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Welcome to 2026!
On behalf of everyone at Access Skills, we are wishing you a huge welcome and an amazing year ahead. Regardless if you’re pulling on your uniform for the first shift of 2026, studying for your next qualification, or leading a team through another busy winter, thank you for everything you do.
Having been in the care industry for almost 20 years now and helped thousands of care workers and care employers get started and progress in care, we’re happy to kick off 2026 with the mandatory skills for care workers which is responsible for a better care delivery in 2026.
As a care worker, maybe just resuming your first shift for the year, imagine walking into a quiet room where an elderly gentleman, let’s call him George, sits staring out the window. He’s lived a full life, probably a wartime hero, a devoted father, but dementia has stolen pieces of his story. On a tough day, he becomes agitated, lashing out in confusion. Think for a moment, what would you do?
Whatever you think about isn’t totally wrong. A skilled care worker doesn’t just manage the behaviour, they sit and ask personal questions, could be about his medals pinned to the wall, and watch as his eyes light up with memories. In that moment, the agitation fades, replaced by a smile and a quiet “Thank you, love.”
That’s the profound impact of great care work. It’s not just a job, it’s about restoring dignity, easing loneliness, and reminding someone they’re still seen and valued.
But in 2026, with England’s ageing population growing rapidly with over 14 million people aged 65+ projected by 2040, the demands for skilled care workers grows higher than ever.
Ready to explore the mandatory skills for care workers? Let’s dive in.
1. Person-Centred Care
You might be wondering why this is one of the top mandatory skills for care workers in 2026. Here’s why;
- It’s embedded across multiple Care Certificate standards, especially Standard 5: Person-centred values, and Standard 3: Duty of care
- CQC’s Single Assessment Framework places heavy emphasis on “responsive” care that respects choice and independence. Inspections now routinely check if people feel listened to and involved.
- With rising numbers of people living with complex conditions like dementia, person-centred approaches are proven to reduce distress, agitation, and even reliance on medication.
What person-centred care look like in practice:
- Making personal inquiries like “What matters to you?” rather than just “What’s the matter with you?”. The manner of asking a question matters.
- Simple curiosity like spending an extra two minutes finding out how someone likes their tea, or which music calms them on difficult days.
- Involving family or friends when the person wants it, and respecting when they don’t.
- Adapting communication like using pictures, gestures, or simpler language for someone with learning disabilities or sensory loss.
How to build this mandatory skill for care workers:
- Complete or refresh Care Certificate Standard. This covers person-centred care practice. You can enrol with ongoing Access Skills offers.
- Keep records of service users that show choices and preferences to avoid mistakes
- Reflect on supervision: After a shift, make it a habit to reflect on the day’s work. “How did I promote choice today?”
When you get person-centred care right, everything else flows – safeguarding becomes easier to spot, communication improves, and the person you support feels truly valued.
2. Safeguarding Adults and Children
In all you do, both in health and social care and outside of it, safety is priority. As such, Safeguarding is one of the most critical mandatory skills for care workers because it stands between vulnerable people and harm.
Safeguarding simply means recognising, preventing, and responding to abuse or neglect in all its forms. In 2026, with more people receiving care in their own homes and complex family dynamics becoming common, the responsibility falls squarely on care workers to spot the signs early.
Why safeguarding remains a top mandatory skill for care workers in 2026:
- It’s a legal duty under the Care Act 2014, which states that every care worker must report concerns without delay.
- CQC inspections now place safeguarding under the “Safe” key line of enquiry, and providers rated “Inadequate” in safeguarding often face enforcement action.
What good safeguarding looks like on a shift:
- Noticing subtle changes. Could be unexplained bruises, sudden withdrawal, fear around certain visitors, or unusual bank transactions.
- Listening without judgement when someone discloses something worrying, even if they say “don’t tell anyone.”
- Knowing the difference between a concern that needs immediate action (e.g., suspected physical abuse) and one that requires monitoring and discussion with your manager.
- Understanding modern risks like online scams targeting older adults or coercive control in domestic settings.
How to strengthen safeguarding skill for care workers:
- Complete safeguarding training like the Unit 3 of NVQ Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care from an accredited training provider.
- Familiarise yourself with your local authority’s safeguarding procedures and the six principles of adult safeguarding (empowerment, prevention, proportionality, protection, partnership, accountability).
3. Awareness of Learning Disabilities and Autism
If you’re looking to step into or already work in health and social care in 2026, understanding learning disabilities and autism isn’t optional anymore, it’s one of the clearest mandatory skills for care workers this year.
