Certificate scheme released in a bid to raise standard of care
A new scheme, to be introduced in March 2015, means that care workers will need to earn a training certificate from their employers within 12 weeks of starting a new job.
The new system will cover all staff, including assistants in hospitals, care homes and those who look after people in their own homes. Topics will include infection control, dementia care and patient dignity.
Further training
Care minister Norman Lamb told BBC News it was “essential that we drive up standards”, adding “There’s lots of great care out there but there are too many cases of care falling down.” He also confirmed that the responsibility for the certificates would rest with employers.
Dr Shereen Hussein, an expert in social care at King’s College London, said “My concern would be, yes it’s great to have a consistent and portable certificate that ensures a minimum standard, but then we need something in place to assure that it is delivered at that higher standard and that it is portable between providers.”