For care training providers
CPD accreditation for health and social care training
Last reviewed 23 October 2026 · 7 min read
Health and social care is one of the largest training markets in the UK, and one of the most tightly watched. Care employers have to show that staff are trained and competent, inspectors look for the evidence, and a great deal of that training is bought in from external providers. If you deliver care training, independent CPD accreditation is a way to show your courses were assessed against a published standard — but it is worth being precise about where it fits, because care has several overlapping systems and accreditation is only one of them.
The short answer: CPD accreditation is quality assurance for a course — it confirms the learning was independently assessed against a published standard, with stated outcomes and verifiable certificates. It sits alongside, not instead of, the Care Certificate, the regulated Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, and any mandatory or statutory training a role requires. It is not CQC approval, and it is not a licence to practise.
The systems in UK care training — and where CPD accreditation fits
Three things get confused, so it helps to separate them:
| What it is | What it does |
|---|---|
| The Care Certificate | A set of 15 standards used for new-starter induction in adult social care. A framework, not a regulated qualification in itself. |
| The Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate | A regulated qualification, live since June 2024, built from the same 15 standards. A formal qualification, not CPD. |
| CPD accreditation | Independent assessment that a specific course meets a published quality standard. Applies to ongoing and role-specific training beyond induction. |
Most of what a care worker learns after induction — moving and handling refreshers, medication awareness, dementia care, safeguarding updates, infection prevention — is CPD. That is where accreditation earns its place: it gives care employers and their learners evidence that a course was independently reviewed, rather than taking the provider's word for it.
Why CPD accreditation matters in care training
Care providers answer to inspection, and inspectors look for evidence that staff training is appropriate and that competence is maintained. A CPD certificate that states the learning outcomes, the hours, and a verification code is far stronger evidence than one that says only “attended”. For a care employer choosing between training suppliers, independently accredited courses lower the risk that the training will not stand up when it is examined.
It also protects your learners. A care worker logging CPD wants activity they can evidence and that is clearly relevant to their role — exactly what a well-constructed accredited course provides.
What AssuredCPD assesses on a care course specifically
Every course is reviewed by a person against our published Standards Framework. For care training we pay particular attention to:
- Currency. Care guidance changes — from infection control to safeguarding thresholds. We check the content reflects current practice and that you have a plan to keep it updated.
- Outcomes that match the role. “Understand safeguarding” is not an outcome; being able to recognise and escalate a concern is. We look for outcomes a care worker can actually demonstrate.
- Honest hour claims. The CPD hours must be proportionate to the learning, not inflated to look more substantial.
- A credible check of learning. Something that confirms the learner understood the material, not just that they opened it.
Who this is for — and who it isn't
This is for providers of care training — e-learning companies, trainers and assessors, and care organisations running their own in-house courses who want independent assurance of quality. It is a good fit for role-specific and refresher CPD across adult social care, domiciliary care, supported living and similar settings.
It is not a route to the Care Certificate or the Level 2 qualification — those are separate and, in the Level 2 case, regulated. And it does not make any single course sufficient on its own: some care training, such as practical moving-and-handling or clinical skills, must be delivered and assessed in ways a CPD accreditation does not replace.
Common care courses we accredit
The courses below are typical of what care-training providers submit. The list is not exhaustive — if your course develops a care worker's knowledge or skills and meets the standard, it is a candidate — but it shows the range:
- Moving and handling (people) awareness and refreshers
- Medication awareness and administration
- Safeguarding adults, and safeguarding children in care settings
- Dementia awareness and person-centred care
- Infection prevention and control
- Basic life support and first aid awareness
- Mental capacity, consent and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards
- Dignity, nutrition, pressure area care and end-of-life care
- Duty of care, equality and diversity, and health and safety in care
Where a topic has a practical or clinical component that must be assessed in person, CPD accreditation covers the knowledge element; the practical assessment remains the provider's responsibility.
Where care courses commonly fall short
The reasons a care course is sent back for revision are consistent, and all are avoidable:
- Out-of-date content. Safeguarding thresholds, infection-control guidance and best practice move; a course written two years ago and never reviewed often no longer reflects current practice.
- Aspirational outcomes. “Raise awareness of dignity” cannot be demonstrated or assessed. Outcomes have to describe what a care worker can do.
- Inflated hours. A 45-minute module claimed as three CPD hours is the single most common reason for a conditional decision.
- No real check of learning. Opening a slide deck is not evidence of understanding.
How it works, practically
You submit the course — outline, materials, assessment method, claimed hours and your review policy. A named assessor reviews it against the six domains of the framework and returns a written decision within five working days of a complete submission: accredited, conditional, or declined with specific feedback. Once accredited, you may display the AssuredCPD mark on that course and issue certificates with a verification code your care-employer clients can check.
Pricing
A single course is £350 for the first year (£245 renewal). Annual membership covering multiple courses starts at £975 — worth it from around three courses upward, which suits most care-training catalogues. All prices exclude VAT, with no per-certificate fees. Full detail is on the pricing page.
What we're honest about
CPD accreditation is not CQC approval, and no CPD body can grant it — regulators do not approve external training. It does not replace the Care Certificate, the Level 2 qualification, or any statutory training. And it accredits the course, not the individual learner: confirming a named care worker completed it is the training provider's record, checked separately. We would rather you understood those limits up front than discovered them later — see what you can and can't claim.
Common questions
Is CPD accreditation the same as the Care Certificate?
No. The Care Certificate is a set of 15 induction standards for adult social care, and a regulated Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification has existed since June 2024 built from those standards. CPD accreditation is separate: it is independent quality assurance that a specific course met a published standard, and it applies mainly to ongoing and role-specific training beyond induction.
Does CPD accreditation mean a care course is CQC approved?
No. The CQC does not approve or endorse external training courses, and no CPD accreditation body can grant CQC approval. CPD accreditation confirms a course was independently assessed against a published standard, which can form part of the evidence a care provider holds, but it is not regulator approval.
Can AssuredCPD accredit our in-house care training?
Yes. Care organisations running their own courses can submit them for accreditation in the same way as commercial training providers. Each course is assessed against the published Standards Framework and, if it meets the standard, carries the mark and verifiable certificates.
Does accredited care training replace mandatory training?
No. Some care training is mandatory or statutory and may need to be delivered and assessed in specific ways. CPD accreditation is quality assurance of a course against a published standard; it does not override or replace mandatory training requirements for a role.
How much does it cost to accredit a care course?
A single course is £350 for the first year and £245 on renewal, excluding VAT. Annual membership covering multiple courses starts at £975, which is usually cheaper from around three courses upward. There are no per-certificate fees.
Apply for accreditation See pricing
AssuredCPD is an independent CPD accreditation body. We are not a government or regulatory body and do not award regulated qualifications. CPD accreditation confirms that a course was independently assessed against our published standard; it is not a licence to practise and does not replace any mandatory, regulated or statutory training a role requires.