Care Certificate 2026: A Guide to 16 Standards

Safe, compassionate care begins with a workforce that has the right knowledge, skills and behaviours. For new health and social care workers in England, the Care Certificate provides an important foundation for delivering consistent, person-centred support.

The Care Certificate standards were updated in March 2025 and remain the current standards in 2026. The update increased the framework from 15 to 16 standards, with a new, separate standard covering awareness of learning disability and autism.

For care providers, the change means more than adding another online course to the training matrix. Employers should review their induction materials, assessment processes and staff records to ensure that workers are learning against the current standards and demonstrating competence in practice.

What is the Care Certificate?

The Care Certificate is a set of minimum induction standards describing the knowledge, skills and behaviours expected of health and social care support workers. It is particularly relevant to people who are new to care, although employers may also use it to identify and address gaps in the knowledge or competence of existing workers.

It supports a consistent introduction to safe and compassionate care, but it does not replace:

A worker must be assessed on both what they know and what they can do. Online learning can help provide knowledge, but online modules alone cannot demonstrate full achievement of the Care Certificate standards.

What changed in the Care Certificate?

The framework was updated in March 2025 to reflect developments across health and social care and to align with the introduction of the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification.

The most visible change was the introduction of Standard 16: Awareness of learning disability and autism. Learning disability content was previously included within Standard 9. Under the current framework, Standard 9 focuses on mental health and dementia, while learning disability and autism have their own dedicated standard.

Terminology, assessment criteria and supporting guidance were also reviewed across the framework. Employers still using old workbooks, training slides or assessment forms should check them carefully because previous resources may not fully reflect the current 16-standard structure.

The 16 Care Certificate standards

### 1. Understand your role

Workers should understand their duties, responsibilities, professional boundaries and agreed ways of working. They must know how their role contributes to safe, high-quality care and when to seek advice or escalate concerns.

### 2. Your personal development

Care workers need to participate in supervision, reflect on their performance and maintain a personal development plan. Learning should continue after induction and respond to changes in the worker's role and the needs of the service.

### 3. Duty of care

This standard covers the worker's responsibility to act in the best interests of the people they support. It includes managing dilemmas, handling comments and complaints, recognising incidents and being open and honest when things go wrong.

### 4. Equality, diversity, inclusion and human rights

Workers must provide fair, respectful and inclusive care. They should understand discrimination, challenge poor practice appropriately and support each person's identity, beliefs, culture, choices and human rights.

### 5. Work in a person-centred way

Person-centred care means involving people in decisions and respecting their preferences, strengths, needs and goals. Staff should understand consent, make appropriate adjustments and deliver care in accordance with the person's care and support plan.

### 6. Communication

Good communication is essential for safe care. Workers should communicate in ways the person understands, recognise barriers and use appropriate aids or alternative methods where required. They must also maintain confidentiality and record information correctly.

### 7. Privacy and dignity

Workers must protect privacy during personal care, conversations, treatment and record handling. They should promote independence, offer meaningful choices and avoid practices that embarrass, expose or unnecessarily restrict an individual.

### 8. Fluids and nutrition

This standard covers the importance of hydration and balanced nutrition. Workers should recognise signs of poor intake, support people according to their care plans and report concerns such as swallowing difficulties, dehydration, weight loss or changes in appetite.

### 9. Awareness of mental health and dementia

Workers should understand how mental health conditions and dementia may affect a person's needs and experiences. They must promote positive wellbeing, recognise possible early indicators, make reasonable adjustments and report concerns through agreed procedures.

### 10. Adult safeguarding

Staff must be able to recognise possible abuse and neglect, respond without delay and report concerns through the correct safeguarding procedures. They should understand their responsibilities, the importance of preserving evidence and how to escalate concerns if their initial report is not acted upon.

### 11. Safeguarding children

Care workers must understand their responsibility to protect children from harm, even when their main role involves supporting adults. They should know how to recognise and report concerns in accordance with their organisation's procedures and local safeguarding arrangements.

