Social care is one of the most demanding sectors for training. The stakes are high, the workforce is stretched, and the public rightly expects standards to be clear and consistent. That’s why the Care Certificate and its 15 Standards were introduced: a framework to make sure every worker entering the sector had the same baseline of knowledge and skills.
On paper, it’s simple. In practice, it’s anything but.
The 15 Standards: a baseline, not an end point
The standards cover crucial ground: duty of care, safeguarding, communication, person-centred support, health and safety, and more. They ensure that new entrants to the sector start with a common foundation.
But anyone working in care knows that learning doesn’t stop there. Needs change, best practice evolves, and training has to adapt. The 15 Standards are a floor, not a ceiling.
Where recognition falls short
Here’s the problem: much of the training delivered in social care is either unrecognised or recognised only internally. Certificates of attendance are handed out, but they often don’t say what was learned or how it links back to the standards.
That creates three challenges:
- For workers: it’s harder to demonstrate skills when moving jobs.
- For employers: evidence of compliance is patchy and inconsistent.
- For regulators: audits find gaps, even when training has been done.
In short, plenty of learning happens — but without structured recognition, it’s invisible.
Beyond the 15 Standards
Social care training doesn’t just sit within neat categories. Courses cross boundaries: dementia care overlaps with communication skills; mental health support touches on safeguarding; leadership and supervision cut across all areas.
So even as frameworks expand, they risk creating confusion. Providers ask: Does this course fit Standard 5 or Standard 7? Or both? Learners ask: Do I need a certificate for this if it doesn’t sit neatly under one heading?
The danger is that in trying to create clarity, we actually add complexity.
A different way forward
Recognition in social care doesn’t need to mean more bureaucracy. It means:
- Certificates that map training directly to relevant standards.
- Clear aims, skills, and outcomes that travel with the worker.
- Records that employers can access and trust at audit.
It’s about turning every piece of training — whether or not it fits neatly into one of the 15 Standards — into recognition that sticks.
Why this matters now
The sector is under pressure like never before. Recruitment is tight, retention is harder, and the need for skilled, trusted staff is rising. Workers need recognition that moves with them from job to job. Employers need confidence that training counts. Regulators need evidence that’s defensible.
Recognition won’t solve all of social care’s challenges. But without it, even the best training risks being lost in the system.
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: In social care, how do we move beyond tick-box certificates — and turn essential training into recognition that workers, employers, and regulators can all trust?
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.
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