Following the Francis Inquiry, Camilla Cavendish was asked by the Secretary of State to review and make recommendations on the recruitment, learning and development, management and support of healthcare support workers working in both health and social care settings. The resulting report, published in July 2013, found that the preparation of healthcare assistants and social care support workers for their roles within care settings was inconsistent, and one of the recommendations was the development of the Care Certificate, which has been introduced by Health Education England and developed by Skills For Health and Skills For Care.
There is an expectation by the Care Quality Commission and Trust, that the Care Certificate will be completed by all Health Care Assistants within the Trust during their probation period. The Care Certificate is a key component of the overall induction.
The Care Certificate is the start of the career journey for these staff groups and is only one element of the training and education that will make them ready to practice within their specific workplace. The Care Certificate does not replace employer induction specific to the workplace in which practice will take place, nor will it focus on the specific skills and knowledge needed for a specific setting.
The Care Certificate will provide clear evidence to employers, patients and people who receive care and support that the health or social care support worker in front of them has been assessed against a specific set of standards and has demonstrated they have the skills, knowledge and behaviours to ensure that they provide compassionate and high quality care and support. These standards cover the areas that are common to this workforce
Further information can also be found on Skills for Care.