Cough Assist training that gets your team CQC-ready
- CQC-aligned, mapped to the Care Certificate framework
- Completed in the hub in over 60 languages
- A certificate for every staff member, for your CQC evidence
- A wrong answer triggers a follow-up lesson, so gaps are closed
No subscription needed. Bulk discounts from 10+ licences.
From £25.99 per staff member, one-off. No subscription needed.
Trusted by UK care providers
Specialists in the technology behind it all
The same technology behind the world's best products powers CareStream, so your team's cough assist training stays accurate, always up to date with the latest guidance, and is delivered in over 60 languages.
Why Cough Assist Matters
A strong cough clears mucus and germs from the lungs. People with conditions like motor neurone disease, muscular dystrophy or spinal cord injury have weak respiratory muscles, so their cough cannot generate enough force to move secretions out.
When secretions stay in the lungs they cause infections, collapsed lung areas and breathing failure. The cough assist machine creates an artificial cough by pushing air in and then rapidly pulling it out, moving secretions up where they can be removed.
What is the main purpose of using a cough assist device?
In the hub, a wrong answer sends the staff member a short follow-up lesson and a fresh question on the same point. They close the gap before they can finish the module, and every attempt is recorded for your CQC evidence.
That is how the training works. Give your whole team the full Cough Assist module.
Avg. Duration
About 35 minutes
Certificate
For every staff member
Available Languages (60+)
Course Published by
A clear, practical grounding in cough assist.
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 knowledge component must be combined with your person-specific practical competency assessment.
By the end, your staff will be able to:
- 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
A closer look at the cough assist module.
The module is built in short, practical sections. Each one teaches a part of the topic, then applies it to a real care scenario and checks understanding before moving on.
Why Cough Assist Matters
A strong cough clears mucus and germs from the lungs. People with conditions like motor neurone disease, muscular dystrophy or spinal cord injury have weak respiratory muscles, so their cough cannot generate enough force to move secretions out. When secretions stay in the lungs they cause infections, collapsed lung areas and breathing failure. The cough assist machine creates an artificial cough by pushing air in and then rapidly pulling it out, moving secretions up where they can be removed.
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. Every person has settings prescribed by their physiotherapist or respiratory clinician: inspiratory pressure (the breath in), expiratory pressure (the breath out), timing of each phase, and number of cycles. These settings are specific to that individual's lung capacity and condition. You must never change these settings. Your role is to use the device exactly as prescribed and documented in their care plan.
Recognising When Someone Needs Cough Assist
You need to recognise the signs that secretions are building and the person needs airway clearance. Listen for rattly or noisy breathing, watch for increased work of breathing such as using accessory muscles or nasal flaring, check if oxygen saturations are dropping below their normal range, and notice if they look anxious or uncomfortable. Some people have a regular schedule in their care plan, while others need it in response to these signs. Always check the individual care plan for when and how often to use cough assist for that person.
Using Cough Assist as Part of the Respiratory Routine
Cough assist is rarely used alone. It works best as part of a sequence: position the person upright or as directed in their plan, give nebulised saline if prescribed to loosen secretions, use manual techniques like breath stacking if you are trained and it is in the plan, then deliver the cough assist cycles, and finally suction to remove the secretions that have been moved up. For ventilated individuals, you disconnect from the ventilator, deliver the cough assist, suction, then reconnect. You must coordinate each step with the person, giving them time to recover between cycles.
When to Stop and Escalate
You must know your limits and when to stop the therapy and get help. Stop immediately if the person becomes very distressed or panicked, if their oxygen saturations drop significantly and do not recover, if they develop a very fast or irregular heart rate, if you see signs of stomach distension or vomiting, or if secretions are blood-stained or you cannot clear them despite repeated attempts. In these situations, position them safely, give oxygen if prescribed and you are trained, and contact the clinical team or call 999 depending on severity. Never continue if you are unsure or the person is deteriorating.
Equipment Care and Infection Prevention
In a home setting, you are responsible for keeping the cough assist equipment clean and safe. After each use, disconnect the circuit and clean the mask or mouthpiece with warm soapy water, rinse and dry thoroughly, or follow the manufacturer instructions if different. Replace filters as per the schedule in the care plan. Check the device is charged and working before each shift. Store equipment in a clean, dry place away from the person's sleeping area if possible. Single-use circuits must never be reused. If equipment is faulty, do not use it; use the backup plan in the care plan and report the fault immediately.
The things your team must remember.
- 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
Not a slideshow once a year. Training that sticks.
CareStream delivers cough assist training in the hub your team already uses, grounded in best practice and your own policies, so it fits your care setting and not a generic template.
Short teaching sections and a real care scenario, then an assessment that checks understanding.
Staff complete it in over 60 languages, while your records stay in English.
A wrong answer triggers a short follow-up lesson and a fresh question, so the gap is closed.
Automatic reminders at 90, 30 and 7 days, with a live compliance dashboard.
From your dashboard to your team, in the CareStream hub.
Training is delivered in the hub each staff member logs into. You allocate the modules, they complete them in their own language, and you get the completion records and certificates for your CQC evidence, with any gaps closed by automatic follow up training.
Assign Cough Assist to each staff member in seconds. No course builder and no setup for each person.
