There is no single national body that licenses every nursing assistant course. England uses different systems depending on the course type. Ofqual regulates formal qualifications, CQC regulates care providers, Skills for Care and Skills for Health support workforce standards, and employers decide what training or workplace sign-off is needed for each role.
This can feel confusing, especially when course pages use words like accredited, certified, recognised or approved. If you want structured CPD learning before applying for Healthcare Assistant, Healthcare Support Worker, Care Assistant or Nursing Assistant roles, Royal Open College’s Level 3 Diploma in Nursing Assistant Complete Training can help you build knowledge in patient care, safeguarding, infection control and communication. It should not be treated as an Ofqual-regulated qualification, a licence to practise, or a replacement for employer induction and local workplace procedures.
This is where many learners get stuck. “Accredited” can mean different things depending on the course.
A course may be CPD accredited, which means it supports continuing professional development. Another course may be an Ofqual-regulated qualification, which means it appears on the official Register of Regulated Qualifications. Some training may support Care Certificate knowledge, but the Care Certificate usually needs workplace assessment by an employer.
So before enrolling, ask: is this CPD training, a regulated qualification, or employer-based induction support?
Ofqual does not approve every nursing assistant course. Ofqual regulates formal qualifications and awarding organisations in England.
If a job advert asks for a regulated Level 2 or Level 3 health and social care qualification, you should check the qualification on the official Ofqual Register. A CPD course can still be useful for learning, but it should not be described as the same thing as a regulated qualification.
No, CQC does not usually approve individual online nursing assistant courses. CQC regulates health and adult social care providers in England, such as care homes, hospitals and home care services.
CQC expects providers to have staff who are trained, competent, supported and supervised for their role. That means the employer must make sure each worker is safe to do the tasks they are given.
Skills for Care supports adult social care workforce development. Skills for Health supports healthcare workforce standards. They are important because many nursing assistant, HCA and care roles need knowledge of safe care, safeguarding, communication and person-centred support.
They are also linked to the Care Certificate, which is commonly used for new workers in health and social care. The Care Certificate now has 16 standards and is usually completed through workplace learning and assessment.
Usually, no. The NMC regulates nurses, midwives and nursing associates. A Healthcare Assistant or Nursing Assistant is not the same as a registered nurse or nursing associate.
This is why job adverts matter so much. Employers will explain what experience, training, checks and induction they need for the role.
A CPD certificate is not a licence to practise.
A CQC-aligned course is not the same as a CQC-approved course.
The Care Certificate is not just an online certificate; employers normally need to assess practice.
CNA is not the usual UK job title. In England, search for Healthcare Assistant, Healthcare Support Worker, Care Assistant, Clinical Support Worker, Nursing Assistant or HCA.
The best approach is simple. Use CPD training to build confidence, check Ofqual if you need a regulated qualification, read each job advert carefully, and follow your employer’s induction and local procedures.
All Categories
Top Courses
Health Care
Health and Social Care
Protecting adults from harm starts with understanding the legal responsibilities behind everyday care. Those responsibilities vary across the UK, and several laws can apply to the same situation. Knowing how they fit together helps you make sense of your role. Explore the main legislation and what it means for safeguarding decisions in your workplace.
What makes an adult vulnerable is not always obvious from their age or diagnosis. Understanding their situation means looking at the support they need and the challenges they face in protecting themselves from abuse or neglect. Explore how these factors shape vulnerability, why individual circumstances matter and what this means for recognising concerns in adult safeguarding.
Abuse can take different forms and recognising the differences makes safeguarding concerns easier to understand. Child safeguarding commonly groups abuse into physical, emotional and sexual abuse, alongside neglect. These categories can overlap and appear in different settings. This guide explains what each type means and how to recognise important warning signs in everyday safeguarding practice.
Royal Open College provides high-quality online courses covering a variety of topics along with certificates issued by top organisations.
Quickly and easily check the validity of your
Royal Open College course certificates with Royal Open College’s Course Certificate Validator tool.
Payment methods possible
Copyright © 2026 Royal Open College. All Right Reserved.
Not a member yet? Register now
Are you a member? Login now
