Cough Assist training for your team
Licence this one module for the staff who need it. No CareStream subscription, no minimum order, no annual contract. One licence covers one member of staff for the complete Cough Assist module, in the language they think in.
- Teach, then assessA full lesson with a real care scenario, followed by an assessment that checks they can apply it.
- Over 60 languagesStaff read the lesson and answer in their first language. Your records stay in English.
- Wrong answers get followed upA short micro-lesson goes back to the staff member on the exact point they missed, then they retry.
- Evidence you can hand overA dated completion record and a certificate per person, ready for your CQC file.
Cough Assist, start to finish.
This annual refresher covers the safe use of mechanical insufflation-exsufflation (cough assist) devices to help people with weak coughs clear secretions from their airways. You will review why this therapy matters, how the device works, the prescribed settings you must follow, how to recognise when someone needs help, and when to stop and get clinical support. This is the same module CareStream subscribers get, written for care settings rather than adapted from a generic course. It runs about 35 minutes and ends with a 20 question assessment.
- Why Cough Assist Matters
A strong cough clears mucus and germs from the lungs.
- How the Device Works and Prescribed Settings
The cough assist delivers a positive pressure breath to inflate the lungs, then rapidly switches to negative pressure to pull air out at speed, mimicking a forceful cough.
- Recognising When Someone Needs Cough Assist
You need to recognise the signs that secretions are building and the person needs airway clearance.
- Using Cough Assist as Part of the Respiratory Routine
Cough assist is rarely used alone.
- When to Stop and Escalate
You must know your limits and when to stop the therapy and get help.
- Equipment Care and Infection Prevention
In a home setting, you are responsible for keeping the cough assist equipment clean and safe.
What your team will be able to do.
- Explain why people with neuromuscular conditions need cough assist and what happens if secretions are not cleared
- Identify the prescribed settings for the individual you support and why you must never change them
- Recognise the signs that someone needs cough assist and the signs that you must stop and escalate
- Describe how cough assist fits into the wider respiratory routine including positioning, suctioning and ventilation
- Apply infection prevention principles to the cleaning and maintenance of cough assist equipment in a home setting
Cough Assist in facts.
About 35 minutes, 6 lessons
20 questions, pass mark 80%
Every year
Yes, observed by the employer, checklist provided
What staff come away with
Cough assist creates an artificial cough to clear secretions when the person's own cough is too weak, preventing chest infections and breathing failure
Every person has settings prescribed by a physiotherapist or respiratory clinician. You must never change these settings; if the person seems uncomfortable, contact the clinical team
Recognise signs that secretions are building: rattly breathing, increased work of breathing, dropping oxygen saturations, and use cough assist as per the care plan
Cough assist is part of a sequence: positioning, nebuliser if prescribed, cough assist cycles, then suctioning. Follow the exact order in the person's care plan
Stop immediately and escalate if saturations drop and do not recover, the person is very distressed, you see blood in secretions, or you cannot clear the airway
Clean masks and circuits after every use, check the device is charged, replace filters on schedule, and never use faulty equipment
Three steps, and nothing to set up.
Checkout takes a minute. Your licences and a receipt arrive by email straight away.
Enter their names and emails, or paste a list. They get an invite to the hub on any device.
You see who has finished, their score, and their certificate as each one comes in.
Everything a licence includes.
Dated, named, and downloadable as a PDF for your training file.
Over 60 languages, chosen per staff member. Your reporting stays in English.
Buy one module for one person if that is all you need. Nothing recurring.
Licences do not expire the moment you buy. Staff have a year to complete.
Before you buy.
How long does Cough Assist training take?
About 35 minutes, across 6 short lessons, followed by a 20 question assessment with a pass mark of 80%. Staff can stop and pick up where they left off.
What does the Cough Assist module cover?
6 lessons: Why Cough Assist Matters, How the Device Works and Prescribed Settings, Recognising When Someone Needs Cough Assist, Using Cough Assist as Part of the Respiratory Routine, When to Stop and Escalate and Equipment Care and Infection Prevention. Each one pairs the teaching with a care scenario and a quick check.
How often do staff need to refresh Cough Assist?
CareStream sets this module so it renews every year. Staff and managers are reminded before a certificate lapses, so the refresher is booked before the gap appears.
Does Cough Assist need a practical assessment?
Yes. The online module is the knowledge part. Staff also need an observed assessment in the workplace, carried out by their employer, and CareStream provides the observation checklist to record it.
Do I need a CareStream subscription to buy this?
No. This page exists precisely so you do not. You buy the licences you need, your staff complete the module in the CareStream hub, and that is the end of it. There is no trial to start, no card kept on file, and no subscription that begins quietly afterwards.
If you later decide you want the full platform, anything your staff have already completed carries across into your account.
What does one licence actually cover?
One licence covers one named member of staff for this one module, including the lesson, the assessment, any follow-up questions triggered by a wrong answer, and their certificate. Licences are not shared between people, because the completion record has to belong to an individual to be worth anything at inspection.
How quickly can staff start?
Immediately. The licences are on your account as soon as the payment clears, and staff get their invite the moment you add them. There is no onboarding call and no setup period.
Can staff complete it in another language?
Yes. Each staff member has a first language on their profile, and the lesson, the questions and the feedback all arrive in it. They answer in that language too. What you see as a manager stays in English, so the record reads the same whoever completed it.
What if someone fails the assessment?
Nothing is lost. A wrong answer triggers a short follow-up lesson on that specific point, and they retry it. The record shows the improvement from the first attempt to the latest, which is stronger evidence than a single pass mark, because it shows the gap was found and closed.
Can I buy for more than one service?
Yes. Buy the total number of licences you need and allocate them across your services when you add staff. If you are licensing for a group and want an invoice rather than a card payment, get in touch and we will raise one.
Licence any of these the same way.
Same price, same terms, no subscription needed.
