Care Certificate Standards 2025: FAQs for Health and Adult Social Care Workers
For professionals working in health and adult social care, staying informed about current training standards is vital to ensure the delivery of safe, effective, and compassionate care.The 2025 Care Certificate standards mark the most recent revision of the national framework designed for new care support workers.To help individuals better understand and implement these revised standards, a collection of frequently asked questions has been created, incorporating guidance from NHS England, Skills for Care, and Skills for Health.
Frequently Asked Questions – Care Certificate 2025
1. What are the updated Care Certificate Standards?
The Care Certificate was originally introduced following the recommendations of the 2013 Francis Inquiry and the Cavendish Review.Its purpose was to enhance the consistency and quality of care provided by support staff entering the workforce.
As of 2025, the standards have been refined to ensure that new care workers receive a strong induction.They cover 16 essential areas, including safeguarding, communication, and duty of care.The certificate offers a structured framework of learning, practical application, and observation in the workplace.
Achieving all 16 standards is necessary for completing the certificate, which confirms a worker’s readiness to deliver person-centred, compassionate support.
2. Is the Care Certificate the same as a Level 2 qualification in Adult Social Care?
No, the Care Certificate and the Level 2 Diploma in Adult Care are distinct learning pathways.The Care Certificate is an optional, non-accredited framework, while the Level 2 qualification holds accreditation and is regulated by Ofqual.
While both aim to improve skills and knowledge in the social care sector, the Level 2 Diploma is a formal qualification and may take longer to complete.Employers may choose to use either or both depending on their workforce needs.
3. Who should undertake the Care Certificate Standards?
The Care Certificate is mainly aimed at individuals new to health or social care roles who have not previously worked in the sector.However, employers may find it beneficial to offer the training to a wider range of staff, especially if they are working in frontline roles. Eligible roles include:
Healthcare: Healthcare support workers, healthcare assistants, assistant practitioners, and others involved in patient care within NHS or private healthcare services.
Adult social care: Care assistants, domiciliary carers, residential support workers, and those working in supported living, hospices, extra care housing, or shared lives settings.
4. Does the Care Certificate replace workplace induction?
No. The Care Certificate forms a key part of the induction process but is not a substitute for full workplace-specific induction training.
Each employer remains responsible for providing additional information and training relevant to the environment, such as fire procedures, accident reporting, and protocols specific to the service user group.The certificate ensures that core care competencies are in place, but context-based skills must also be developed alongside it.
5. Can the Care Certificate be used as a substitute for statutory and mandatory training?
Again, no. While elements of the statutory and mandatory training (such as infection prevention or safeguarding) may overlap with the Care Certificate content, employers must still ensure staff complete their formal regulatory training.
The Care Certificate should be seen as complementary, helping reinforce knowledge and support hands-on learning.It can be integrated into the wider training plan to ensure new starters are assessed as competent in their roles.
6. Are CQC-regulated providers expected to implement the Care Certificate?
Yes. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, particularly Regulation 18: Staffing, employers must ensure staff receive appropriate training and supervision to perform their duties competently.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) encourages providers to use the Care Certificate as a framework to meet these obligations.Completing the standards helps ensure that new recruits are properly trained and assessed before taking on unsupervised responsibilities.
7.Is compliance with the Care Certificate standards determined entirely by knowledge?
No, the completion of the Care Certificate standards involves both acquiring knowledge and demonstrating competence in all 16 areas.While knowledge-based assessment includes verbs such as “describe”, “explain”, “define”, “list”, or “identify”, this can be evidenced through written assignments, verbal discussions, case studies, or audio submissions.
However, demonstrating performance is equally vital and involves action-based evidence such as “show”, “use”, “demonstrate” or “take steps to”.This type of assessment must be carried out in the workplace during genuine work activities, observed by a competent assessor (unless simulation is specifically permitted).Although support workers can develop their practical skills in training environments, the majority of assessment evidence must be gathered from real working situations.
8. Are employers allowed to outsource Care Certificate training and assessment?
Yes, employers can engage external training providers to deliver the teaching, supervision, and on-the-job assessment required for meeting the Care Certificate standards.However, the ultimate responsibility for awarding the certificate remains with the employer.
When outsourcing any part of the process, the employer must ensure that the chosen training provider is well-equipped to deliver content relevant to the care setting.The provider’s methods, expertise, and ability to assess effectively should be reviewed carefully before engaging their services.
 9. What if certain Care Certificate standards cannot be completed due to the nature of the care role?
Support workers must successfully complete and show competence in all 16 Care Certificate standards to be awarded the full certificate.If any standard is not met, the certificate cannot be issued.Employers may, if they wish, issue a record of the units that have been completed successfully, but must notinclude or display the official Care Certificate logo unless all standards have been met.
10. Who is responsible for signing off the Care Certificate, and when should this be done?
The Care Certificate should only be signed off once the support worker has successfully met all 16 standards. The certificate must be authorised by the employing organisation—this responsibility should not be passed to any external training provider, even if they supported the delivery or assessment.
