Following an independent review, known as the Cavendish Review, led by Baroness Cavendish in 2013 and again in 2020 into care standards within the NHS and social care, numerous recommendations were made for the improvement in training, support and management of healthcare and social care workers. Key proposals included standardised basic training and a certificate of care for health and social care workers.
Based on this recommendation Skills for Care, Skills for Heath and Health Education England developed the Care Certificate. The Care Certificate is based on 16 standards providing a comprehensive and easily understandable introduction to the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to provide safe and high-quality care within the healthcare sector.
While the certificate isn’t a mandatory legal requirement it is a benchmark that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) expects all care providers to meet. It provides a confidence that staff are safe and effective at delivering care within their settings. For care professionals the benefits of holding a Care Certificate include increased career prospects, improved competency and confidence in their understanding and ability to provide high-quality care.
Recent figures compiled by Skills for Care suggest 70% of the social care workforce have either completed or engaged with the Care Certificate, ensuring its role as an industry standard.
In March 2025 a new care certificate was launched. The standards were changed to reflect changing regulatory standards, the evolving needs of care and to align with the new level 2 adult social care standards.
An additional standard was added to specifically include an awareness of Autism and Learning Disabilities. The existing 15 standards have been updated to include new or updated content with an increased focus on mental health, digital skills, human rights and data handling.
A Care Certificate can be awarded to an employee, once they have completed all 16 standards which includes, knowledge learning, practical skills development, and workplace assessments.
The SCTV Care Certificate online training bundle has been fully updated to satisfy the requirements of the 2025 revised Care Certificate.
These 16 standards have been designed to provide a consistent framework that covers a range of essential knowledge, behaviours and skills. These skills are required by social and health care workers to provide compassionate and effective safe care. The standards cover topics including safeguarding, health and safety and person-centred care. The standards were updated in March 2025 to include a new 16th standard that reflects the changing needs of care, awareness of learning disabilities and autism.
To help health and social care employees understand their duties and responsibilities.
Focuses on the importance of continued learning and development to improve care practices and ensures employees feel valued increasing staff retention.
This stage covers the legal responsibilities of acting in the best interests of the individual they are caring for and supporting, including handling difficult situations and conflicts.
Promoting inclusive environments ensuring workplaces are diverse and safe for all.
Ensuring care is built around individual choice and control and reducing any environmental factors that might cause distress and loss of dignity of those in care.
The importance of verbal and non-verbal communication not only to those receiving care but also to colleagues and members of the public.
Focus on respecting the confidentiality, privacy and personal dignity of the individuals receiving care.
Creating an understanding of the principles that hydration, nutrition and food play in individual care plans.
How to understand and offer tailored support for those individuals with different mental health conditions and dementia.
How to recognise the signs of abuse and neglect as well as understanding the procedures for reporting and responding to safeguarding concerns for adults.
As paediatric care has its own set of training and regulatory standards; this standard provides an overview of the procedures and reporting mechanisms care workers should take when they suspect child abuse or neglect.
Knowledge and skill required to respond to emergency situations, including CPR and other life-saving techniques for adults, children and newborns.
Essential in all care settings covering a broad range of topics, including risk management, moving and handling and managing hazardous substances (COSHH).
Focuses on the legal and ethical requirements for recording, storing and sharing confidential information underpinned by data protection laws.
The principles and practices necessary to prevent and control the spread of infection, including hand hygiene and using protective equipment.
This critical new addition focuses on maintaining high standards of personal and professional behaviour while interacting with people with learning disabilities and autism.
See how SCTV online courses meet the new standards with our handy mapping tool: https://www.social-care.tv/downloads/sctv-care-certficate-mapping-2025.pdf
The Care Certificate is a comprehensive induction framework for all new health and social care workers assessed through theoretical learning, practical training and observations.
Learning the theory behind the 16 standards is usually accessed through e-learning as it is the most flexible method. E-learning allows staff to complete modules at their own pace to ensure they have the knowledge and understanding required for each standard.
To meet the requirements of the standards, a trained supervisor or manager will need to observe the new staff member ensuring they can put the knowledge into practice. For example, a manager might want to observe the correct hand hygiene procedure to meet the requirements of Standard 15 infection prevention and control.
Many trainees use our free downloadable course workbooks to document their learning and evidence their understanding and skills as they work through the standards.
The time it takes to complete the course depends on the care workers experience and learning method used. The advantage of e-learning allows care professionals to pause and resume modules, fitting training around shifts and personal commitments. Our courses are designed to be concise, so employees have focussed study time to gain knowledge before moving quickly to practical assessments.
On completion of the course, Social Care TV will issue a certificate showing individual scores for each course. Employers will then issue the full Care Certificate once they are satisfied that the requirements and understanding of all 16 care standards have been met.
The Care Certificate does not expire and does not require renewal, however there are elements of the care certificate that should be revisited and refreshed regularly to ensure that the carers skills remain up to date. Once care workers have successfully demonstrated the knowledge and competency across all 16 care standards the qualification remains valid throughout the career. However, while the certificate is aimed at health and care workers joining the sector, it is a useful refresher tool especially if new standards are added. The employer has a duty of care to ensure professional development is continued in line with new regulations and best practice however the Care Certificate is a permanent credential and therefore a highly worthwhile investment for any care professional.
Even though the Care Certificate isn’t a statutory requirement, its completion is recognised by the CQC as offering a baseline framework that shows the holder has the right skills, behaviours and knowledge to offer safe and effective care.
The benefits to health and social care workers of obtaining this certificate shows that not only do they meet the CQC expectations but that they have a solid foundation on which to build their career progression. Possessing this core knowledge of the 16 standards supports workers to successfully transition into specialised training, such as dementia care or progress onto more formal qualifications.
By completing the Care Certificate and creating a deeper understanding of those crucial standards, care workers improve their decision-making process on the front line reducing any potential risks, for example safeguarding or handing, to them but also to those they care for.
At Social Care TV, we offer Care Certificate online training and a wide library of specialist CPD courses to support every stage of your development journey. Starting with the Care Certificate ensures a foundation of knowledge, skills and behaviours to build a culture of continuous learning and quality service.
Contact us to learn more: https://www.social-care.tv/contact/contact-us
