News

In the history of social care few days will be as significant as 23 September, 2002.

The unveiling of the codes of practice for social care workers and employers this week heralds the official creation of a new caring profession alongside medicine and nursing.

It will be a profession with enormous influence - employing 1.2 million workers and directly influencing the lives of millions more people each year.

The codes of practice are the foundation stones of the new formal profession. They set out the standards of conduct and practice to which all social care employers and staff should work.

For the first time in the sector, there is a statutory, nationwide set of rules that includes the basic standards and procedures that workers are expected to observe as well as guidelines for their relationships with service users, carers, colleagues and employers.

Dick Clough, chief executive of the Social Care Association, says: "It will mean that the social care workforce is seen as highly skilful and highly valuable."

However, Community Care's online poll in January revealed that only 55 per cent of respondents believed the codes - then in draft form - would help them improve their practice.

Slight modifications of language and shifts in emphasis have made the codes more accessible and more relevant to the real-life issues and dilemmas faced in social care work.

For example, the draft requirement to "respect the independence of service users and protect them as far as possible from harm" could appear contradictory. The amended rule says workers must "promote the independence of service users while protecting them as far as possible from danger or harm". It is a small change but significantly alters the way social care staff are expected to view the independence of service users.

The finalised codes also make it clear that workers must tell their employer or "appropriate authority" about any resource or operational difficulties that might obstruct the delivery of safe care or about the practice of colleagues that may be unsafe or adversely affect standards of care.

Signing up to the codes will be prerequisite for entry to the professional register - which in time will be compulsory for all social care workers. Registration - in effect a licence to practise - will have to be renewed every three years and will require evidence of professional development.

The four social care councils intend to use their legal powers to give social care jobs "protected titles" - making it a criminal offence for anyone not on the register to use the title.

Eventually the aim is to make registration dependent on qualifications. But, with 80 per cent of the social care workforce not having professional qualifications, it is likely that "experience-based qualifications" will be accepted, at least in the medium term.

Serious breaches of the codes will be referred to the conduct committees of the social care councils, whose powers include suspending or striking names off the register.

Strictly speaking, the professional codes will become enforceable only when workers sign the professional register. But the National Care Standards Commission will ensure that employers and their staff comply with the codes in line with the national minimum standards, says the organisation's chief executive, Ron Kerr. Many employers are therefore likely to seek to introduce the codes into employment contracts as quickly as possible

Owen Davies, national officer for social services for public sector union Unison, says the union supports the codes but does not believe they should be imposed on staff.

"The code should be something that staff feel they have ownership of. When they sign up to it as part of the registration process, it is a positive statement of intent." Davies says.

With the Laming Inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbi' due to report at the end of this year, there is concern that there will be political and media pressure for some change to the codes.

But the GSCC insists it is in contact with Lord Laming and has made him aware of the codes and how they have been drawn up.

Ian Johnston, director of the British Association of Social Workers, says: "We do not want the codes to be altered because of knee-jerk reactions. We have codes that we are happy with and, as a profession, if people tell us we must make changes we must be prepared to tell them to get lost."


- For a full copy of the codes go to www.gscc.org.uk , www.ccwales.org.uk , www.sssc.uk.com or www.niscc.info

What People Say

Michael Leadbetter, president of the Association of Directors of Social Services: "It is absolutely crucial that employers know what is expected of them when employing social care staff and that staff know, without a shadow of a doubt, what is expected of them."

Dick Clough, chief executive of the Social Care Association: "The public can now be aware of what is reasonably expected from social care staff and employers in providing quality services."

Chris Hanvey, Barnardo’s UK director of operations: "Here are the beginnings of a compact between public and profession to improve practice and protect the vulnerable."

Anthony Douglas, director of social care and health at Suffolk council: "The new codes are a must-read, must-learn and must-comply with. I am convinced that they will raise standards."

Rachel Wooller, outreach worker for the Alzheimer’s Society in Cambridge: "It is important to have employees’ rights, in respect of care and safety, training and support, written down, as these are frequently abused or disregarded in the workplace."

Mary Walsh, chief executive of the Sexual Abuse Child Consultancy Service: "These much needed, down-to-earth and to-the-point codes of practice for employers and employees alike must be implemented so that service users and the public may regain confidence in the social care profession."

Julia Feast, project manager, post adoption, care and counselling for the Children’s Society: "The codes will assist social care workers to increase their skills, knowledge and confidence and ensure that the public has access to consistent services."

John Pierson, senior lecturer in social work at Staffordshire University: "The codes announce a bedrock of commitments to a diverse profession."

Codes of practice

For Social Care Workers

• Protect the rights and promote the interests of service users and carers.
• Strive to establish and maintain the trust and confidence of service users and carers.
• Promote the independence of service users while protecting them as far as possible from danger or harm.
• Respect the rights of service users whilst seeking to ensure that their behaviour does not harm themselves or other people.
• Uphold public trust and confidence in social care services.
• Be accountable for the quality of their work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving their knowledge and skills.

For Social Care Employers

• Make sure that people are suitable to enter the social care workforce and understand their roles and responsibilities.
• Have written policies and procedures in place to enable social care workers to meet the codes of practice for workers.
• Provide training and development opportunities to enable social care workers to strengthen and develop their skills and knowledge.
• Put in place and implement written policies and procedures to deal with dangerous, discriminatory or exploitative behaviour and practice.
• Promote the codes of practice to social care workers, service users and carers and cooperate with the care councils’ proceedings.