Clinical Homecare Career and Competence Framework

Standards and Frameworks

Female Community Nurse Visits Senior Man At Home

Last updated: 30/10/26

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Background

The Clinical Homecare Career and Competence Framework was commissioned by the National Clinical Homecare Association to support the development and retention of existing staff and the transferability of competency within and between homecare organisations.

Currently, over 650,000 people in the UK benefit from clinical homecare, which enables patients to live more independently while receiving high-quality care in their own homes. Expanding this workforce is essential to meet the increasing demand for services.

Scope and purpose of the framework

The Framework identifies and describes the skills and knowledge required to deliver high-quality care in a homecare setting. It serves as a single, consistent, and comprehensive resource to support the development of professionals across the full spectrum of homecare services. Additionally, it highlights the career opportunities available in this field, helping both current and future workers understand the potential for professional growth in homecare.

The Framework will enable employers to maintain high quality standards, support staff development, and enable growth of the sector by making homecare services available to more patients.

Updated framework – October 2026

Originally launched by the National Clinical Homecare Association (NCHA) and Skills for Health in October 2025, the Clinical Homecare Career and Competence Framework has now been updated.

The latest version (v2.1, October 2026) incorporates learning from early implementation and aligns with the latest National Occupational Standards. The update also supports greater consistency in career progression through the Generic Role Templates.