The answer to this question is a bit complicated. The Care Certificate was introduced in 2015 as part of the government’s overhaul of social care qualifications. It was designed to replace the previously used NVQ 2 in social care.
However, the Care Certificate is not an NVQ. The main difference is that the Care Certificate is competence-based, whereas NVQs are knowledge-based. This means that the Care Certificate assesses whether you can actually do the job, rather than just whether you know the theory behind it.
The other main difference is that the Care Certificate is a shorter qualification, with most people taking around 12 weeks to complete it. NVQ 2s, on the other hand, can take up to a year to complete.
So, in answer to the question, the Care Certificate is not equivalent to NVQ 2. It is a newer, shorter qualification that assesses competence rather than knowledge.