What Qualifications and Checks Do Home Carers Need?
The direct answer
In England there is no legal minimum qualification to start work as a home care assistant. What the law requires is that the provider employing them is satisfied they are of good character, have the skills and experience for the role and are physically and mentally fit for it, with the evidence to show it: identity, an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check against the adults’ barred list, references and employment history, right to work, and a record of their qualifications and training. That is Regulation 19 and Schedule 3 of the 2014 Regulations. Regulation 18 then requires the provider to give them the training, supervision and appraisal the role needs. In practice every regulated provider inducts new carers against the Care Certificate, the fifteen-standard national induction that the Care Certificate framework expects to be completed within twelve weeks, and keeps a set of mandatory training up to date after that.
Written by the Starling Homecare leadership team and reviewed by Rupen Faldu, Managing Director and the provider’s nominated individual. Last reviewed 24 October 2026; next review by April 2027. Sources are listed at the end of this page.
Checks and training at a glance
Before the first shift (Regulation 19 and Schedule 3, plus the separate right-to-work check required by immigration law): proof of identity; an enhanced DBS certificate with the adults’ barred list check, because personal care is regulated activity; a full employment history with gaps explained; references, normally two including the last care employer; evidence of any qualifications claimed; a declaration of health relevant to the role. Induction (Regulation 18, Care Certificate): the fifteen standards, from the duty of care and safeguarding to moving and assisting, infection prevention and basic life support, with competence observed before the carer works alone and the whole certificate completed within about twelve weeks. Ongoing (Regulation 18): refresher training, spot checks, supervision and an annual appraisal. Required by law since 2022: the Health and Care Act 2022 requires registered providers to ensure their staff receive training on learning disability and autism appropriate to their role. The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is the standardised package the government developed for this, and it is being rolled out across health and social care.
The checks in detail
The DBS check
Home care that includes personal care is regulated activity with adults, so the provider must obtain an enhanced DBS certificate that includes a check of the adults’ barred list. It is unlawful to employ someone on that list in regulated activity, and unlawful for them to apply. A good provider also registers staff with the DBS Update Service so the certificate can be rechecked at any time rather than only at recruitment. You are entitled to ask a provider whether every carer who comes to the house has an enhanced DBS with barred list check and when it was last checked; a registered provider can answer at once.
References and history
Schedule 3 requires a full employment history with written explanations of any gaps, and satisfactory evidence of conduct in previous relevant employment, which in practice means references from the last care employer and at least one other. Where a previous employer will only confirm dates, the provider should record that and look for a second source.
Right to work and sponsorship
Every employee must have the right to work in the UK, checked and recorded before they start. A provider that sponsors care workers from overseas must hold a Home Office sponsor licence; since July 2025 new care-worker visa applications from overseas are no longer possible, so sponsored staff are those already in the country on existing visas. Ask the provider plainly how its workforce is made up; the honest answer is more reassuring than a vague one.
The Care Certificate
The Care Certificate is the national induction standard for staff new to care, developed by Skills for Care, Health Education England and Skills for Health. Its fifteen standards cover the role, personal development, duty of care, equality and diversity, person-centred care, communication, privacy and dignity, fluids and nutrition, mental health, dementia and learning disability, safeguarding adults, safeguarding children, basic life support, health and safety, handling information and infection prevention and control. It is assessed, not just taught: a supervisor watches the carer do the task. It is not a legal qualification, but it is the recognised induction standard and the one Starling Homecare uses.
Mandatory and role-specific training
Beyond induction, the CQC expects training to be kept current in the subjects that keep people safe: moving and assisting, medication (for anyone who prompts or administers medicines, see can home carers give medication), safeguarding, the Mental Capacity Act, infection prevention, food hygiene, fire safety and basic life support, plus whatever a particular person’s care needs: dementia, stoma care, catheter care, diabetes awareness, end of life care. Where a healthcare task is delegated by a nurse, the carer must be trained and signed off for that task for that person before doing it.
Supervision and spot checks
Regulation 18 requires supervision and appraisal. In home care that means a field supervisor turning up unannounced during a visit to watch, a one-to-one meeting at regular intervals, and an annual appraisal, all recorded. The spot check is the single most useful thing to ask a provider about, because it is how a manager actually knows what happens behind a front door.
Qualifications such as the Level 2 and Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care are valuable and common, and senior carers and supervisors usually hold them, but they are not a legal requirement for a care assistant. What matters more to a family is whether the induction was real, the training is current and someone checks.
Four questions sort this out in a minute. Does every carer have an enhanced DBS with the adults’ barred list check, and is it on the Update Service? How is a new carer inducted, and does anyone observe them before they work alone? What training is current for the people who will come to our house, and can you show the matrix? When was the last unannounced spot check on the carers who will visit us? Starling Homecare keeps the answers to all four in writing and will go through them with you before care starts.
- Read who does what in home care for the roles behind the checks, and how home care is regulated for the Regulations themselves.
- Put the four questions above to any provider you are considering; a registered provider can answer them on the spot.
- To hear how we recruit, check and train the carers who would come to your home, call Starling Homecare on 01727 324 127 or request a callback.
Starling Homecare provides visiting care in St Albans, Harpenden, Hemel Hempstead, Welwyn Hatfield, Potters Bar and Cuffley and Cheshunt, and live-in care across Hertfordshire.
Sources
- Regulation 19, fit and proper persons employed, and Schedule 3, Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, legislation.gov.uk, accessed 24 October 2026.
- Regulation 18, staffing, legislation.gov.uk, accessed 24 October 2026.
- Care Certificate standards, Skills for Care, accessed 24 October 2026.
- DBS checks for applicants, GOV.UK, accessed 24 October 2026.
- Skilled Worker visa, GOV.UK, accessed 24 October 2026.
- Health and Care Act 2022 (section 181, mandatory training on learning disability and autism), legislation.gov.uk, accessed 24 October 2026.
- The fundamental standards, Care Quality Commission, accessed 24 October 2026.
- Registration evidence for the statements about Starling Homecare on this page: our CQC registration record, accessed 24 October 2026.
Do home carers need a qualification to start?
No. There is no legal minimum qualification for a care assistant in England. The provider must check the person is suitable and fit for the role, induct them against the Care Certificate and keep their training current; that is what the Regulations require.
Can I ask to see a carer’s DBS certificate?
You can ask the provider to confirm that every carer has an enhanced DBS with the adults’ barred list check and when it was last checked. The certificate itself belongs to the carer and contains personal data, so providers normally confirm the check rather than hand over the document.
Are family members who care for a relative subject to these rules?
No. The Regulations apply to registered providers and their staff. A family member or a personal assistant you employ directly with a Direct Payment is not covered by CQC regulation, which is one reason to understand the difference before you choose that route.
How to Get Started
- Write down what matters most to your family and what a typical week looks like
- Ask each provider you speak to these questions
- Compare the answers, and notice how openly they were given. We are happy to answer every one of them, whether you are considering personal care at home or fuller support
Arranging Care Is Simple
Starting care can feel like a big step. We keep it calm and straightforward, and we are here from your very first call to help you explore what might feel right, whether that is with us or simply pointing you in the right direction.
1. Talk to us
Get in touch by phone or request a callback. We will listen, answer your questions and help you understand the options, so you can decide in your own time.
2. A home visit and initial consultation
We arrange a visit to understand your routines, your home and what matters most to you. Together we agree an initial consultation and shape the support that feels right.
3. Your care begins
A small, familiar team starts your care, arriving at the agreed times and staying involved as your needs change. We remain your trusted adviser throughout.
Whenever you are ready, we are here to help.