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The Care Certificate. Buy in our course store and start straight away: about 16 hours 30 minutes.
ONLINE COURSE
The Care Certificate Online for New Care Workers
Our Care Certificate online course gives people new to health and social care the knowledge they need for the Care Certificate standards, in 17 short modules from duty of care to infection control. Learn on any device and get a CPD certificate on completion. Your employer then assesses your skills at work and awards the Care Certificate. Try the first module free.
- IOSH Approved Training Provider 4301
- Highfield Approved Centre 17588
- Reply within one working day.
The Short Answers
What is the Care Certificate?
The Care Certificate is a set of 16 standards, updated in 2025, that sets out the knowledge, skills and behaviours expected of people new to health and adult social care in England. It is a recommended part of induction, not an accredited qualification. To achieve it, a worker must learn the knowledge and show competence in all 16 standards.
Can you get the Care Certificate online?
Only the knowledge part. Skills for Care, NHS England and Skills for Health say e-learning alone cannot provide full achievement. Most of the skills evidence must be observed during real work, and only the employer can sign off and award the full certificate. An online course is the quickest way to cover the knowledge.
Who needs the Care Certificate?
It’s aimed at people joining health or adult social care with no past training or experience: care assistants, care workers, home care workers and healthcare support workers. Roles such as cooks, cleaners, drivers and receptionists don’t need it in full, though employers may choose parts of it, such as safeguarding, for them.
Course facts
- Format
- E-learning approved by CPDonline, self-paced, on any device
- Duration
- About 16 hours 30 minutes18 CPD units
- Who it’s for
- People new to health and social carecare assistants, support workers and healthcare assistants
- Certificate
- CPD certificate for the online learningthe Care Certificate itself is awarded by your employer
- The law
- CQC Regulation 18 (staffing)the Care Certificate standards are a recommended framework, not law
- Price
- £35 + VATper learner. Team pricing available.
- Free trial
- First module freetry it before you buy
What the Care Certificate Online Course Covers
Seventeen interactive modules, each with a short test (70% to pass), covering the knowledge you’ll need when you’re assessed against the Care Certificate standards.
Your Role, Development and Duty of Care
Modules 1 to 3: understanding your role in care, your personal development and your duty of care.
Equality and Person-Centred Care
Modules 4 and 5: equality and diversity, and how to work in a person-centred way.
Communication, Privacy and Dignity
Modules 6 and 7: communicating well with the people you support, and protecting their privacy and dignity.
Fluids and Nutrition
Module 8: supporting people to eat and drink well.
Mental Health, Dementia and Disability
Modules 9 to 11: mental health awareness, dementia awareness and disability awareness.
Safeguarding Adults and Children
Modules 12 and 13: recognising and reporting abuse and neglect of adults and children.
Emergency First Aid and Health and Safety
Modules 14 and 15: emergency first aid at work, and health and safety in care settings.
Handling Information and Infection Control
Modules 16 and 17: handling information, and infection prevention and control.
How to Get the Care Certificate: Online Learning Plus Assessment at Work
The official Care Certificate questions and answers, published by NHS England, Skills for Care and Skills for Health, set out how it works:
- Learn the knowledge. Knowledge can be shown through written or verbal evidence, including e-learning with questions. This is what our online course covers.
- Show you can do it. Evidence of performance (“demonstrate”, “use”, “show”) must be observed by an assessor during real work, unless simulation is specifically allowed. You can practise in a classroom, but most evidence must come from the workplace.
- Your employer signs it off. The full certificate is awarded by the employer once all 16 standards are complete. External learning providers, including us, must not sign or issue it.
The Care Certificate doesn’t replace your employer’s induction or its statutory and mandatory training. You’ll still learn things specific to where you work, such as the fire procedure and how to report accidents. Our guide to induction training explains how the pieces fit together.
The 16 Care Certificate Standards (2025)
The standards were updated in 2025, when a 16th standard on awareness of learning disability and autism was added:
- Understand your role
- Your personal development
- Duty of care
- Equality, diversity, inclusion and human rights
- Work in a person-centred way
- Communication
- Privacy and dignity
- Fluids and nutrition
- Awareness of mental health and dementia
- Adult safeguarding
- Safeguarding children
- Basic life support
- Health and safety
- Handling information
- Infection prevention and control
- Awareness of learning disability and autism
Our course covers the knowledge for these topics. Two standards usually need your employer’s chosen training as well. The official guidance says Standard 16, like basic life support and safeguarding children, is typically achieved through the training the provider selects, and names the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training as the government’s preferred training for learning disability and autism. Our disability awareness module is not a substitute for it. Ask your employer what they use for Standard 16 and for basic life support.
Read more in our guide to care home training and CQC.
Try before you buy
Try the First Module Free
See how the The Care Certificate course works before you pay. Tell us where to send it and we’ll give you free access to the first module straight away.
Ways to Take This Course
Buy for one person in a couple of minutes, or talk to us about a team.
CLARITY
Common Questions
Is the Care Certificate mandatory?
No law says every care worker must hold it. But CQC expects providers to train and support staff under Regulation 18, and its guidance for new providers says a care home’s staff training plan should show how it will meet the Care Certificate standards. So for practical purposes, it is expected for staff new to care.
How long does the Care Certificate take?
The course length shown above is for the online knowledge part, which you can do at your own pace. The full Care Certificate takes longer, because your employer has to observe and assess your skills during real work across all 16 standards. How long that takes depends on your role and how soon assessments can be arranged.
Is the Care Certificate the same as the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate?
No. The Care Certificate standards are recommended and non-accredited. The Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate is a separate qualification, accredited and regulated by Ofqual, whose outcomes align with the same 16 standards. It gives adult social care workers a recognised qualification. Ask your employer which one they want you to work towards.
I’ve worked in care before. Do I need to do it again?
Not always. The Care Certificate is designed to be portable. The official guidance says a new employer should check your skills and knowledge are current, often with a self-assessment, and then arrange any extra training or workplace assessment you need. Some employers may still ask you to complete it if that suits your learning needs.
Do agency and bank staff need the Care Certificate?
CQC-regulated providers have a duty to assess the training needs of every member of staff new to their organisation, whether they are agency, bank or directly employed. For someone with no previous care experience, the Care Certificate standards are the recommended framework. For experienced staff, the employer checks what is current and fills any gaps.
Can we enrol all our new starters?
Yes. With a team licence on our e-learning platform you can enrol every new starter, see who has finished each module and download certificates for your records, ready for the workplace assessments. Tell us how many people start each year and we’ll send team pricing within one working day.
Get Team Pricing
Training more than a few people on The Care Certificate? Tell us how many and we’ll send team pricing within one working day.
- IOSH Approved Training Provider 4301
- Highfield Approved Centre 17588
- Reply within one working day.
Related Courses
Ready to Start Your Care Certificate?
Try the first module free and buy online for one learner, or tell us how many new starters you have and we’ll send team pricing within one working day.
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