Codes of conduct to be considered by regulatory councils

The first ever set of codes of conduct and practice for social
care staff and employers will be put before the UK’s four
social care regulatory councils this month, writes
Sally Gillen.

The codes, which will be the cornerstone of the forthcoming
social care registers, set out standards of behaviour service users
and the public can expect from social care staff.

Workers who fail to adhere to the code, agreed by
England’s General Social Care Council the Scottish Social
Services Council, the Care Council for Wales and the Northern
Ireland Social Care Council, will be removed from the social care
register.

Rodney Brooke, chairperson of the GSCC in England, said the
three-month consultation on the code, which had involved hundreds
of service users, carers and employers, had “shown how open the
sector is to the benefits of proper regulation for the first
time”.

He added: “We are delighted with the strong working relationship
between the four councils, which means the same standards will be
applied by all four councils when considering allegations of
misconduct.”

Once the councils have given formal approval to the codes, they
will be sent to each country’s health minister for approval,
and it is hoped they will be published later this year.