In adult social care, if the registered manager is unavailable, the responsibility may fall to the most senior figure available within the organisation. This might include the responsible individual, a senior care worker, registered nurse, director, or manager from another service within the same group.
It is highly recommended that employers use the official Care Certificate template, which is accessible in both Word and PDF formats. While organisations may add their logo to the Word version, the certificate must be accompanied by the learner’s portfolio or similar evidence to support portability and compliance. Records of achievement must be retained for regulatory inspection or audit purposes.
11. What measures are in place to ensure the quality of the Care Certificate standards?
The onus is on the employer to ensure the quality of delivery, supervision, and assessment related to the Care Certificate standards. It is their duty to guarantee that support staff are safe, competent, and capable of delivering high-quality care.
This includes making sure employees receive proper training, are supervised effectively, and are regularly reviewed through performance appraisals. Where employers adopt the Care Certificate as part of induction or ongoing development, they are also accountable for maintaining the quality of teaching and assessment throughout the process.
12. Do experienced care workers new to an employer need to complete the Care Certificate standards?
If a newly hired member of staff has previous experience in health or adult social care, employers must verify whether their knowledge and skills remain current. Using a self-assessment tool can help identify whether refresher training or assessments are necessary.
Depending on the findings, the employer may ask the staff member to complete the Care Certificate standards in full or only the relevant parts required for their role and learning needs.
13. Should individuals with existing qualifications or care apprenticeships complete the Care Certificate?
Even if a support worker holds a qualification or has completed an apprenticeship in health or adult social care, the employer must ensure their knowledge is still up to date. Again, the self-assessment tool can help identify any gaps or areas that may require further development.
If necessary, additional training and/or workplace assessments should be arranged. Employers may decide that the Care Certificate standards remain the most appropriate way to ensure readiness and compliance in the role.
14. Are temporary or bank workers required to complete the Care Certificate standards?
Yes. Regulated care providers, under the Care Quality Commission (CQC), must evaluate the training needs of all new starters—including agency, bank, or directly employed support workers in both health and social care. The Care Certificate applies to anyone undertaking a care role, regardless of their employment arrangement.
15.Can the Care Certificate standards be integrated into training before employment begins?
While the Care Certificate was not originally intended as a pre-employment qualification, elements of the theoretical knowledge can be delivered beforehand. However, employers must ensure that any prior learning is current, relevant, and assessed. Workplace-based skills assessment and supervision are still essential to confirm that staff can apply knowledge effectively. Tools like self-assessment checklists can help identify training gaps that may need to be filled post-employment.
16. Do non-care staff such as cleaners or kitchen workers need to complete the full Care Certificate?
No. The Care Certificate standards were designed specifically for staff who deliver direct care. Ancillary staff—including receptionists, porters, kitchen staff, drivers, or finance clerks—are not required to complete the full certificate. That said, employers may choose to deliver specific elements such as safeguarding awareness if relevant to their role or setting.
17. Is it expected that volunteer workers complete the Care Certificate?
This depends on the nature of the volunteer’s role. If a volunteer performs duties similar to those of paid care staff and lacks previous experience, the full Care Certificate standards should be delivered. Where a volunteer’s tasks are limited, employers may choose to deliver only the relevant sections as part of general induction training. In cases where volunteers have prior experience, their competence should be reviewed and validated.
18. How is competency assessed for community-based support workers?
For those working in domiciliary care or community roles, assessment is just as critical as for residential settings. Competence must be evaluated before the worker begins unsupervised duties. CQC-regulated providers are expected to allocate adequate time for thorough observation, supervision, and assessment—ensuring the worker meets the standards before delivering care independently.
19. How is the Care Certificate applied in Shared Lives or live-in care services?
For CQC-regulated live-in care or Shared Lives schemes, providers are still responsible for delivering mandatory training, a structured induction, and ongoing workplace assessment. Where appropriate, the Care Certificate standards offer a useful framework to ensure the care worker has achieved the expected level of knowledge and skill in line with sector requirements.
20. Are the Care Certificate standards provided in formats that are accessible?
Yes. In accordance with the Equality Act 2010, employers and training providers must offer reasonable adjustments to support individuals in accessing learning and assessment. This may include alternative formats, assistive technologies, or personalised delivery methods to accommodate specific learning needs.
21. What must learners do to meet Standard 16: Awareness of Learning Disability and Autism?
As part of the 2025 update, Standard 16 reflects legal requirements introduced under the Health and Care Act 2022. CQC-regulated providers must ensure that all relevant staff are trained to interact appropriately with individuals with learning disabilities and autistic people, with training tailored to the staff member’s role. This training should be treated with the same importance as statutory learning such as Basic Life Support or Safeguarding Children and must align with guidance set out by the CQC.
Conclusion: Putting the Standards into Practice
By understanding these updated FAQs and the broader intent of the 2025 Care Certificate standards, providers can build a stronger foundation for staff development. The framework promotes consistency, safety, and professionalism across the sector. When implemented correctly, it helps ensure that care workers are competent, compassionate, and confident—delivering a higher standard of care to those who need it most.
