Reading List

These official sources support the course content and are useful for follow-up at work, supervision, refresher learning and policy review. The course is UK-wide: England regulator and NHS England documents are included where they give clear practice guidance. Devolved sections signpost Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland resources so local pathways remain distinct.

Core UK practice and England regulator sources

• NHS England: Enhanced Health in Care Homes framework
  Covers personalised care and support planning, recognising deterioration, the role of care home staff and families, and the use of shared escalation processes and tools.
• NHS England: Managing acute physical deterioration through the PIER approach
  Guidance on prevention, identification, escalation and response to deterioration, including baseline awareness, soft signs, concerns raised by families or staff, person-centred care planning and structured communication.
• NHS England: Supporting care homes to identify deterioration
  Practical national work on training, recognising deterioration and using tools such as RESTORE2, RESTORE2mini and NEWS2.
• CQC Regulation 12: Safe care and treatment
  England-specific expectations on risk assessment, staff competence, acting in medical emergencies and providing safe care and treatment.
• NICE NG27: Transition between inpatient hospital settings and community or care home settings for adults with social care needs
  Guidance on safe transitions, communication and continuity between hospital and care homes.
• NICE NG27 recommendations
  Detailed recommendations on transfer and discharge planning, medicines information, summaries and joined-up care.
• Resuscitation Council UK: ReSPECT for healthcare professionals
  Guidance on emergency care and treatment planning where ReSPECT is used locally, including how plans support care home staff and other professionals in emergencies.

Wales signposting

• GOV.WALES: Standardising the management of acute deterioration
  Welsh guidance on the national acute deterioration approach in NHS Wales and on the local system arrangements and escalation infrastructure.

Scotland signposting

• Scottish Government: The Health and Social Care Framework for Adults Living in Care Homes - Supporting self-management, anticipatory care planning and palliative care
  Scottish guidance on anticipatory care, person-centred decision-making and coordinated support in care homes.
• Scottish Government: The Health and Social Care Framework for Adults Living in Care Homes - Urgent and emergency care
  Scottish signposting on urgent care, treatment escalation, time-critical responses and hospital access when transfer is appropriate.

Northern Ireland signposting

• Department of Health Northern Ireland: Enhancing Clinical Care Framework in care homes
  Northern Ireland guidance on multidisciplinary in-reach, anticipatory care, acute illness, frailty and clinical pathways for care homes.
• Department of Health Northern Ireland: Care standards documents
  Standards for residential and nursing homes, including local regulatory expectations and safe care systems.
• Western Health and Social Care Trust: Acute Care at Home
  An example of a local urgent assessment and admission-avoidance pathway used in one Northern Ireland service area.

For daily practice, follow your home's current escalation route and the resident's live care plan first. Use these official sources when you need wider clinical, regulatory or nation-specific detail.