Care Certificate – you might have been asked to complete it when you take on a job in Health and Social Care. But, what exactly is it and why should you do it?
It was developed by Skills for Care as a common induction framework for people working in Healthcare. It is used in many settings including the NHS, Home Care, Care homes etc. Developed in 2015, it is still a useful training tool for those employed in any care setting. In 2013 the Francis Inquiry identified serious failures in healthcare provision, Camilla Cavendish was asked by the then-Secretary of State to review and make recommendations
on the recruitment, learning and development, management and support of healthcare assistants and social care support workers, to help ensure that this workforce provided compassionate care. The result was the Care Certificate.
So what exactly is the Care Certificate?
It is made up of 15 “standards” which are basically subjects that include topics from understanding your role, safeguarding, dignity and privacy, Each Standard has both a learning resource – often completed via eLearning along with a workbook. Each standard must be completed and assessed.
Is it Mandatory?
Neither SKills for Care nor the CQC state that it is mandatory to complete. However, it helps to meet the requirements of Safe, Well-led domains for CQC. Along with that, if an employer does not choose to use it, they should still provide effective induction training to meet the needs of all new staff.
There is often some confusion as to whether you need to redo it each time you move employer. Technically this is not the case, practically it often is as an employer will often get new employees to redo it. We recommend that when you complete the Care Certificate you use our study guides and workbooks and keep a copy – that way you have them if you have to redo the training.
We have a number of resources to help you complete the Care Certificate, including study guides which can be found here
Care Certificate FAQ
Health care workers in the following settings Healthcare Support Workers / Health Care Assistants / Assistant Practitioners
/ any individual giving support to clinical roles in the NHS where there is any direct contact with patients. Workers will be providing direct care to people accessing a variety of social care settings which may include, residential, nursing homes, hospices, domiciliary care, supported living services, shared lives services and extra care housing. Roles may include Care Assistant / Care Worker / Homecare Worker / Care Support Workers.
No it is not compulsory however providers must ensure that they have an induction programme that prepares staff for their
role. It is expected that providers that employ healthcare assistants and social care support workers should follow the Care Certificate standards to make sure new staff are supported, skilled and assessed as competent to carry out their roles.