Aim: The study is called ‘evaluating the care certificate: a cross-sector solution to assuring fundamental skills in caring’ (ECCert). The care certificate is a set of 15 standards designed to provide a consistent approach to the training and induction of healthcare assistants and social care support workers for their roles within care organisations. This project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the care certificate in achieving its intended outcomes which include improving the experience of induction, training and career development for healthcare assistants and social care support workers as well as improving care for patients.

Research funding(s): It is funded by the Department of Health Policy Research Programme.

Lead researcher: Dr Louise Thomson

Progress to date: The study involves a telephone survey of a large number of care organisations. This will be followed by qualitative case studies with a smaller number of care organisations.

The study has been profiled in the Nursing Times (November 2016).

Contact for further information: Dr This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  and phone 0115 748 4298.