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All About CACHE

CACHE

If you have ever worked within a childcare or social care setting then it is likely that you will have heard of CACHE qualifications, but for anyone else, navigating the world of vocational qualifications can often feel like a minefield that leaves you with more questions than it answers. What are CACHE qualifications? Are CACHE accredited? What CACHE level do I need to reach in order to pursue the career of my dreams?

Don’t worry: whilst it might look and feel complicated, it’s actually surprisingly straightforward. Here we will answer all of these questions, and more:

Who Are CACHE?

The Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education (CACHE) have long offered highly regarded qualifications, particularly in the childcare arena, with the courses they offer covering subjects such as early years education, childcare, and health and social care.

CACHE was first founded in 1945 under the name of the National Nursery Examination Board (NNEB) by the Ministry of Health. The first national examinations for nursery workers took place in 1947, and the syllabus for these was set by the board. In 1994 CACHE, as we know it, was established when the NNEB merged with the Council for Early Years Awards to form CACHE. In the late 1990s, noting a gap in the market for training within the growing social and caring fields, CACHE introduced qualifications in these arenas, in a bid to help improve the level of care offered to the elderly and vulnerable within our society. In 2001 HM The Queen became the patron of the organisation. In 2015, CACHE became a part of the Northern Council for Further Education (NCFE) and the two accreditation bodies became one. Now CACHE operates under the NCFE umbrella. As a result, CACHE qualifications and certificates are now branded as NCFE CACHE, though this change has had no impact on their position as the industry standard for the sector.

NCFE is, in its own right, a body with a long history and a fine reputation. First established in 1848 to ensure no learner was left behind, NCFE is an educational charity and specialist in vocational and technical learning. In fact,  NCFE is the leading provider of educational services as well as being a not-for-profit organisation, meaning that their courses are affordable and not led by profit margins. The focus of their accreditation is on technical and vocational learning, meaning that they cover a huge spectrum of industries and career paths. In much the same way as CACHE, NCFE qualifications are well-known and highly regarded.

What Does CACHE Stand For?

As outlined above CACHE stands for The Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education. CACHE qualifications are named for the body that awards them, rather than for the qualification itself, which is why you can receive CACHE qualifications in such a huge spectrum of subjects.

CACHE qualifications are highly regarded because they empower learners to pursue their own paths, inside or outside of further education. Whether you are seeking to prepare yourself for a new career path, to further develop your skills within the path you’re already on, or prepare yourself for a journey into higher education, CACHE qualifications are widely recognised as being the ideal qualifications to get you there. Thanks to their longevity, excellent course models, and highly-regarded teaching methodology, CACHE have helped millions of people obtain the skills and knowledge they need to boost their CVs and reach their career goals.

With CACHE you can become a sector specialist. Rather than give you a wide or generic education (which is often the case with regular academia) instead, CACHE qualifications give you a firm and in-depth knowledge of a specific vocational topic. So, for example, if you study for a CACHE qualification in Early Years and Childcare then you will be equipped with the right knowledge, skills and behaviours you need to excel in your professional responsibilities.  The CACHE courses are written by subject specialists and industry experts to ensure that each qualified student has exactly the information they need to excel in their field on a practical, hands-on basis, as well as at the theoretical level.

Is CACHE a Recognised Qualification?

CACHE are amongst the most well-known and highly regarded qualifications within the education and care sectors. As outlined briefly above, CACHE qualifications are now issued by NCFE and branded as NCFE CACHE qualifications. The NCFE is nationally recognised as an awarding body by the qualification regulators for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. These regulators include Ofqual, the Welsh Government, and the CCEA in Northern Ireland. All CACHE courses are also accredited on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF).

When you obtain a CACHE qualification, you are obtaining a highly-regarded qualification that is considered the industry standard by many, and one that is instantly recognisable and easily transferable. You are also not alone, as CACHE is a large-scale operation that helps a huge volume of learners every year. To put this into context, each year over 150,000 learners register onto CACHE courses at over 1,000 accredited learning centres across the world.

CACHE qualifications are popular amongst distance learners who can access their core course learning materials online. Distance learning is a great option if you hope to improve your skills and enhance your employability in an affordable way, and with a smaller impact on your work or work/life schedule. With distance learning qualifications you can choose the course that best suits your needs, regardless of whether it is offered in a location that is accessible to you, and you can also choose to spread your studies over the period of time that best suits you. Whether you want to learn at a slower pace, or get your qualifications as fast as possible, distant learning allows you to learn flexibly and ensure that getting the CACHE qualifications you need at a schedule that works with your lifestyle.

