New ‘Care Certificate’ pilots underway in England

Skills for Health, Health Education England, Skills for Care, and NHS Employers are today jointly launching documentation for the new Care Certificate that will pilot across England.

Taking place across a range of health and social care settings, the pilot will test a set of standards designed to help employers to assess not only workers’ skills, but also the knowledge, behaviours and values that are required to deliver compassionate and quality care.

Achievement of the Care Certificate should ensure that the support worker has the required values, behaviours, competences and skills to provide high quality, compassionate care.

Following the publication of Robert Francis QC’s report into the failings of Mid-Staffordshire Hospital, Camilla Cavendish was asked to review the roles of healthcare assistants and support workers in NHS and social care settings.

Cavendish proposed the implementation of common training standards across the two sectors, written in a clear and concise manner and building upon existing best practice. She recommended the introduction of a ‘Certificate of Fundamental Care’, now known as the Care Certificate, which will help ensure that healthcare assistants and social care support workers and their employers can deliver a consistent high quality standard of care.

The Care Certificate pilot will be held in the spring and summer of this year (2014), with the introduction of the Certificate planned for March 2015.

You can read more about the Care Certificate pilot here.
http://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/service-area/care-certificate/