What is the Care Certificate?
The Care Certificate was introduced in April 2015 to replace both the Common Induction Standards and the National Minimum Training Standards for all staff new to the healthcare and social care sectors. It came about as a result of the Francis Inquiry which looked into the serious failings at Mid-Staffordshire NHS Trust. Following this report, Camilla Cavendish was asked to review the recruitment, training and support of care workers within both the healthcare and social care sectors. One of the recommendations of the Cavendish Review (July 2013) was to standardise the approach to induction training across the sectors with the development of the Care Certificate.
Who needs to complete the Care Certificate?
All staff new to care need to complete the Care Certificate within the first 12 weeks in their role. Staff who have previously completed the Common Induction Standards do not need to complete the Care Certificate, although some employers may wish to “top up” their learning and competency assessments in order to award the Care Certificate.
Employers have 6 months from the 1st April launch date to ensure that all of their training and induction procedures are in line with the new standards.
What does the Care Certificate cover?
The Care Certificate has 15 standards and clearly sets out the learning outcomes, competences and standards of care that will be expected. It aims to ensure the sector prepares caring, compassionate staff who will provide quality care. The standards are:
How is the Care Certificate assessed?
The major difference between the Care Certificate and previous induction training is that certain elements require that a workplace assessment of competence is undertaken by an occupationally competent assessor. Training courses, e-learning, workbooks, seminars and supervisions can be combined to deliver the standards, however the Care Certificate cannot be awarded without direct workplace assessment.
Once awarded, the Care Certificate is the property of the individual, and unlike previous induction training it is transferable between employers.
Will agency workers have the Care Certificate?
During the consultation period ENS Recruitment provided input about the position of agency workers. We were concerned that agencies will not be able to award the Care Certificate due to the fact that agency workers cannot be directly assessed in the workplace by the agency, as they are under the direction and supervision of the client. After the details of the Care Certificate were published we contacted Skills for Care who have now clarified their position on this; the relevant part is quoted below:
“It would not be possible for recruitment agencies who do not directly deliver care themselves to complete the Care Certificate for new workers coming into the sector. This is because the Care Certificate can only be signed off and issued by organisations who directly deliver care themselves. Recruitment agencies can help the process by providing training associated with the Care Certificate. Providing evidence of past training and qualifications can help the care organisations where the temporary workers will then be placed to determine what additional needs to be trained and assessed in the workplace.”
This means that we will not be able to award the Care Certificate to those agency workers who work within our client’s settings – whether these are residential, day centres, nursing homes, hospitals or outreach.
We will however be delivering, assessing and awarding the Care Certificate to new agency workers who will be working directly with our community support clients in their own homes.
What will ENS deliver in our induction?
ENS are mapping our current training courses to ensure that we meet all of the requirements of the 15 standards set out in the Care Certificate. This will cover all of the theoretical elements of the standards and the practical training that we can evidence using simulated activity.
If you need any further guidance or information on the Care Certificate then please contact Catherine Lawrence, ENS Head of Contract Care and Compliance at c[email protected].
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