Bowel care is core care: dignity, comfort and — for people with neurogenic bowel dysfunction — genuine safety depend on it being done well, on time, in every setting. Built on the RCN's bowel care guidance and the national MASCIP/SIA/BASCIS statement, this course covers how the lower bowel works, the Bristol Stool Form Scale, reflex and flaccid neurogenic bowel, established programmes, diet and medicines, the intimate interventions (DRE, DRS, DRF, TAI) and who may perform them, red flags, and the records that protect people in domiciliary care, care homes and supported living. It is the knowledge half of a blended model, paired with workplace competency sign-off.
What this course covers
- Describe how the lower bowel works, what neurogenic bowel dysfunction changes, and why programmes replace waiting for urges
- Use the Bristol Stool Form Scale accurately as the shared language of bowel records
- Explain each intervention — DRE, DRS, DRF and TAI — and who may lawfully perform them, under what training and sign-off
- Deliver and support bowel care safely and with dignity: consent, privacy, positioning, technique awareness and stop signals
- Recognise red flags — bleeding, obstruction, overflow masquerading as diarrhoea, autonomic dysreflexia — and escalate correctly
What's in each section
Bowel Care runs across 12 sections, each ending in a quick knowledge check:
- Core Care, Not a Side Task
- The Lower Bowel, Simply
- The Bristol Stool Form Scale
- Neurogenic Bowel: Reflex or Flaccid
- The Established Programme
- Diet, Fluids and Medicines
- The Interventions: DRE, DRS, DRF, TAI
- Who May Do What
- Safe and Dignified, Every Time
- Red Flags: When Routine Isn't
- Records That Protect
- Dignity, Rights and Advocacy
How much does Bowel Care training cost?
£3.99 per person on Care2Learn, with no minimum order and no subscription. If your team needs a full training matrix rather than one course, a subscription from £1.99 per learner per month covers every course in the catalogue — see the 2026 price comparison.
Who needs it
Care workers, support workers and nurses delivering or supporting planned bowel care in domiciliary care, care homes and supported living — and the managers responsible for competency sign-off and rota cover. Completion is recorded with the date taken and the date it is next due, so it appears correctly on your training matrix and can be evidenced at inspection.
What the learner receives
A certificate in their own name carrying our CPD Member badge (The CPD Certification Service), showing the completion date and the renewal date a year later, downloadable at any time. The record belongs to the learner, not just the employer — it travels with them rather than sitting in one provider's system.
Related courses
Providers usually assign these alongside Bowel Care.
- Catheter & Continence Care — 45 min online, £3.99 per person
- Spinal Cord Injury Care — 60 min online, £3.99 per person
- Autonomic Dysreflexia — 50 min online, £3.99 per person
- Nutrition & Hydration — 45 min online, £3.99 per person
You can also browse the full catalogue, or read about the Care Certificate for staff new to care.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Bowel Care training take?
About 60 min of e‑learning, across 12 sections with 15 assessment questions. Learners can stop and resume at any point, and it works on a phone.
What does Bowel Care training cover?
By the end of the course a learner should be able to describe how the lower bowel works, what neurogenic bowel dysfunction changes, and why programmes replace waiting for urges; use the Bristol Stool Form Scale accurately as the shared language of bowel records; explain each intervention — DRE, DRS, DRF and TAI — and who may lawfully perform them, under what training and sign-off. The full list of learning outcomes is set out above.
Is Bowel Care CPD Aligned, and how is it assessed?
Yes — it is CPD Aligned, and the certificate carries our CPD Member badge. The assessment is multiple choice with a pass mark of 70%; attempts are recorded and learners can retake it. Renewal is set at 12 months from the completion date, so the course reappears on your training matrix when it is due.
Can care workers legally carry out digital removal of faeces (DRF)?
Yes — under the right framework. The 2018 national statement from MASCIP, SIA and BASCIS expressly names personal carers 'provided with sufficient knowledge and training' among those who may deliver SCI bowel care, including DRF, under an established documented programme. This course is the knowledge half; hands-on delivery also needs supervised practice and a written competency sign-off by your employer, recorded on the platform beside the course.
Does this count towards the Care Certificate?
No — this is a standalone course rather than one of the Care Certificate standards. The Care Certificate is available as its own guided course for staff who are new to care.
Start Bowel Care today
£3.99 per person pay-as-you-go — buy it for yourself, or put your whole team on a subscription from £1.99 per learner a month.
Buy this course — £3.99 Add to your team