### 12. Basic life support

Workers should receive basic life support training appropriate to their role and workplace. Knowledge should be supported by practical training and assessment delivered by a competent person, with refreshers arranged according to current guidance and organisational risk.

### 13. Health and safety

This broad standard includes workplace responsibilities, risk assessment, moving and assisting, medication, hazardous substances, fire safety, security, stress management and responding to accidents or sudden illness. Additional specialist training may be required depending on the worker's duties.

### 14. Handling information

Care records must be accurate, timely, factual and secure. Workers should understand confidentiality, data protection, secure information sharing and the correct response to mistakes, security incidents or possible data breaches.

### 15. Infection prevention and control

Workers need to understand how infections spread and how to reduce transmission. This includes effective hand hygiene, appropriate use of personal protective equipment, safe waste disposal, cleaning and decontamination, and following the organisation's infection-control procedures.

### 16. Awareness of learning disability and autism

The new dedicated standard strengthens expectations around safe and person-centred support for people with a learning disability and autistic people. Workers should understand individual communication and sensory needs, reasonable adjustments, the importance of involving the person, and how poor attitudes or inaccessible services can create barriers and inequalities.

Is the Care Certificate the same as the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate?

No. They are connected, but they are not the same. The Care Certificate is an employer-led induction framework. The Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate is an Ofqual-regulated qualification based on the same 16 standards.

The qualification builds on and deepens the learner's knowledge and provides formal recognition of their achievement. Employers should avoid describing an ordinary Care Certificate programme as an accredited Level 2 qualification unless it is delivered and awarded through an appropriately recognised awarding organisation.

Can the Care Certificate be completed entirely online?

No. Online learning may cover or support the knowledge requirements, but full achievement also requires assessment of the worker's practical skills and behaviours in the workplace. The employer must appoint competent assessors and retain clear evidence showing how each decision was made.

Assessment evidence may include:

The evidence should show that the worker can apply learning safely and consistently, not merely that they attended a course or passed an online quiz.

What should care employers do now?

Care providers should take the following practical steps:

Why proper implementation matters

The Care Certificate should not become a paperwork exercise. When it is delivered and assessed properly, it helps employers establish a safer and more consistent baseline for new workers. It can also reveal gaps before staff work independently, strengthen supervision and provide a foundation for further qualifications and career progression.

A certificate without reliable assessment gives an employer false assurance. The real test is whether the worker can demonstrate safe, respectful and person-centred practice during everyday care delivery.

How XcENTRIK Solutions can support your organisation

XcENTRIK Solutions Ltd supports care providers and care professionals with workforce training, competency development, qualification pathways and compliance-focused consultancy. We can help organisations:

Flexible 10–12-month payment plans may be available for eligible programmes, with no interest charged. Contact XcENTRIK Solutions Ltd to discuss the most suitable training and development package for your organisation.

Frequently asked questions

### How many Care Certificate standards are there in 2026?

There are 16 current standards. The framework was updated in March 2025 and remains in use in 2026.

### Who should complete the Care Certificate?

It is primarily intended for health and social care support workers who are new to care. Employers can also use the standards to assess previous learning and identify development needs when someone changes role or workplace.

### Does an experienced worker have to repeat the whole Care Certificate?

Not automatically. A new employer should review the worker's previous certificate and evidence, assess how it relates to the new role and provide any additional induction, training or competency assessment required for the service.

### Does passing an online course complete the Care Certificate?

No. Online learning can support knowledge development, but the worker must also demonstrate the relevant skills and behaviours through appropriate workplace assessment.

### Is Standard 16 the same as Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training?

No. Both address learning disability and autism, but they are separate requirements and should not be treated as interchangeable. Employers must ensure that staff receive all training appropriate to their roles and the people they support.

Official references and disclaimer

This article provides general information about the Care Certificate standards in England. It is not legal, regulatory or employment advice. Providers should review the latest official guidance when updating policies, training or assessment arrangements.

Official references include Skills for Care’s Care Certificate standards, the March 2025 Care Certificate standards update, the Care Certificate assessor and employer guide, and the Care Certificate standards FAQs. Information checked on 27 August 2026.