Across Europe as  whole

- At the start of 2020 more than 9,000 people held the European Care Certificate, spread across 20 countries and this number is rising all the time.  Over time the ECC has been officially recognised in the UK, Romania, Hungary and in the Czech Republic as a suitable qualification for care staff. We anticipate that more approvals will arrive as the momentum behind the ECC develops and the European Qualification Framework begins to function fully across the EU.

- In March 2020 EASPD had data on around 9,000 ECC exam candidates on our central ECC database in Brussels. (This provides a checking mechanism for those who hold the Certificate and helps prevent fraud.) We now have 20 member states who offer the ECC. These achievements are a clear indication of the widespread support for the whole idea of the ECC and a recognition of how it meets a clear training need in many countries.

- We have developed materials to support the ECC. These are - an ECC Training Course, Best Practice in Social Care, tailored to each country's needs which covers all the learning outcomes of the BESCLO.  We also have a 'Train the trainers' course - which prepares trainers to deliver the ECC Training course, Doing Things Right in Social Care. These are available from all Lead Partners in all ECC countries.

- We have developed an online version of the ECC exam in addition to the paper based version.  This is now available and can be adapted to add new languages as needed.   For details on how to do this exam on line contact your country's Lead Partner. (Click on the ”Contact” tab at the top right of this page)

- The ECC has its own permanent Board, which oversees the development of the ECC. The Board is constituted as a  sub-committee of EASPD and so has a permanent link into the main EU provider representative body in Brussels.  EASPD also provides the registrar function for the ECC Board, holding the central record of everyone who has passed the ECC exam.

Important note for the future!

We are still looking for more countries to join us.  We are also looking for more Delivery Partners in many countries where we are already established.

We want to have a strong ECC delivery group in each country so that the overall user base grows strongly.  Our past EC funded projects have enabled us to develop both the training course and ”˜train the trainer” course to help deliver the ECC, either as a standalone course, or as part of a bigger course of training such as a degree or diploma.

The ECC within the UK

-   In 2013 AIM Awards UK offered the ECC as a formal qualification in the UK under the name of the 'European Award in Care'. (For technical reasons it cannot be called a Certificate' in the UK) It carried 9 credits at level II on the Qualifications and Credit Framework and this equated to level III of the EQF. The ECC/AEC is most accurately mapped against the Common Induction Standards in England and the Care Certificate which replaced it. In spite of Brexit and the UK leaving the EU having the ECC can still be useful for care staff seeking work abroad.

- We have one UK Lead Partner, Social Care Training ltd (see the Contact tab for details).  We believe that it is possible for anyone anywhere in the UK to take the ECC exam, providing we can arrange for a suitable level of supervision for the actual exam itself.

- We have had more than 220 UK candidates take the ECC exam, with candidates coming from private organisations, charities and local authorities.  Some have been studying in colleges whilst others are already working in the care sector.  Some employers and candidates are using the ECC as part of their induction process, to evidence their induction learning to the inspectors and to give the new worker an award they can keep and build on.   More than 130 people now hold the ECC in the UK.

(updated 30/10/2020)