and when to contact local health protection services. Respiratory infections remain a major risk for care homes.
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/infection-prevention-and-control-in-adult-social-care-acute-respiratory-infection/infection-prevention-and-control-ipc-in-adult-social-care-acute-respiratory-infection-ari

• UKHSA - Report an outbreak of acute respiratory infection in an adult social care setting
  A current England outbreak-reporting route and guidance page explaining when to report an ARI outbreak and how some regions use online submission while others use local Health Protection Team arrangements.
  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-an-outbreak-of-acute-respiratory-infection-in-an-adult-social-care-setting

• CQC - Infection prevention and control in care homes
  A provider-facing CQC page with inspection prompts on IPC in care homes, including environmental cleaning, decontamination leadership, outbreak response and training. Useful for understanding regulatory expectations; the page is noted as under review.
  https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-regulation/providers/adult-social-care/infection-prevention-control-care-homes

4. Four-Nations Signposting

• Scotland - Care Home Infection Prevention and Control Manual (CH IPCM)
  The Scottish care-home IPC manual covering standard precautions, environmental cleaning, reusable equipment decontamination and supporting toolkits. Scotland uses this distinct operational manual.
  https://www.nipcm.scot.nhs.uk/infection-prevention-and-control-manual-for-older-people-and-adult-care-homes/

• Wales - Social care guide to controlling acute respiratory infections
  A Wales-facing social care IPC guide that reflects Welsh practice and emphasises balancing infection control with the fact that care homes are also people's homes. Use it to align practice with Welsh arrangements rather than assuming England guidance applies unchanged.
  https://www.gov.wales/social-care-guide-controlling-acute-respiratory-infections-html

• Northern Ireland - NI Infection Control Manual
  A Northern Ireland IPC manual covering standard precautions, environmental cleaning, reusable care equipment, linen, waste and related operational guidance. Northern Ireland follows its own manual and structures.
  https://www.niinfectioncontrolmanual.net/standard-precautions/

Use this Reading List to deepen your practical knowledge of IPC, cleaning and decontamination, outbreak response, and the nation-specific manuals or frameworks that may apply outside England.