Mandatory Training for Healthcare Staff in Ireland: In-Person or eLearning?

There is no single answer to whether mandatory training for healthcare staff in Ireland should be in person or online. The HSE's own pages show a mix: some programmes are eLearning on HSeLanD, some are classroom-only, and some, such as manual handling, are split into an online theory module followed by a practical session. This guide sets out what those official pages say about each format, what the law does and does not say, and how an employer can make a sensible choice. Where we offer opinions, they are labelled as our suggestions.

If you want background on the portal itself first, see this explainer on what HSeLanD is and how mandatory modules work. This post takes a narrower angle: which formats the official pages actually point to, and how to decide between them.

What the law says about training format

According to Citizens Information (page last edited 25 August 2022), employers must provide instruction and training to employees on health and safety, and must allow paid time off for safety awareness training. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 on the Irish Statute Book, in the part on instruction, training and supervision, refers to training being adapted to new or changed risks and repeated periodically as appropriate, and, where competency requirements are prescribed for particular work, to employers releasing employees during working hours, where appropriate and without loss of remuneration, to attend training.

What the pages we read do not do is say that training must be delivered in person, or that it may be delivered online. The statute speaks of training being appropriate to the risks, not of a particular medium. That means the format question is largely one of fitness for purpose: can the format actually deliver the competence the job requires?

A caution on scope. The HSE pages quoted below describe HSE training arrangements. They are not a legal rule for private nursing homes, GP practices, disability services or other employers, although some employers may choose to use them as a benchmark, particularly where they are funded by or work alongside the HSE. Your regulator, funder or contract may set its own expectations, so check those directly.

What the HSE says is delivered online

The HSE page on HSeLanD describes it as an online training portal for HSE staff and states that over 200 eLearning courses are available. It lists mandatory eLearning programmes "where appropriate", on-demand eLearning, and online registration for classroom and blended training events. Users can print a certificate of achievement when they complete a programme. The page does not show a last-updated date.

Examples of online-only delivery on HSE pages include:

• Introduction to Children First. The HSE Children First page describes it as an eLearning module on HSeLanD lasting approximately one and a half hours, mandatory for HSE staff, and it mentions no classroom option. A separate HSE document says staff repeat it every three years and give the certificate to their line manager. Neither page shows a date.
• An overview of the Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023. An HSE Patient Safety Act training poster (the file name indicates September 2024) lists this as an online module on HSeLanD for all staff working in health and social care services.
• Safety, health and welfare in healthcare. The HSE health and safety courses listing labels this course as HSeLanD.

What the HSE says needs a classroom or practical session

The same pages show areas where the HSE does not rely on eLearning alone:

• Manual handling and people handling. The HSE overview says the theory module should be completed on HSeLanD where possible and otherwise delivered in a classroom by a trainer. The practical module is always classroom-based. The theory certificate must be shown to the instructor, and the theory should be completed no more than six weeks before the practical session. Without a certificate dated within that window, the page says the person cannot take part in the practical training.
• First Aid Responder. The HSE health and safety courses listing labels it as classroom.
• Open disclosure skills. The HSE poster lists a face-to-face skills workshop, described as a three-hour workshop on managing the open disclosure process and mandatory for all those involved in that process, alongside the online modules.

The HSE's inanimate manual handling practical page describes assessment of skills such as floor lifts, bench lifts and team lifts, and says the session takes approximately three hours, depending on the complexity of the handling being taught. That is a good illustration of the underlying logic: a skill that is physical and observed is taught and assessed with a trainer present, while the knowledge that supports it can be learned online first.

Summary of what the official pages show

The HSE health and safety courses page also labels each course as HSeLanD, classroom or both, and marks which are mandatory for all staff, for line managers, or based on a training needs assessment. It does not explain why each format was chosen, and it does not show a last-updated date. HSE web pages can change, so check the current version before relying on any detail here.

A practical approach to choosing the format

Our suggestion: for each mandatory topic, ask what a competent person must be able to do, not just know. The following questions can structure the decision.

• Is the learning mainly knowledge or mainly a physical or interpersonal skill? Awareness topics suit eLearning; hands-on or conversational skills usually benefit from observed practice.
• Can competence be checked? If a manager needs to see the person perform the task, a practical session gives the evidence that a completion certificate alone does not.
• Is the content specific to your premises, equipment or residents? Generic online content cannot cover your own layout, equipment or procedures.
• Can staff realistically complete it? Rotas, shift patterns and access to devices affect completion. Citizens Information says employers must allow paid time off for safety awareness training, so build the time into rotas.
• What does your regulator or funder expect? Confirm this directly rather than assuming that the HSE position applies to you.

A blended model mirrors the HSE manual handling approach: online theory first, then a practical session within a defined window. Our suggestion is to set a similar window for your own blended topics so that the knowledge is fresh when the practical session happens.

Keeping evidence whichever format you use

The HSE pages refer to certificates of achievement, line managers holding certificates, and a three-year repeat cycle for certain programmes. For your own service, a practical approach is to keep, for each person and topic: the date, the format, the provider, the certificate or attendance record, and the date the refresher is due. Record the practical sign-off separately from the online certificate where both apply, because the two prove different things.

Where a mix of in-house and external sessions is needed, this guide to choosing between in-house training and open courses covers the trade-offs. For a wider view of what healthcare employers typically need to cover, see the overview of mandatory training for healthcare workers.

What we could not confirm

The HSE pages we read do not set refresher intervals for every topic, and the page for health and safety courses does not define what HSeLanD means in its labels. The Health and Safety Authority's page on information, instruction, training and supervision in health and social care could not be read in full, so we have not relied on it. If a refresher interval matters to your service, confirm it against the current HSE policy or your regulator's guidance.

Learnsignal's offices are off Baggot Street in Dublin, and we offer in-person training from there. For current details, see our CPD pages.

Frequently asked questions

Is eLearning enough for mandatory training in Irish healthcare?

For some topics, the HSE pages show eLearning on HSeLanD as the format, such as the Children First introduction. For others, such as manual handling and open disclosure skills, the pages show a practical or face-to-face element as well. The answer depends on the topic.

Does the law require training to be in person?

The sources we read do not say so. Citizens Information says employers must provide instruction and training and paid time for safety awareness training, and the 2005 Act refers to training adapted to risks and repeated periodically as appropriate. Neither source prescribes a medium.

Do the HSE's rules apply to private providers in Dublin?

The HSE pages describe HSE arrangements. Private and voluntary providers should check what their own regulator, funder or contract requires, and may choose to use the HSE approach as a benchmark.

Is time spent on training counted as working time?

Citizens Information says employers must allow paid time off for safety awareness training, and the 2005 Act refers to releasing employees without loss of remuneration to attend training where competency requirements are prescribed. If you are unsure how this applies to a specific course, check with the Workplace Relations Commission or take legal advice.

How should we record training?

Keep the date, format, provider, certificate or attendance record and refresher date for each person and topic. This is our suggestion rather than a legal requirement.

Whatever mix you choose, match the format to the skill and keep evidence that each person is competent, not just that a module was opened.