Care Certificate
As a leading provider of eLearning courses for the Care Certificate, we help workers achieve all their social care certifications, we help supervisors manage a competence and training matrix for their organisation and improve the CQC inspection ratings for our client businesses.
We continue to develop our training courses for leadership skills within the social and health care sector in weekly webinars.
All of our learning care courses and certificates are included in our Unlimited Learning package for a very low per person monthly fee, available to both individuals and social care organisations.
Introduction
Grey Matter Learning has been supporting organisations to evidence competence since 2006 with both the Common Induction Standards and the Care Certificate. In 2015 the Care Certificate replaced its predecessor the Common Induction Standards.
What are the 15 standards for the Care Certificate?
- Understand Your Role
- Your Personal Development
- Duty of Care
- Equality & Diversity
- Work in a Person Centred Way
- Communication
- Privacy & Dignity
- Fluids & Nutrition
- Awareness of Mental Health, Dementia and Learning Disability
- Safeguarding Adults
- Safeguarding Children
- Basic Life Support
- Health & Safety
- Handling Information
- Infection Prevention & Control
Care Certificate for Workers
Care Certificate for Managers
Care Certificate for Businesses
How we help the assessment process
Assessment comes in many forms and means different things to different people. If you look at the Skills for Care Mandatory Training guide, it contains one really important sentence (against all of the listed courses):
"We recommend learning is refreshed and knowledge and competence are assessed at least annually".
So, if you thought that evidence of competence was something special for the Care Certificate, it isn't. It applies to the 19 mandatory courses as well.
Think of it this way - if you are continually assessing knowledge and competence using our Know, Understand and Do methodology, you are adding to a portfolio of competence, which means your team are always in date!
How to choose a learning provider...
When selecting a provider to support your organisation with learning and development, there are many factors to consider. One thing we would recommend is to check the pricing and licensing arrangements. Have a look at our recycling licences policy here.
It is also worth considering the amount of time that managers or team leaders need to invest in any system; if there is little input required from them, how can you be sure of the quality of the learning? This is why our Know, Understand and Do methodology is so important, find out more here.
Lastly, if you have always delivered face-to-face and still believe it is the best way to facilitate learning, we do understand. This is one of the reasons why many of our customers use Click to augment the delivery of their traditional learning programmes. Don't ditch the traditional methods entirely; use Click and its assessments to measure and evidence learning, then add your observations of practice accordingly. (Please be aware of the Skills for Care guidance around using digital methods in the current circumstances)
Assessment
eLearning
Training
What is it?
The Care Certificate turned five in April 2020 and is still going strong. However, its foundation has not changed both evidencing competence “in practice” and staff learning “during real work duties” are seen as higher value outcomes than simply delivering staff training. Since 2015, the Care Certificate has been designed to ensure that health and social care workers have the required values, behaviours, competences and skills to provide high quality, compassionate care.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulations and inspections clearly set out the outcomes that must be achieved, whether this is through training or alternative learning and development activities. Requirements are clear in Regulation 18, to provide evidence that staff have been assessed in the workplace and have demonstrated their competence and safety to practice.
Skills for Care
Skills for Care is the “Sector Skills Council” for Social Care. There are others, like Skills for Business and Automotive Skills: the full list is here: http://www.ssda.org.uk/list-of-sector-skills-councils.htm
They “set the standards” based on the CQC regulations and the legislation which is the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (regulated activities) regulations 2014.
Skills for Care also supports the learning and development of the Social Care sector through programmes like Lead to Succeed and Well Led, all of which are funded through the WDF (Workforce Development Fund), awaiting confirmation for this year 2020-2021.
