Care News Catch-Up: Training Gaps, New Care Promises and the Pressure on Families

Adult social care has received another burst of announcements, reports and new guidance—but, as always, an announcement is not the same as a change people can rely on.

In this Care News Catch-Up, we begin with a warning from the Care Quality Commission about training for staff supporting autistic people and people with a learning disability. We also look at the revised timetable for the Casey Commission, new government promises for the care workforce, the growing pressure on unpaid carers, and practical guidance on digital skills and DBS checks.

🔴 CQC warns that learning-disability and autism training remains inconsistent

The Care Quality Commission has warned that some registered health and care providers are still not actively arranging appropriate learning-disability and autism training for their staff—even though providing training appropriate to a worker’s role is a regulatory requirement for services carrying out CQC-regulated activities.

The warning came one year after publication of the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice, which explains how registered providers are expected to meet that requirement.

CQC said that uptake remains variable across the country. While some organisations are working hard to provide suitable training, others still have much more to do.

This is not a minor administrative concern.

CQC referred to the 2024 Learning from Lives and Deaths review, known as LeDeR. Among adults with a learning disability whose deaths received a LeDeR review, 39% of deaths were classified as avoidable. The comparable figure in the general adult population was 21.1%.

That means approximately two in every five reviewed deaths of adults with a learning disability were considered avoidable—a proportion nearly twice that found in the general adult population.

Training alone cannot remove every inequality or prevent every avoidable death. However, staff who understand communication differences, reasonable adjustments, diagnostic overshadowing, distress and person-centred support are better equipped to recognise needs and respond safely.

What is the Oliver McGowan training?

The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is the Government’s preferred and recommended training package for health and social care staff.

It has two tiers, selected according to a person’s role and level of responsibility:

Tier 1 is for people who require a general awareness of autistic people and people with a learning disability.
Tier 2 is for people who may need to provide care, support or treatment, or make decisions affecting an autistic person or somebody with a learning disability.

Both tiers include e-learning followed by a second component involving learning led or co-led by people with lived experience. Completing the e-learning alone is therefore not necessarily completion of the full training package.

The correct level should be determined by the work a person actually undertakes—not simply their job title.

What does this mean for independent carers?

CQC’s regulatory warning is directed at registered providers. It should not be rewritten as though every self-employed carer is automatically regulated by CQC or subject to identical organisational requirements.

But that distinction is not an excuse to ignore the underlying issue.

Independent carers frequently support people living with dementia, cognitive impairment, communication difficulties, autism or a learning disability. Some accept complex placements without an employer assessing their competence or arranging the training they need.

Working independently therefore requires carers to take greater ownership—not less—of their knowledge, limitations and professional development.

Weaknesses elsewhere in the care sector should never become the benchmark for independent practice. “My agency did not require it” or “other carers have not done it” does not make a gap in knowledge safe.

Where should an independent carer start?

There is no single training list that is legally compulsory for every independent carer in every situation. Training must be relevant to the services offered, the responsibilities accepted and the needs of the person receiving care.

However, a strong professional foundation will commonly include:

safeguarding adults;
moving and handling;
basic life support and first aid;
medication awareness or administration, where medication support is provided;
infection prevention and control;
health and safety;
food hygiene, where preparing or handling food;
confidentiality, data protection and secure record keeping;
equality, dignity and person-centred care;
mental capacity, consent and supported decision-making.

Further training should be determined by the people and placements a carer agrees to support. Depending on the work, this could include:

learning disability and autism;
dementia;
epilepsy;
diabetes;
Parkinson’s;
stroke awareness;
catheter or stoma care;
pressure-area and skin care;
dysphagia and safer eating and drinking;
end-of-life care;
delegated healthcare activities;
understanding behaviour that may communicate pain, fear, distress or an unmet need.

Carers should also check:

whether training needs refreshing;
whether a course includes any necessary practical assessment;
whether their insurer sets particular conditions;
whether the task requires instruction, observation or competency assessment by a suitable professional;
whether a healthcare activity must be formally delegated before they undertake it.

A folder full of certificates does not automatically prove competence. Training must be relevant, current and supported by the ability to apply it safely. Equally, years of experience should not be used as a reason to stop learning.

JCC thought: Independence should never mean fewer safeguards. It should mean greater ownership. Independent carers should be willing to identify their own learning needs, keep their knowledge current and decline work they are not competent to perform—even when nobody is standing over them checking.