Since the Health and Care Act 2022 made the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training compulsory, every health and care worker who supports people with learning disabilities or autism must complete Tier 1 training (and many need Tier 2 if they provide direct support). This rolled out fully by September 2025, and in 2026 providers are being scrutinised hard on compliance during CQC inspections.
The Care Certificate also reflects this shift: Standard 16 (new since the 2025 update) is dedicated to “Learning disabilities and autism awareness”.
Why this has become a core mandatory skill for care workers
- Around 1.5 million people in the UK are autistic, and over 900,000 have a learning disability, many receiving social care support.
- People with learning disabilities die on average 15–20 years earlier than the general population, often due to avoidable health inequalities and poor communication in care settings.
- Misunderstanding behaviours that are actually communication of distress (sometimes called “behaviours of concern”) can lead to inappropriate restraint, medication overuse, or breakdowns in care placements.
How to develop learning disability and autism awareness skills
- Complete the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training. Most care employers now arrange this, but you can also access it at a discount with Access Skills
- Keep person-centred records that show adjustments made and why.
Getting this right prevents harm for service users and also opens doors to real connection and helps people live the fullest life possible.
4. Infection Prevention and Control, Including Health & Safety
Infection prevention and control (IPC) isn’t glamorous, but in 2026 it remains one of the most vital mandatory skills for care workers because getting it wrong can cost lives.
We saw this during the pandemic, but the lessons are still fresh, outbreaks of norovirus, flu, COVID variants, and resistant bacteria like MRSA or C. diff can spread rapidly in care settings. Add in manual handling injuries (still the top cause of staff absence in social care), and health & safety becomes inseparable from good IPC practice.
Why this continues to be a core mandatory skill for care workers in 2026:
- The Care Certificate Standard 15/16 explicitly addresses Infection prevention and control as a major concern which is non-negotiable for care workers especially new starters.
- CQC’s “Safe” key question includes explicit checks on IPC policies, PPE use, and outbreak management. A single serious incident can drop a provider’s rating.
- With winter pressures and new variants always possible, Skills for Care and Public Health England guidance stress ongoing vigilance.
What excellent infection prevention and health & safety looks like in practice:
- Proper hand hygiene every single time. The full 20-second wash or alcohol gel technique, even when you’re rushed.
- Correct sequence for putting on and removing PPE (apron, gloves, mask, visor) to avoid self-contamination.
- Safe manual handling. Using hoists correctly, assessing risk before moving someone, and never “making do” to save time.
- Spotting early infection signs. Either a new cough, diarrhoea, confusion, or a sore area on skin and isolating/reporting immediately.
- Keeping shared equipment clean and storing it properly between visits.
Mastering infection prevention and health & safety allows you to protect the most vulnerable people from avoidable suffering.
5. Digital Skills in Care
Digital skills are no longer a “nice extra”, in 2026 they’re firmly one of the mandatory skills for care workers who want to deliver safe, efficient, and modern care.
We’re talking about confident, secure use of the digital tools that now underpin almost every care service, electronic care planning systems like Nourish, CareDocs, or Person Centred Software, medication administration records (eMAR), rostering apps, GPS check-in systems, and even telecare devices that monitor falls or vital signs remotely.
Digital proficiency has become a mandatory skill for care workers in 2026 because most care providers have now fully transitioned to digital records to meet CQC requirements for accurate, real-time documentation. Accurate digital recording protects both care wokers and service users. Clear, timed entries are the best defence of a care worker in any investigation.
How to become digitally proficient as a care worker:
- Enrol and complete training on your employer’s specific system most providers offer this as part of induction.
- Practise basic troubleshooting of the systems and ensure familiarity.
- Pair up with a senior carer until you attain mastery to operate alone.
These five mandatory skills for care workers are the tools needed by services to ensure safe, effective and person-centred care are delivered to service users.
As a care worker or someone new to care, attaining all 5 skills are a must do because with them, you give the people in your care the chance to live better every day. Start working on gaining these skills today.
If you are ready to get strengthen your mandatory skills for 2026, start here:
👉 Explore accredited Level 2 – 5 Diploma in Adult Care Qualifications
👉 Register for our next free webinar to learn about mandatory care trainings
Visit www.accessskills.co.uk today, drop us an email at info@accessskills.co.uk or call 0121 510 2169 to find the right course for you.
Thank you for the incredible work you do.
Let’s make 2026 your strongest year yet.
