Last updated 10th November 2014
we help to improve
social care standards
Care Certificate
#CareCert
Partnership
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Background
 Failings of Mid Staffordshire Hospital
 Sir Robert Francis QC's report made 290
recommendations
 Camilla Cavendish review of healthcare
assistants and social care support workers
 Cavendish proposed a ‘Certificate of Fundamental
Care’
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The Care Certificate is:
 Start of a journey
 A key component of the total
induction
 A step to meeting the essential
standards set out by Care
Quality Commission
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Standards
1. Understand your role
2. Your personal development
3. Duty of care
4. Equality and diversity
5. Work in a person centred way
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Standards continued…
6. Communication
7. Privacy and dignity
8. Fluids and nutrition
9. Dementia and cognitive issues
10. Safeguarding adults
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Standards continued…
11. Safeguarding children
12. Basic life support
13. Health and safety
14. Handling information
15. Infection prevention and control
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Care Certificate principles
The Care Certificate has been designed to meet the
requirements set out by Camilla Cavendish in her report:
 Be applicable across health and social care
 Be portable between roles, and transferable between employers
 Content builds on the existing and tested Common Induction Standards (CIS)
and National Minimum Training Standards (NMTS)
 Builds in quality and consistency of delivery through observation and
assessment in the work place
 Maps to existing qualifications
 Equips people with the skills and knowledge to provide quality care
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Assessment must be:
 Skills assessed primarily within the care
setting unless simulation allowed
 with people who use services/patients
 completed face to face by an occupationally
competent assessor
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Quality assurance
 The employer is responsible for assuring
the quality of the teaching and assessment
of the Care Certificate
 Certification should be recorded
by the employer and where
possible made accessible
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Feedback
 The formal pilot_Ekosgen
 Additional testing of the Care Certificate
 Comments through generic inbox
 Skills for Care online survey
Employers and staff were very engaged with the testing of the Care
Certificate, and think it is a ‘good thing’.
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Care Certificate in terms of content and process was about right.
Requests for clarity on delivery- observe and assess staff in practice.
Clear guidance
“The Care Certificate will be a robust response to ensure that
organisations establish that their staff are competent and safe to basic
deliver care”
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Recommendations
Health Education England, Skills for Care and Skills for Health, made a
number of recommendations which were agreed by the DH Governance
Assurance Board:




The 15 standards should remain, subject to some amendments
individuals will need to complete all 15 standards to be awarded the Care Certificate
the Certificate should be prioritised by employers for “new staff, new to care”
12 weeks will remain as the guidance timeframe for a full-time individual to complete the
Care Certificate
 the minimum level for quality assurance of the Care Certificate, and the certification itself,
will be the responsibility of employers
 in addition to events and workshops, a suite of materials will be made freely available for
employers to download and use to support them in implementing the Care Certificate
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Time line
Early
November
Early communication to employers, via a multitude of channels, on the outcome of the
field testing/evaluation, the standards of the Care Certificate the assessment process,
quality assurance, certification, the implementation plan and planned national and
regional events, and the expected role of CQC.
 Acknowledgement and information to all those who contributed feedback.
 Standard presentation pack developed for use by partners and stakeholders if talking about
the Care Certificate.
November
 Final revisions and testing of Care Certificate content.
 Discussions with CQC on guidance for them, and to employers, on their role in assuring
the delivery and quality of the Care Certificate.
 Final Care Certificate framework to November GAB.
December
January 2015
 Readying final documentation for publication.
 Publication of final documentation, and soft launch of Care Certificate enabling employers
to start developing/delivering.
February to
April 2015
 National and regional events for employers – exhibitions/shared learning from employers
involved in the field testing, and workshops on specific aspects.
March 2015
 Official launch of Care Certificate.
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How to find out more…
 Visit our website
www.skillsforcare.org.uk/carecertificate
 For regular updates sign up to our enews:
marketing@skillsforcare.org.uk
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www.skillsforcare.org.uk
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