If we work together, the JCC community can help set a new benchmark for independent care across the UK—one built on professionalism, responsibility and high standards.

We can help care work gain the recognition it deserves, while ensuring that skilled, committed carers are respected and fairly rewarded for the necessary, important and valuable work they do.

🟡 The Casey Commission timetable has changed

The Government has formally revised the timetable for Baroness Louise Casey’s Independent Commission on Adult Social Care.

The Commission was originally expected to report in two phases. Its terms of reference have now been changed so that it will produce one combined report by summer 2027.

This is a change since our previous Care News update, which referred to initial recommendations expected later in 2026. That information reflected the timetable in place at the time; the Government has since brought the work together under a revised reporting date.

The Commission will continue to report directly to the Prime Minister and consider questions including:

how adult social care should be organised and delivered;
how a future National Care Service might work;
how care should be funded;
how the system can support people receiving care, families, unpaid carers and the workforce.

The Big Conversation on Care remains open, allowing people who receive care, families, unpaid carers, professional care workers, providers and members of the public to contribute their experiences and views.

What does this mean now?

The revised timetable may allow the Commission to present a more complete set of recommendations sooner than the original two-stage process. However, it does not itself change how care is currently funded, assessed or delivered.

A Commission report is also not the same as enacted policy. Its recommendations will still require government decisions, funding and—where necessary—legislation before they become reality.

JCC thought: Bringing the Commission’s work into one report may create a clearer route forward. But carers and families have heard promises of reform before. The real test will be what the Government agrees to implement, how it will be funded and how quickly people experience a meaningful difference.

🟡 New workforce promises—but important details are still missing

The Government has announced several measures intended to support the development of a future National Care Service.

These include:

a new adult social care workforce plan, expected by the end of 2026;
what the Government describes as the first national collective pension scheme for adult social care workers;
the proposed appointment of a new champion for unpaid carers.

These announcements could become important. Care workers have long experienced low pay, insecure employment, limited progression and poor pension provision. A meaningful workforce plan and accessible pension scheme could improve both recruitment and retention.

However, the practical details have not yet been published.

We do not yet know:

when the pension scheme will begin;
which workers and employers will be eligible;
what contribution levels will apply;
whether participation will be automatic or voluntary;
how it will interact with existing workplace pensions;
whether genuinely self-employed independent carers will have any route to participate.

The promise of a workforce plan is similarly not the same as having one. Its value will depend on whether it tackles pay, conditions, training, career development, workforce stability and the real cost of providing safe care.

JCC thought: A pension scheme and workforce plan could represent genuine progress—but carers cannot plan their futures around headlines. We will judge these measures when the eligibility rules, funding and implementation dates are available.

🔴 Around 1,500 people a day are leaving work to provide unpaid care

New polling conducted by Opinium for Carers UK estimates that 1.1 million people left employment to care for an older, disabled or seriously ill family member or friend during the previous two years.

That is equivalent to more than 1,500 people leaving work every day.

The research also suggests:

one in five UK employees now has a caring responsibility;
approximately 3.33 million people have left employment to provide unpaid care at some point;
the recent rate of people leaving work to care has increased by 150% compared with similar Carers UK polling published in 2019.

Carers UK is calling for a statutory right to paid Carer’s Leave, arguing that the existing entitlement to unpaid leave remains unaffordable for many workers—particularly those already on lower incomes.

The consequences extend far beyond lost wages

Leaving work or reducing hours can affect:

current household income;
pension contributions and future retirement income;
career progression;
financial independence;
physical and mental health;
relationships between the person providing care and the person receiving it.

Many relatives provide care willingly and lovingly. That does not mean they should be forced out of employment because suitable support is unavailable, unaffordable or too difficult to navigate.

Good independent care will not solve the national social care crisis. However, making private care easier to find, discuss and organise could help some families build support before one person reaches breaking point or feels they have no option but to abandon their career.

JCC thought: Families are often described as though they are an unlimited source of free care. They are not. Supporting unpaid carers means giving them real choices, reliable respite, workplace protection and access to suitable professional care—not simply praising their resilience while asking them to absorb more.

🟢 A new digital-skills framework for adult social care

The Department of Health and Social Care published a new Adult Social Care Digital Skills Framework on 29 September 2026.

