If you work in social care, you’ve heard of the Care Certificate and its 15 Standards. They’re designed to make sure every new worker in the sector starts with the same foundation of knowledge and skills.
But here’s the catch: knowing the standards exist isn’t enough. Training needs to be delivered, mapped, and — crucially — recognised. Without recognition, learning gets lost in the system.
So let’s look at the 15 Standards, and what proper recognition means in practice.
The 15 Care Certificate Standards
- Understand Your Role
Workers need clarity on responsibilities, boundaries, and expectations. Certificates should evidence this understanding — not just attendance. - Your Personal Development
Ongoing learning is part of the job. Recognition makes that visible on a CV, LinkedIn, or in supervision meetings. - Duty of Care
Certificates should show that learners understand not only what duty of care is, but how it applies in practice. - Equality and Diversity
Training here goes beyond awareness. Outcomes should evidence how workers support inclusivity day-to-day. - Work in a Person-Centred Way
Recognition can capture the ability to tailor care to individuals, not just theory. - Communication
One of the most transferable skills. Certificates can highlight specific communication methods learned. - Privacy and Dignity
Too often treated as abstract. Recognition can make it concrete: what actions preserve dignity in practice? - Fluids and Nutrition
Certificates can demonstrate both knowledge of requirements and the ability to apply them safely. - Awareness of Mental Health, Dementia and Learning Disabilities
Recognition here matters for recruitment and redeployment — workers should be able to prove competency in these critical areas. - Safeguarding Adults
Certificates should record both awareness and application of safeguarding principles. - Safeguarding Children
Essential for many roles. Recognition demonstrates accountability across the workforce. - Basic Life Support
Here recognition is literal — evidence that someone has acquired and demonstrated a lifesaving skill. - Health and Safety
Certificates should tie outcomes to specific workplace requirements, not just generic knowledge. - Handling Information
With GDPR and digital records, this is more critical than ever. Recognition shows competence in confidentiality and data protection. - Infection Prevention and Control
COVID-19 made this standard visible to everyone. Certificates should evidence both knowledge and practical steps taken.
Why recognition matters
All of these standards are essential. But without structured recognition, training risks being treated as a tick-box exercise. Learners attend. Employers record. Regulators inspect. And yet the real value — the skills gained, the outcomes achieved — is never made visible.
When certificates carry clear aims, skills, and outcomes, they become more than compliance. They become evidence that supports careers, helps employers defend practice, and gives regulators confidence that standards are met.
A shared responsibility
The 15 Standards were never meant to be a ceiling. They’re a foundation. Recognition is what ensures that foundation is solid — and that workers, employers, and learners all benefit from the training that takes place.
About CPD Perspectives
This article is part of CPD Perspectives — a series exploring accreditation and recognition from every angle: providers, recruiters, HR managers, learners, and across different sectors and countries.
It’s a fast-changing space, and we want to be at the forefront of it. Because lifelong learning doesn’t just change careers — it changes lives.
So here’s the question:
If the 15 Standards set the foundation, how do we make sure the recognition is strong enough to build on?
About the Author
Marta Kalas is the Founder & CEO of Open CPD, where she is transforming how training and events gain recognition and credibility. With over 25 years of experience in healthcare and technology, she combines practical insights with a mission to make accreditation accessible, flexible, and impactful.
She also writes The Recognition Gap, her personal LinkedIn newsletter on lifelong learning, CPD certificates, and digital badges.
Subscribe here: The Recognition Gap
