1. we help to improve social care standards Care Certificate
Last updated 10th November 2014
we help to improve social care standards Care Certificate

2. Partnership

3. 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’

4. 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

5. Standards Understand your role Your personal development Duty of care
Equality and diversity
Work in a person centred way

6. Standards continued… 6. Communication 7. Privacy and dignity
8. Fluids and nutrition
9. Dementia and cognitive issues
10. Safeguarding adults

7. Standards continued… 11. Safeguarding children 12. Basic life support
13. Health and safety
14. Handling information
15. Infection prevention and control

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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’.

12. 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”

13. 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

14. 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
Readying final documentation for publication.
January 2015
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.

15. How to find out more…
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