Ask any registered manager what an inspector wants to see about training and the answer is nearly always the same: the matrix. One grid, staff down the side, subjects across the top, dates in the cells, showing who is in date, who is due soon and who is overdue. This free template does exactly that, and works out the colours for you.
CQC training matrix template
Excel file · 3 sheets · 50 staff rows · free, no sign-up
Download the template
What is in the template
- Training matrix – 50 staff rows with name, role, start date, Care Certificate date and the 11 core subjects most inspectors look for, plus overdue, due-soon and missing counts for each person.
- Due dates – the next due date for every person and subject, worked out automatically from the date last completed and the refresh period.
- Summary – for each subject, how many staff are in date, due within 60 days, overdue or have no record. A quick answer when someone asks “where are we with fire safety?”
What it looks like
| Staff name | Moving and handling | Basic life support | Fire safety | Safeguarding adults | Food hygiene |
|---|
| Care worker A | 10/02/2026 | 02/10/2025 | 15/01/2026 | 20/11/2025 | 09/05/2024 |
| Senior carer B | 28/11/2025 | 14/04/2026 | | 03/03/2026 | 12/06/2023 |
| Night carer C | 19/08/2026 | 19/08/2026 | 22/07/2025 | | 01/09/2025 |
In date
Due within 60 days
Overdue
No date recorded
Illustration only, with made-up names. In the file the colours update by themselves every time you open it.
How to use it
- Download the file and save your own copy.
- On the Training matrix sheet, type each person’s name and role from row 8 down.
- Type the date each person last completed each subject. The cell turns green, amber or red on its own.
- Check the refresh periods in row 6 and change any that differ from your training policy or commissioner contracts.
- Use the Summary sheet to plan bookings: the amber column is next month’s training list.
The 11 subjects and their starting refresh periods
The template starts with the core subjects from our CQC mandatory training checklist. The refresh periods follow Skills for Care’s statutory and mandatory training guide (updated December 2025) and the Oliver McGowan code of practice. Very little of this is fixed in law – the regulations require staff to be competent and safe, and providers set the detail – so treat them as starting points.
- Every 12 months: basic life support, and a review of medication training and competency.
- Every 36 months: moving and handling, fire safety (plus fire drills at least yearly), safeguarding adults, infection prevention and control, health and safety awareness, food hygiene, and the Oliver McGowan training.
- Left blank for you to set: the Mental Capacity Act and DoLS, and equality, diversity and human rights, where no national interval is given.
Refresh sooner when someone’s care needs change or a new risk, activity or piece of equipment comes in, and follow your own policy or commissioner contract where it is stricter. Change any number in row 6 and every date recalculates. For the detail on moving and handling see how often manual handling training is needed, and for the Oliver McGowan training see does Oliver McGowan training expire?
Keeping the evidence behind the grid
A matrix is only as good as the records behind it. Keep certificates filed against each line, note how each course was delivered (face to face, live webinar or e-learning), and remember that practical subjects such as moving and handling and basic life support need hands-on training rather than e-learning alone. Our guide to evidencing staff training for a CQC inspection covers the rest of the paperwork inspectors expect.
Training matrix FAQs
Is the training matrix template really free?
Yes. It is a free Excel file with no sign-up. Download it, save a copy and use it for your own service. It opens in Excel and Google Sheets.
Does the CQC require a training matrix?
The CQC does not prescribe a particular format, but it does check that staff have the training they need to be safe and competent. A training matrix is the simplest way to show that at a glance, which is why inspectors so often ask to see one.
What refresher periods does the template use?
It follows Skills for Care's statutory and mandatory training guide (December 2025): basic life support every 12 months, medication training reviewed every 12 months, and most other core subjects every 36 months. The Oliver McGowan training is set to 36 months, as its code of practice requires. The Mental Capacity Act and equality and diversity are left blank because no national interval is set. These are guidance, not legal intervals – change row 6 to match your own policy and any commissioner contracts.
How do the colours work?
Each cell turns green when the training is in date, amber when it falls due within 60 days, and red once it is overdue. A pale red cell means a named member of staff has no date recorded. The colours update every time you open the file.
Can I add my own subjects?
Yes. Rename any subject heading and set its refresh period in row 6. Leave the refresh period blank for one-off training that does not expire.
Key takeaways
- The training matrix is the first document most inspectors ask to see.
- This free template colours each record green, amber or red automatically.
- Refresh periods follow Skills for Care and the Oliver McGowan code – adjust them to your policy.
- Keep certificates and delivery details filed behind every line.
Fill the red and amber cells
Book the practical and mandatory courses your matrix shows are due: Oliver McGowan, PMVA, moving and handling and the Care Certificate, at our Liverpool centre, in London or on site anywhere in England.