If you’ve been researching care or childcare qualifications, you’ve probably run into all four of these terms and wondered how they fit together. Here’s the short version before we go into detail: NVQ, QCF, and RQF are qualification frameworks, the regulated systems used to classify and organise qualifications in England. NCFE CACHE is an awarding organisation, the actual body that designs and issues qualifications within whichever framework is currently in use. They’re not four competing options to choose between. They’re a timeline and a category, and understanding both makes it much easier to know what you’re actually signing up for.
NVQ: Where It All Started
National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) were introduced in the 1980s as work-based qualifications designed to assess whether someone could perform tasks to a defined occupational standard. They were evaluated through direct observation and a portfolio of evidence, built up while actually doing the job, rather than through written exams. NVQs became widely used across sectors including childcare, care, and engineering, and for a long time, “getting your NVQ” was shorthand for getting qualified in a hands-on career.
NVQs were gradually phased out starting in 2010, when the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) took over. That said, plenty of employers still use the term “NVQ” out of habit, even though the actual qualification on offer today sits under a newer framework. If you’ve been searching for an “NVQ Level 3 in Adult Care” or “NVQ Level 3 in Childcare,” what you’re actually looking for today is the RQF equivalent, like our NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care.
QCF: The Credit-Based Middle Step
The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) replaced NVQs from 2010, introducing a unit-based credit system. Under the QCF, qualifications were built from individual units, each worth a certain number of credits, roughly ten hours of learning per credit. This made qualifications more flexible than NVQs, since learners could complete units at their own pace and combine them into one of three qualification types: Awards (smaller), Certificates (medium), and Diplomas (the largest and most comprehensive).
The QCF made it easier for people to study around work or job hunting, without needing to restart if they changed provider or paused partway through. It was regulated by Ofqual, the same regulator that oversees qualifications today.
NVQ, QCF, and RQF are qualification frameworks, the regulated systems used to classify and organise qualifications in England.
RQF: The Current Framework
The Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) replaced the QCF in October 2015, and it’s the framework almost every current NCFE CACHE qualification sits within today. The RQF kept the credit and unit-based structure from the QCF but introduced clearer rules around qualification size and level, running from Entry Level through to Level 8.
A few things that make the RQF different from what came before it:
- Clearer level structure, making it easier to compare qualifications across different subjects and providers
- No fixed time limit to complete a qualification, unlike some earlier frameworks, so learners can work through their course at a pace that suits them
- Ofqual regulation, ensuring qualifications meet consistent national standards regardless of which awarding body issues them
You can check whether a specific qualification is genuinely part of the RQF and Ofqual-regulated directly on the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications, searching by the qualification title or number.
So Where Does NCFE CACHE Fit In?
This is the part that trips people up. NCFE CACHE isn’t a framework at all, it’s an awarding organisation, one of the bodies responsible for actually designing, assessing, and issuing qualifications within whichever framework is currently in force. Historically, CACHE (the Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education) built its reputation specifically around childcare and care qualifications, and it later merged with NCFE, one of the UK’s longest-established awarding organisations. Together, NCFE CACHE now issues RQF qualifications across childcare, early years, residential childcare, and adult care.
So when you see a course titled “NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care (RQF),” that’s telling you two things at once: NCFE CACHE is who designed and will certificate the qualification, and RQF is the regulatory framework it sits within, confirming it’s properly Ofqual-regulated.
Why This Actually Matters When Choosing a Course
Understanding this helps you avoid a genuinely common mistake, assuming a course advertised as an “NVQ” today is the same thing it was ten years ago, or wondering why a provider’s course is labelled differently from what you searched for. In practice:
- If you’re searching for an “NVQ” in care or childcare, you’re almost certainly looking for a current RQF diploma
- The awarding body (like NCFE CACHE) tells you who stands behind the qualification’s quality and reputation
- The framework (RQF) tells you it’s genuinely regulated and nationally recognised, not an informal or unregulated course dressed up to look official
Choosing the Right Qualification Today
If you’re ready to move forward, our current RQF qualifications, issued by NCFE CACHE, include:
- NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma for Working in the Early Years Sector
- NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare
- NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care
Get Started
If you’re still unsure which qualification is right for where you want your career to go, browse our full course listing or contact our team for a straightforward conversation. You can also call us on 0208 2404474 or email admin@easytraining123.com.
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