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Understand Your Role
The mandatory foundation standard for all new care workers in England. Updated March 2025 to include 16 standards — now aligned with the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate.
About the Qualification
The Care Certificate is a set of standards that define the skills, knowledge and behaviours expected of all new health and care support workers. It was developed jointly by Skills for Care, NHS England and Skills for Health to establish a consistent baseline of competence across the sector.
Originally introduced in 2015, the Care Certificate has been the starting point for healthcare assistants, support workers, and adult social care staff entering the workforce. Employers are expected to use it to support induction — and most will not allow a new worker to provide unsupervised care until it is complete.
The March 2025 update is the most significant revision since the standard was introduced. It adds a 16th standard — Awareness of Learning Disability and Autism — and brings the framework into alignment with the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, the new regulated entry-level qualification for the adult social care sector in England. This means completing the Care Certificate with ACS-UK gives learners a strong foundation for immediate progression.
ACS-UK delivers the Care Certificate through experienced healthcare practitioners, combining workplace observation and portfolio evidence with structured learning — so you are workplace-ready, not just exam-ready.
Curriculum
Each standard must be assessed to a competent level before the Care Certificate is awarded. All 16 are mandatory — there are no optional units.
Standard 16 was added in the March 2025 revision, replacing the previous 15-standard framework. It covers the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training knowledge tier and is a prerequisite for progression to the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate.
Eligibility
The Care Certificate is mandatory for anyone starting a new role as a health or care support worker in England. If any of the following apply to you, you are required to complete it.
Working in hospital wards, community clinics, GP surgeries, or any NHS-adjacent setting.
Supporting adults with physical disabilities, mental health needs, or complex conditions in regulated settings.
Providing personal care, daily living assistance, and emotional support to individuals in their homes or care facilities.
Home care workers visiting clients in their own homes — the Care Certificate is a universal requirement regardless of employer.
New starters in care homes, nursing homes, and supported living environments — required before unsupervised care can be provided.
Anyone entering the sector for the first time, including career changers and those returning after a break, regardless of previous experience in other fields.
Already have a Care Certificate? If you completed the Care Certificate under the previous 15-standard framework (before March 2025), your new employer may require you to complete Standard 16 as a top-up. ACS-UK can assess individual standards — contact us to discuss your situation.
Why ACS-UK
Every Care Certificate programme we deliver is led by practitioners with direct clinical and care experience — not generalist trainers.
Our iCQ-accredited certificate is accepted by NHS trusts, local authorities, CQC-regulated care providers, and private care agencies across England. No re-assessment required when you start your role.
Because our Care Certificate delivery is aligned to the March 2025 revision, completing it with ACS-UK gives you a structured, recognised route into the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate — no duplication of learning.
All ACS-UK trainers hold direct experience in the care settings they teach — from NHS wards to domiciliary care. You learn from people who have done the job, not just studied it.
We offer blended delivery combining face-to-face sessions, workplace observation and portfolio evidence — so you can complete the Care Certificate while already working in your new role, within the 12-week employer requirement.
ACS-UK is not just a training provider. We support learners with career guidance, progression planning, and — through our CQC-regulated recruitment arm — job placement into health and social care roles across the UK.
Cohorts run monthly. Enquire today and one of our advisors will confirm availability, discuss funded options, and guide you through next steps.