The Department of Health's National Minimum Standards (NMS) for care used to state that ‘staff providing personal care to service users must be aged 18' and Skills for Care have been campaigning to have this restriction lifted for young people with the right training and supervision.

The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and the Department of Health have worked closely to develop a more flexible approach, allowing 16-18 year olds to provide personal care as long as they are suitably trained/competent and are appropriately supervised.

The new guidelines also make it clear that care homes must fulfill appropriate regulations and the person who receives the care must have their choices respected as far as possible regarding who performs the task for them.

Care workers under 18 who want to deliver personal care must have completed or be undertaking the Apprenticeship in Health and Social Care and have satisfied their line manager of their competence to carry out these tasks.

Skills for Care, 20 June 2008