Regulation bodies to approve codes

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.

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 will be removed from the social care register. The code has
been agreed by the Northern Ireland Social Care Council, the
Scottish Social Services Council, the Care Council for Wales and
England’s General Social Care Council, .

Rodney
Brooke, chairperson of the General Social Care Council, said that
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.