All 16 standards written by Skills for Care and Skills for Health — the induction the CQC expects every new care worker to complete — delivered as one guided course on Care2Learn, tracked automatically, with a dated certificate the moment they pass.
The Care Certificate is the agreed starting point for anyone new to health and social care. It sets out the knowledge, skills and behaviours a care worker must demonstrate to provide safe, compassionate, person-centred care from their very first shift.
It's built around 16 standards defined nationally by Skills for Care and Skills for Health, and applies across every setting — home care, residential and nursing homes, supported living and hospices.
On Care2Learn, the 16 standards are delivered as one guided course rather than a stack of disconnected modules — so a new starter has a single, clear path from day one to certificate.
CQC inspectors look for it. Providers are expected to evidence that new staff are working towards or have completed the Care Certificate. On Care2Learn it's tracked automatically and appears in your compliance reporting.
It de-risks induction. A consistent, complete grounding means fewer gaps, safer care, and a confident new team member.
It travels with the carer. Through the Care Passport, a completed Care Certificate becomes a portable, verified credential — useful to the carer and to their next employer.
The Care Certificate isn't a legal qualification, but it's the benchmark the CQC expects providers to meet for staff who are new to the sector. It's designed for anyone who:
Each standard is a guided module with clear content, knowledge checks and an assessment — everything a new carer needs to be ready to practise.
The Care Certificate is a nationally defined framework maintained by Skills for Care and Skills for Health, and is kept under review to stay aligned with best practice. Care2Learn keeps its course content up to date as that guidance changes.
Add your new starter and assign the Care Certificate in a couple of clicks — or pick them by name.
They work through all 16 standards at their own pace, on any device, with knowledge checks along the way.
Each standard ends with an assessment. Progress updates live on your compliance dashboard.
On completion, a dated certificate is issued automatically and stored in their record and Care Passport.
Content covering every one of the 16 standards, written for clarity and kept current as national guidance evolves — so new carers gain a genuine, thorough grounding.
Aligned to the Skills for Care and Skills for Health standards the CQC expects, and mapped into your live compliance reporting so you can evidence induction at inspection.
One course, any device, any pace. Assign it, and Care2Learn handles tracking, reminders and the certificate — removing the stress of inducting new staff.
One credit is £4. The Care Certificate is a full 16-standard induction, so it uses 2 credits — or it's included at no extra cost on an Unlimited subscription.
The Care Certificate uses 2 credits (£8) per learner. Every other course is 1 credit (£4). Credits never expire, and you only buy what you need.
On an Unlimited subscription the Care Certificate — and every other course — is included at no extra cost, for your whole team, with no credit counting.
Like every online Care Certificate, this course delivers the knowledge component — the theory, understanding and assessment for all 16 standards. To award the full Care Certificate, the learner's practical competence must also be observed in the workplace and signed off by a manager or qualified assessor. That workplace assessment sits outside the online course and remains the employer's responsibility.
See the Care Certificate inside Care2Learn alongside every other mandatory course, with compliance tracking built in. Book a short demo, or start today.