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We're working in collaboration with awarding organisations to develop new qualifications needed in the care sector that are high quality, consistent and well understood. 

Updated – February 2024:

Skills for Care was commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to develop a specification for the development of a new Level 2 Care Certificate qualification based on the existing Care Certificate standards.

Development of the specification was done in collaboration with the sector through a series of focus groups and meetings with stakeholders.

We’re now working in partnership with the DHSC to approve several Wave 1 awarding organisations who have confirmed their intention to proceed to develop the new qualification for adult social care. The DHSC will advise and confirm how further awarding organisations can express an interest and intention to proceed to develop the qualification under a Wave 2 process in due course.

 

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Skills for Care has now reviewed and updated the content of the current Care Certificate to meet the standards of a Level 2 qualification.

 

Further details on the roll out of the qualification for training providers and the sector will be shared by the Department of Health and Social Care over the coming year.

 


 

There are currently six qualifications for adult social care. 

 

Developing new qualifications

We've developed a process of approval for RQF qualifications against specifications developed by us in consultation with employers and other stakeholders in adult social care. Read the full the process for approval for the qualifications above.

If you require further details or clarification on specification criteria please email NWDCS@skillsforcare.org.uk

 

Assessment Principles

Create a consistent approach to the assessment of qualifications in the sector and support awarding organisations’ quality assurance processes.

 

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Skills for Care and Skills for Healths set of joint assessment principles which can be used by Awarding Organisations offering the Level 2 Diploma in Care.

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Skills for Care & Developments set of assessment principles for use in social care across the UK. Skills for Care will use these principles for all other occupational competence qualifications in the sector.

 

Flexible arrangements to support existing principles and approaches to assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic have now been removed. There is an expectation that centres delivering qualifications in the sector now return to full assessment approaches as guided by the assessment principles.

 

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This guidance has been developed and agreed by Skills for Care and the JABQG. Our aim is to support best practice in maintaining standardised approaches and to uphold the rigour and integrity of qualifications in the sector.

 

The document above sets out clarification with aspects from the existing assessment principles and aims to recognise developments e.g., with the use of technology in the assessment process. This document must be used alongside and in conjunction with the appropriate existing assessment principles.