Understanding Your Role | Care Certificate Standards

In this section, we will explore the first of the Care Certificate standards: Understanding Your Role. Your role will be outlined in a job description, which details your primary duties and responsibilities, as well as who you report to. If you don’t have a copy of your job description, be sure to request one from your employer. It is crucial to understand what is expected of you and what is not part of your role.

Job Descriptions and Your Duties

While it may be impossible for a job description to list every task you will perform, it should largely reflect your role and responsibilities. Some common duties that may be listed in your job description include:

• Providing care and support, working person-centred, communicating effectively, building relationships, and promoting equality and diversity.
• Working as part of a team, supporting team members, and developing your skills to improve your performance.
• Contributing to activities safely, maintaining clear records, adhering to regulations, and following the agreed way of working.
• Respecting confidentiality by not discussing any personal information about individuals or staff with unauthorised people and securely storing records.

National Standards for Competency

The Care Certificate and the Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England set out the skills, knowledge, and standards required to perform your role competently. These standards are essential for guiding your professional development and are shared across health and social care settings.

The Care Certificate is a standardised training programme for new healthcare support workers and adult social care workers. It consists of 16 standards, which all new workers must complete before working without supervision in any workplace. For more details, you can visit the Skills for Care website, where further information is provided. A link to the website will also be available in the student download area of this course.

The Code of Conduct

The Code of Conduct is the moral and ethical standard that is expected of all health and social care workers. It sets out clear guidelines for professionalism and accountability in your work, ensuring that you provide high-quality care in an ethical and responsible manner.

Continuous Learning and Development

As you progress in your role, you will continue to build on the knowledge and skills gained from the Care Certificate. You may be asked to complete further qualifications during or after your induction period. Employers are encouraged to invest in their employees' learning and development beyond the induction stage to ensure continued professional growth.

In the next videos, we will explore your role in more detail and dive deeper into the responsibilities and skills that are vital to your development in the health and social care sector.