2/2/2024 11:57:53 AM
Care Certificate Standards | eLearning & Assessment
Blue Stream Academy Care Certificate Solution
Established as a fundamental standard for the growing health and social care workforce, the Care Certificate outlines guidelines for training, supervision, and assessment. Serving as an industry leader, Blue Stream Academy launched the online training system for the Care Certificate back in September 2015.
This article provides an overview of the Care Certificate, explores the structure, and highlights why Blue Stream Academy is the preferred choice for efficient and seamless completion. From comprehensive eLearning modules to an innovative Care Certificate add-on, Blue Stream Academy ensures excellence in achievement.
What is the Care Certificate?
The Care Certificate sets out the minimum training, supervision, and assessment that staff new to care (health and social care) should receive as part of induction and before they start to deliver care independently. It provides a foundation for healthcare support and social care worker roles, ensuring that the new worker can provide a compassionate and caring service.
Blue Stream Academy developed an online training and assessment system for the Care Certificate, that has been successfully operational since September 2015. This system covers all 15 standards through an integrated eLearning and practical assessment platform.
The 15 Care Certificate standards
- Standard 1: Understand Your Role
- Standard 2: Your Personal Development
- Standard 3: Duty of Care
- Standard 4: Equality and Diversity
- Standard 5: Work in a Person Centred Way
- Standard 6: Communication
- Standard 7: Privacy and Dignity
- Standard 8: Fluids and Nutrition
- Standard 9: Awareness of Mental Health, Dementia and Learning Disabilities
- Standard 10: Safeguarding Adults
- Standard 11: Safeguarding Children
- Standard 12: Basic Life Support
- Standard 13: Health and Safety
- Standard 14: Handling Information
- Standard 15: Infection Prevention and Control
Who should complete the Care Certificate?
New Workers, New to Care
The Care Certificate is designed for individuals entering a health or social care organisation with no prior training or experience in the sector. Employers have the flexibility to determine if other staff groups would find value in completing all or some of the Care Certificate.
Healthcare:
- healthcare support workers
- healthcare assistants
- assistant practitioners
- any individual giving support to clinical roles in the NHS where there is any direct contact with patients.
Adults Social Care
Workers will be providing direct care to people accessing a variety of social care settings which many include, residential, nursing homes, hospices, domiciliary care, supported living services, shared lives services, and extra care houses. Roles may include:
- care assistant
- care worker
- homecare worker
- care support workers.
Various positions in health and social care, such as ancillary support, non-care workers, and voluntary workers, may find value from completing some or all of the Care Certificate. However, it is not mandatory, and the decision should be made by the employer, taking into account the individual's experience, role, and responsibilities.
How is the Care Certificate Comprised
The Care Certificate includes both knowledge and competence outcomes. The assessment of knowledge and understanding is prefixed with verbs like 'describe,' 'explain,' 'define,' 'list,' or 'identify.' This assessment can be conducted through written or verbal evidence, including the use of workbooks, written questions, case studies, or audio files.
Evidence of performance prefixed with words such as 'demonstrate,' 'take steps to,' 'use,' or 'show' should be carried out in the actual workplace, involving the learner's authentic work tasks, and observed by the assessor unless the use of simulation is explicitly permitted. While learners can refine their skills in a classroom or similar environment, the assessment evidence must be gathered during genuine work activities.
How long does it take to complete the Care Certificate?
For a full-time member of staff, it should take around 12 weeks to achieve the outcomes of the Care Certificate.
Awarding the Care Certificate
The Care Certificate will be awarded by the employer of any healthcare support or care worker who completes all standards.
The Care Certificate should not be marked as complete until the new healthcare support or care worker has completed all 15 standards.
Why choose Blue Stream Academy for your Care Certificate training
Blue Stream Academy offers comprehensive eLearning modules that cover all knowledge outcomes for the 15 Care Certificate Standards. The accompanying assessment system records competence outcomes, facilitating the seamless tracking of progress.