All about CACHE qualifications

What Courses Do CACHE Offer?

CACHE offer a huge number of courses, with the vast majority of these being focused on the arenas of childcare, health and social work, and early years education. If you are thinking of pursuing a career in childcare then it is likely that you will have heard of, or worked with, CACHE!

All CACHE qualifications are divided into five different levels. These range from Level 1, which is an entry level qualification (and a great way of exploring a new career path, to see if it’s right for you), up to Level 5, which is an advanced level qualification intended for experienced professionals. The CACHE level of a course is determined by the amount of prior knowledge you have on a subject, as well as the amount of hands-on experience.

From a childcare point of view, CACHE accredits courses in childcare, childminding, early years practice, caring for children and young people, working in home-based childcare, and early years education, to name just a few.

You can also pursue CACHE accredited courses in end-of-life care, supporting individuals with learning disabilities, general health and social care, stroke awareness, understanding children and young people’s mental health, prevention and control of infection, and so many more. It would not be much of an exaggeration to say, if it is a skill you need to work within the childcare or health and social care arena, then you can find a relevant CACHE course to teach you that skill.

CACHE Qualifications for Childcare

Childcare is a sector with a significant skills gap. In fact, a skills survey by Ceeda in 2019 revealed that more than one in two settings had skills gaps in their existing workforce meaning that there is an abundance of childcare roles available, but not enough qualified professionals in the UK to fill these roles.

If you’re hoping to pursue a career in working with children aged between 0-5 then a CACHE qualification is likely to be the right option for you. Everyone working within this sector has heard of CACHE qualifications and has worked with their accreditation system at one time or another. Because they offer five levels of qualifications for different stages of your career, CACHE qualifications are also easy to pick up again when you are ready to take the next step on your childcare career path or give your skills a boost.

If you hope to work within an early year’s setting then many courses, such as the CACHE level 3 award in childcare and education, can be completed in conjunction with your employment within a setting, as the vast majority of these courses encourage work placements to help you complete your coursework. These placements can be a part-time voluntary placement for as little as one morning or afternoon per week or a full-time position, allowing you to obtain your qualifications and earn an income at the same time. If you complete a qualification at level 3 or above then it is also worth noting that these qualifications will have a UCAS point value, meaning that you can use this qualification as a tangible, transferable skill, should you decide to continue your studies and pursue a place at university.

As well as providing you with an industry recognised qualification, pursuing a CACHE qualification will also benefit you by:

  • Helping you explore child and young person development
  • Teach you how to safeguard children
  • Help you develop relationships with your peers. As well as giving you practical advice on how to care for, and engage with, the children in your care, CACHE childcare qualifications will also offer advice and support on how to communicate with your peers, other childcare providers, and primary caregivers. This is a much bigger part of your role as a childcare provider than you might expect

Another incredibly popular childcare related course that is offered by CACHE is the qualification you need to work as a Teaching Assistant. You will usually require a placement within a school to complete this vocational qualification, with relevant courses offered at both Level 2 and Level 3. These are CACHE qualifications in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools. These qualifications will teach you all the necessary skills and knowledge you need to know to work within a school setting: different courses are specifically targeted to children of different ages. You can use these qualifications to pursue a career within a school as a Teaching Assistant. Many teaching assistants also choose to transfer these skills and work to become a primary school teacher.

If you study at a CACHE Level 3 and beyond then your qualification, and your skills, can be transferred to a wide range of different applications. Many Level 3 learners are unaware that you will study theoretical and well as practical skills, such as learning about different educational theories, behavioural management, and how children learn and develop. With this depth of knowledge, you will be much better prepared for taking your learning to the next stage, if you choose that route. Level 3 learners tend to perform better in vocational university courses than those attending with A-levels outside of the vocational field, for example.

Taking a CACHE course will improve your employability considerably, as the courses teach, and help you to demonstrate such a broad range of skills. What makes CACHE courses different from those accredited by other professional bodies is that they are developed in conjunction with both learners and employers, ensuring that they equip the learners with the skills and the qualifications they need to progress in the route that they want. This could either be by using the CACHE qualifications as a route to university or to take the next step on their chosen career path. With the support of the right CACHE qualifications, you can obtain the skills and the information you need to achieve the professional standards demanded of your dream career. Whether your path takes you into a nursing, teaching or healthcare profession, CACHE is a qualifying body that can help to get you there.

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