New care badges are due to be released soon for care workers, the UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced yesterday (15 April 2020). Similar to the existing NHS badges, these are to be worn by care workers, helping others recognise their heroic frontline responsibilities. The badges aim to make essential tasks easier, like shopping and travelling, and will make it more obvious for the public to identify key workers who may need to be given priority in some circumstances.

The badges, which can be purchased from thecarebadge.org, are not currently available [see update below]. This is because the concept of the CARE badge already existed and is now being adopted by the government. It’s undergoing a transition period whilst the new details and distribution are being finalised.

[Update: On 23rd October 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care made CARE badges available to order through the new website: http://www.careengland.org.uk/care-badge]

The original CARE badge initiative was launched in June 2019, which gave everybody the opportunity to show their pride in the high quality care provided by social care workers. Targeted at employers to purchase on behalf of staff, all profits from CARE badge sales went towards care-related causes and charities selected by care workers. They could be worn by everybody, not just care workers, so weren’t classed as a form of ID. However, they were for a fantastic cause and will continue to live on with a new purpose.