Our Care Certificate add-on automates the recording of completed eLearning and allows authorised peers to upload notes and evidence related to practical assessments in alignment with the 15 Care Certificate standards. As learners progress, their records dynamically update with a complete list of both knowledge and competence outcomes.
The Management Information System (MIS) empowers employers to designate assessors who can mark off observed competence outcomes and provide comments or notes as needed. Once all outcomes are fulfilled, a ‘Certificate Complete’ button becomes visible, marking the certificate as complete for the learner.
The completion certificate is securely stored and can be accessed by the employer or learner at any time. Blue Stream Academy’s Care Certificate add-on is accessible nationwide and requires only an internet connection, compatible with all internet browsers. It supports record transfer for trainees changing jobs, offering employers a paperless option to save time and money, while also safeguarding against certificate or workbook loss and ensuring instant accessibility for inspection purposes.
How do I integrate the Care Certificate onto the Management Platform?
If you are considering adding the Care Certificate onto your Blue Stream Academy platform, please contact the following account managers for a quote:
GP and Dental:
Name: Saraiya Lindsay
Email: gp@bluestreamacademy.com
Email: dental@bluestreamacademy.com
Health & Social Care (Nursing and Care Home):
Name: Jack Burton
Email: nch@bluestreamacademy.com
Urgent and Tailored Care and Aesthetics:
Name: Daniel Smith
Email: urgentcare@bluestreamacademy.com
Email: aesthetics@bluestreamacademy.com
Hospice:
Name: Natalie Poyner
Email: hospice@bluestreamacademy.com
Not Currently a Blue Stream Academy User?
If you're not currently a Blue Stream Academy user and want to learn more, we can offer a free demo and consultation to walk you through the platform and a brief overview of the eLearning modules and additional features.
More on Blue Stream Academy
We are committed to the ongoing professional development (CPD) of health and social care professionals. As an industry leader in both mandatory and non-mandatory eLearning training, our commitment is reflected in the continuous expansion of our offerings, currently featuring over 125 modules, all approved by the CPD accreditation service.
Our CPD modules cater to various sectors:
- General Practice
- Health and Social Care
- Urgent and Private Care
- Aesthetics
- Dental
- Hospice
Features
The Blue Stream Academy platform extends beyond simply delivering eLearning; it incorporates a variety of valuable solutions directly into the platform, aiming to boost professionals' capabilities and streamline processes.
Care Certificate: The integrated Care Certificate, covered in the above article, facilitates a comprehensive and efficient approach to training, ensuring new entrants in health and social care acquire the essential knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to provide compassionate and effective services in various healthcare settings.
The Care Certificate is available for health and social care and is integrated within the eLearning and management platform for an additional cost.
HR System: The integrated HR System provides organisations with a powerful solution for enhanced workforce management. The platform seamlessly integrates features such as profile management, centralised data storage, employee scheduling, leave management, and employee growth, encouraging efficiency and transparency.
HR Management System features are available for all sectors and integrated within the eLearning and management platform for an additional cost.
CQC Health Check System: The CQC Health Check System package is crafted to aid in the challenging process of preparing for a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection. Developed in collaboration with leading practice managers, this system provides a thorough, step-by-step guide to help organise your data and documentation, ensuring that you are thoroughly prepared and confident for a CQC inspection at any given moment.
Available for an additional cost and seamlessly integrated within the GP eLearning and management platform.
Data Security
Demonstrating our dedication to data security, we hold the ISO/IEC 27001 certification in cybersecurity. This certification not only enhances our overall reliability but also highlights our expertise in handling sensitive information. It serves as an assurance that the data housed within our Blue Stream Academy eLearning and management platform is secured with the highest level of protection and security measures.
Contact Us
If you require further information or have any questions, please get in touch with our team of in-house system support specialists using the button below. Alternatively, you can contact us via email at info@bluestreamacademy.com or speak with a team member at 01773 822549.