Review the record before the evidence
Start by confirming that your staff list, roles, training requirements and renewal dates are current.
Evidence is only useful when it is attached to the right person and requirement. Check leavers, new starters, role changes and duplicate staff records before trusting the totals.
Write down the scope of the review: which teams, sites, dates and record types are included. This prevents a clean-looking percentage from being mistaken for complete coverage.
Prioritise gaps
Focus first on overdue training, expired records, missing evidence and registrations that are due soon or expired.
SkillProof surfaces these gaps in the Action Centre and reports so managers can act before the audit date.
- Overdue training
- Due soon training
- Missing certificates
- Expired registrations
- Incomplete appraisal or CPD actions
Record evidence decisions and exceptions
For each sampled record, note whether evidence is accepted, awaiting review, rejected or missing. Record the reviewer, decision date and correction needed when proof is rejected.
Keep exceptions visible: new starters inside an agreed grace period, people on extended leave, requirements marked not applicable and records waiting for an external source. An exception should have a reason, owner and review date rather than disappearing from the total.
Prepare the pack
The audit pack should explain the status clearly and link supporting evidence where available.
Avoid relying on a one-off spreadsheet export that nobody has reviewed against the evidence.
Include the report date, filters used, known gaps, actions already assigned and the owner for each unresolved item. A short, honest exception list is more useful than a pack that hides uncertainty.
Example
Simple audit pack contents
A review pack should show the current record position, the evidence behind it and the gaps still open.
Pack section
Training matrix export
Include
Complete, overdue, due soon and missing evidence status.
Pack section
Evidence list
Include
Approved, pending and missing certificates or proof.
Pack section
Registration summary
Include
Renewal dates and manual review status where relevant.
Pack section
Open actions
Include
Overdue training, missing evidence and manager follow-up.
Pack section
Notes
Include
Important context for exclusions, role changes or pending reviews.
Official guidance used for this guide
Checked
There is no single training-audit checklist for every UK organisation. For CQC-regulated providers, Regulations 17 and 18 are relevant examples; other organisations should use the rules and standards that apply to their work.