Staff work through the module on any device, in over 60 languages, teaching then checking understanding. A wrong answer sends a short follow up lesson.
See live completion status and a certificate for every person, ready as evidence for CQC.
Any step, in their language, in one tap.
Care teams are diverse and training should not leave anyone behind. On any lesson or question, a staff member taps the language button and the whole step flips into the language they think in. They understand it properly, and your records stay in English.
- One tap flips any lesson or question into their language, instantly.
- Over 60 languages, with no setup and no separate versions to manage.
- Completions and certificates stay in English for your CQC evidence.
Try the language buttons in the preview above.
Built for real learning, not box ticking
Every CareStream course goes further than a lesson and a quiz. These features come as standard on every course, giving your staff a richer way to learn and giving you the evidence to prove it.
Every course is built on recognised UK guidance and cites its sources, from NICE and Skills for Care to the NHS and the legislation itself.
A plain English glossary of the technical terms in each course. A simple way to support every learner, including staff with English as a second language.
A quick knowledge check before the lesson is compared with the final assessment, so every certificate comes with evidence of how much the course actually taught.
After passing, staff record what they will do differently in their day to day work. Their reflection is saved to their training record and shown with their certificate.
A printable one page takeaway of the outcomes, key points and key terms. Perfect for staff files, supervision conversations and the staff room wall.
A printable checklist for managers to confirm skills in practice, with a sign off section. It completes the picture beyond the knowledge assessment.
Wrong answers become lessons, not failures
Most e learning marks an answer wrong and moves on. CareStream does not. Every wrong answer triggers an automatic follow up loop that teaches the point again and rechecks it, so no knowledge gap is left behind.
A wrong answer immediately opens a short lesson explaining the point, so the gap is closed there and then.
A fresh question on the same point checks the lesson has landed. The loop repeats until it has.
Staff move on to the next module and their certificate once they genuinely know the answer, not just after one lucky guess.
Why choose CareStream?
Training built for the care sector, delivered the way busy teams actually learn.
- 90+ care-specific training courses
- Bitesize, engaging lessons your staff actually finish
- Mapped to the Care Certificate & CQC standards
- Available in 60+ languages
- Instant certificate on completion
- Flexible learning, anytime, on any device
- Content kept up to date with UK care regulations
- Time to complete: ~35 min
Frequently asked questions.
Is Cough Assist training mandatory in care settings?
How often should staff complete Cough Assist training?
Can CareStream deliver Cough Assist training in other languages?
Does the training include an assessment?
More training your team may need
More mandatory and role-specific training CareStream delivers to your team, in the hub, in any language. Add any of these to your basket.
Annual CertificateCultural Diversity in Care
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Bulk discounts from 10+ licences
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Annual CertificateMental Health Awareness
This module helps you recognise signs of mental health difficulties in residents and respond with compassion and respect. You will learn how mental health affects wellbeing, how to support residents experiencing distress, and when to seek additional help. Understanding mental health is essential to providing person centred care that maintains dignity.
Bulk discounts from 10+ licences
Annual CertificateShared Lives Arrangements and Matching
This training explains how we carefully match supported people with the right Shared Lives carer and household. Good matching is the foundation of every successful Shared Lives arrangement because it creates real, lasting relationships built on shared interests, compatibility and ordinary family life. You will learn how to assess people properly, involve them in choosing, introduce them gradually and support arrangements over time.
Bulk discounts from 10+ licences
Annual CertificateBoundaries in a Family-Home Setting
This training helps you understand and maintain healthy, safe boundaries while providing Shared Lives care in your own home. You will learn how to balance the warmth and closeness of family life with professional responsibilities, keeping everyone safe and respecting the privacy and independence of the person you support, yourself, and your household. The training covers money, relationships, privacy, confidentiality, and how to recognise when boundaries need attention.
Bulk discounts from 10+ licences
Annual CertificatePromoting Ordinary Living and Independence
This module helps you support the people you care for to live as independently as possible, making their own choices and living ordinary lives in the community. You will learn practical ways to promote independence, respect personal choice, and help people participate fully in everyday activities that matter to them.
Bulk discounts from 10+ licences
Give your team cough assist training that actually sticks.
Add it to your basket, allocate it in seconds, and let the evidence build itself.
Compared
Three ways to train a care team.
These modules are written and kept current by us, so your managers do not have to write or maintain them. We have compared what each approach does rather than naming providers, because products change and this should still be true next year.
| CareStream | A generic e-learning library | A trainer you book | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Try a real lesson and a real question before you buy | |||
| Learning outcomes and time to complete stated up front | |||
| Written lesson sections, each with its own illustration | |||
| Interactive exercises after the lesson that teaches them, in every module | |||
| Assessment in every module, with the key points to revisit | |||
| Taken in any of sixty plus languages | |||
| A wrong answer triggers a follow-up lesson, not just a re-sit | |||
| Practical sign-off by a manager where the subject needs it | |||
| Completion files itself into your training matrix and evidence pack | |||
| Bought one module at a time, with no annual contract |
Generic libraries are often cheaper per learner. They teach a national standard rather than being built, updated and evidenced around the way a CQC-registered service is actually inspected.
Care policies
Every module is written from a policy
If the policy behind it is out of date, the training inherits that. Sixty six policies written for your service, checked against current law and read by a person before they carry your name, from £39.
