KaydenCares Framework

The Carer Charter

A public declaration of the value, dignity and professional standing
of every care worker in Sri Lanka.

"The carer of today is not domestic staff. They are a practical visionary —
a skilled clinician in ordinary clothes, doing extraordinary work."

— Soshana Wijeratne Austin, Co-Founder, KaydenCares Framework

Who Is a Carer?

They are the first to notice when something is wrong.
They are the last face seen before sleep, and the first voice heard at dawn.
They remember how someone takes their tea, what makes them laugh, what frightens them.
They read a room in seconds — comfort, confusion, pain, pride.
They manage medications that keep hearts beating and minds steady.
They prevent falls that would end independence.
They detect the early signs of infection before a hospital admission becomes inevitable.
They risk-assess — constantly, quietly, invisibly — so that life continues with dignity intact.
They are problem solvers. Multi-taskers. Practical visionaries.
They hold the line between safety and freedom — and they know the difference.

This is not unskilled work.
This is one of the most skilled, most important,
most human jobs on earth.

Our Commitments

The KCF Carer Charter

Eight commitments KaydenCares Framework makes to every care worker in Sri Lanka — and demands of every registered provider.

🎓
01

A Carer is Not Domestic Staff

A care worker who understands medication administration, infection detection, falls prevention and risk assessment is a clinical professional. We will fight for that recognition in law, in pay, in title, and in culture. The days of calling this 'unskilled work' are over.

💊
02

Clinical Competence is the Standard

Every KCF-registered carer will understand the medications they administer — what they are for, what side effects to watch for, when to escalate. They will know the difference between a bad day and the start of a crisis. They will act on what they see.

👁️
03

Observation is a Skill Worth Paying For

The ability to walk into a room and know — from posture, colour, breathing, expression — that something has changed overnight is not instinct. It is trained, practiced, refined skill. It saves lives. It deserves recognition and reward.

🕊️
04

Safety Must Enable Life — Not Replace It

A person kept safe but not living is not being cared for. They are being managed. Risk assessment exists so that people can do more, not less — so that the risk of living is weighed honestly against the cost of not living at all.

📈
05

Every Carer Deserves a Career

Not a job. A career. With a clear pathway from care assistant to senior carer to team lead to registered manager. With qualifications that are portable, valued and nationally recognised. With pay that reflects what is actually being asked of them.

🌟
06

Carers Must Be Celebrated

The person who prevents a fall that would have ended someone's independence deserves the same recognition as the surgeon who repairs the damage when prevention fails. We will name them, thank them, showcase them — publicly, repeatedly, unapologetically.

🤝
07

Compassion Cannot Be Exploited

The care sector has for too long taken advantage of the fact that carers care — using personal compassion as a substitute for fair pay, safe staffing and professional respect. The KCF will not tolerate this. Compassion is a gift. It is not a reason to pay less.

❤️
08

Wellbeing of the Carer is Clinical Safety

An exhausted, undervalued, unsupported carer is a clinical risk — not through fault, but through the inevitable consequence of depletion. Carer wellbeing is not a luxury programme. It is a patient safety intervention.

What Carers Actually Do

The Professional Skills Matrix

Every skill in this matrix is performed daily by care workers who are often paid less than supermarket staff. This is what we are recognising. This is what we are fighting to reward.

Clinical Observation

NEWS2 vital signs monitoring
Early infection detection
Pain assessment (behavioural and verbal)
Nutritional and hydration monitoring
Pressure area inspection
Neurological change recognition

Recognition & Progression

A Career — Not Just a Job

KCF National Care Career Pathway — a clear, recognised, rewarded progression from first day to registered manager.

🌱
Level 1

Care Support Worker

Entry level. Supervised personal care, companionship, basic observation. Enrolled in KCF induction training.

Level 2

Care Worker

Independent personal care, medication administration (supervised), care plan implementation. KCF Level 2 Certificate.

⭐⭐
Level 3

Senior Care Worker

Medication lead, clinical observation, junior staff mentoring, risk assessment contribution. KCF Level 3 Diploma.

⭐⭐⭐
Level 4

Care Coordinator

Rota management, care planning, family liaison, incident management, staff supervision. KCF Coordinator Award.

🏅
Level 5

Deputy Manager

Quality oversight, regulatory compliance, staff development, clinical governance. KCF Leadership Certificate.

🏆
Level 6

Registered Manager

Full regulatory responsibility, CQC/KCF accountability, strategic leadership, KCF Registered Manager status.

Why It Matters

What Skilled Caring Looks Like

💙

"She noticed my mother's breathing had changed — just slightly — at 6am on a Tuesday. She called the GP before I even knew something was wrong. My mother did not go to hospital. That observation saved her life."

— Family member, KCF-registered provider

💚

"I have been doing this work for eleven years. For the first time, someone has written down what I actually do and called it skilled. That matters more than people know."

— Senior Care Worker, Sri Lanka

💛

"My carer knows when I am in pain before I say a word. She knows which side I prefer to sleep on, what music helps, what frightens me. No doctor has that knowledge. She does."

— Care recipient, 84 years old

Sign the Carer Charter

If you are a care provider, a care worker, a family member, a government officer, or simply someone who believes that the people who care for our most vulnerable deserve to be recognised —

stand with us.

KCF Carer Charter is a living document. It will be updated as the profession evolves and as the voices of care workers shape it.
KaydenCaresFramework.org · April 2026