Skills for Care have published a new webpage, specification and FAQ guide to the new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification.
The new Social Care Certificate qualification, which is due to launch in June of this year, is based on the existing Care Certificate standards. The specification for it has been developed by Skills for Care on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
In developing the new qualification, Skills for Care worked in collaboration with the social care sector through a series of focus groups and meetings with stakeholders.
The national workforce development charity has now published the specification for the new Adult Social Care Certificate qualification as well as a range of other supporting information.
New Care Certificate qualification to boost recognition for care workers
Awarding bodies are now working to develop the qualification, ready to offer it from the summer.
This means that the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification will be externally accredited by awarding organisations who are regulated by Ofqual. This will help to ensure its quality and recognition by employers, care workers and those accessing care services.
It is also hoped this will reduce the costs and burden of repeat Care Certificate training on employers in the sector.
The DHSC has pledged up to £53.91 million in funding to support 37,000 individuals in direct adult social care roles to complete the new qualification between its launch in June 2024 and the end of March 2025. Eligible employers will be able to apply for reimbursements towards the cost of putting employees through the new qualification.
The Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification has been introduced to provide a uniform baseline standard within the social care sector and to provide the care workforce with better recognition for the professional work they do.
Currently, over half (54%) of direct care workers do not posses a qualification at Level 2 or above, something which the DHSC wants to rectify.
Employers must comply with current Care Certificate standards
In addition, although the sector already accesses learning, training and assessment based on the Care Certificate standards, this training is not uniform. Employers will often provide this training inhouse, so the delivery and assessment of the standards can vary widely.
However, until the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification officially launches in the summer, the existing Care Certificate standards should continue to be accessed and used by employers and workers in the adult social care sector to ensure competence, confidence and safety.
More details about the new qualification and its rollout, as well as how it interacts with the current Care Certificate standards, will be shared by the DHSC throughout the coming months.
Skills for Care have also published a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to help care providers and workers understand more about the new qualification.
Tailored training and support for care workers
First Response Training (FRT) is a leading, national training provider.
They deliver over 7,000 courses each year in the fields of health and safety, first aid, fire safety, food safety, mental health, health and social care and other special focus topics.
Their diverse portfolio includes training awards specially designed for care workers, such as Infection Control and Prevention, Safeguarding Adults, Duty of Care, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Person Centred Care and Support and many others.
Their course portfolio spans Care Certificate standards, mandatory training awards, clinical skills, special focus courses and higher level training for supervisors and managers.
A Trainer at FRT, says:
“We have been delivering Care Certificate training for adult social care providers and their staff since the standards were introduced. We provide flexible distance learning manuals, eLearning modules and face-to-face, classroom-based sessions in this essential training.
“We will be working with awarding bodies, with whom we already have approved centre status, to discuss their plans and work on the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification and look at all our options for delivering this to our clients once it is launched.
“Until then, we can assist all care providers in ensuring they continue to meet the essential minimum standards of training represented by the Care Certificate, as well as further training, and empower their staff to deliver high quality care and support to all individuals accessing their services.”
For more information on the training provided by FRT, please call them on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.