The framework applies in England and covers seven themes:

using technology to support person-centred care;
technical skills for using technology;
communicating using technology;
using and managing data;
being safe and secure online;
ethical use of technology;
digital learning, development and wellbeing.

Each theme includes a “digital skills for all” level and a “go further” level for people moving towards supervisory, management, leadership or specialist digital roles.

The framework is guidance rather than a new qualification that every carer must obtain. Nevertheless, it reflects an important shift in what professional competence now includes.

Digital competence is not merely knowing how to open an app. It includes recording information accurately and promptly, protecting sensitive data, communicating appropriately, recognising unreliable online information and using technology without losing sight of the person receiving care.

For independent carers, these responsibilities are particularly important. Without an employer providing systems and oversight, the carer must decide how records are created, stored, shared and protected.

JCC thought: Good record keeping and responsible use of technology are not separate from care. They help protect continuity, dignity, safety and accountability. Digital tools should support person-centred care—not replace judgement, conversation or human connection.

🟢 Updated DBS guidance clarifies eligibility in adult social care

The Disclosure and Barring Service published updated guidance during September explaining which adult-social-care roles and activities may qualify for different levels of criminal-record check.

The level of check available depends on the activities performed and, in some cases, how frequently they are performed. Simply calling somebody a “carer,” “companion” or “home help” does not determine eligibility.

The guidance explains that providing personal care to an adult who needs it because of age, illness or disability can amount to regulated activity. This can make the role eligible for an Enhanced DBS check with an Adults’ Barred List check.

Personal care can include:

physically assisting with eating, drinking, toileting, washing, dressing, oral care or certain skin, hair and nail care;
prompting an adult to undertake those activities because they cannot make the decision independently, followed by supervising the activity;
providing training, instruction or guidance on how to carry out those activities.

Some regular forms of assistance that do not involve personal care may qualify for an Enhanced DBS check without the Adults’ Barred List, depending on the precise duties and frequency.

Companionship or ordinary befriending on its own will generally only support eligibility for a Basic DBS check.

Why does this matter?

Families and carers sometimes assume that every person working with an older or disabled adult can obtain the same level of DBS check. That is not correct. It is unlawful for an organisation to knowingly request a higher level of check when the legal eligibility criteria are not met.

Equally, somebody displaying a DBS certificate is not automatically suitable or competent. A DBS check provides criminal-record and, where eligible, barred-list information at a point in time. It does not assess training, experience, reliability, references or the quality of care somebody will provide.

The correct approach is to identify the real responsibilities of the role, confirm the appropriate level of check and consider DBS information alongside the other safeguards required for the arrangement.

JCC thought: A DBS check is an important safeguard, but it is not a professional qualification or a guarantee. Safe independent care depends on the complete picture: identity, eligibility, relevant training, competence, references, insurance, clear agreements and ongoing accountability.

The short version

🔴 Serious concern

CQC says some registered providers are still not ensuring staff receive appropriate learning-disability and autism training.
LeDeR data shows a continuing and deeply concerning gap in avoidable deaths.
An estimated 1,500 people every day are leaving employment to provide unpaid care.

🟡 Watch carefully

The Casey Commission will now produce one combined report by summer 2027.
The Government has announced a workforce plan, collective pension scheme and unpaid-carers champion—but key implementation details remain unknown.
None of these announcements has yet transformed the day-to-day reality of arranging or providing care.

🟢 Useful progress

The new digital-skills framework gives the sector a clearer picture of modern professional competence.
Updated DBS guidance helps carers, families and organisations understand which checks may be legally available for different activities.

JCC conclusion

Government reform, funding and effective regulation are essential. Families and carers cannot repair the adult social care system through personal effort alone.

But professional standards are not something independent carers must wait for a government department or employer to create.

Independent carers can take ownership now—by completing training that reflects the responsibilities they accept, understanding the limits of their competence, maintaining clear records and declining work they are not safely prepared to undertake.

That is not about turning care into a box-ticking exercise. It is about building trust.

Private care will only become a safe, respected and accessible choice if families can recognise carers who take their responsibilities seriously—and if those carers receive the recognition and fair reward their work deserves.

If we work together, the JCC community can help set that benchmark.

This article provides general information and discussion. Training, DBS eligibility, delegated healthcare activities and regulatory responsibilities depend on the work undertaken and individual circumstances. Carers and families should obtain appropriate professional guidance where necessary.

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