The first ever set of common, agreed codes of practice for social care workers and employers will come a step closer this month when they are put before the four social care regulatory councils of the UK.
The codes make clear what is expected of social care workers and their employers in the UK. They set out the standards of behaviour service users and the public can expect, and will be a cornerstone of the forthcoming Social Care Registers.
The Northern Ireland Social Care Council, the Scottish Social Services Council, the Care Council for Wales, and, in England, the General Social Care Council, have worked closely together to make sure the codes are aligned throughout the UK. This reflects their shared commitment to improving safeguards and promoting high standards for people who receive services.
The code of practice for social care workers will be monitored by employers and the regulatory councils. The precise arrangements for monitoring adherence to the codes of practice for social care employers vary from country to country. The ultimate sanction for not adhering to the codes will be for social care workers to be suspended or removed from the Social Care Register of the country in which they are practising.
The Chairs and Convener of the four councils were delighted with the volume of responses and level of engagement demonstrated by people in the sector during three months of extensive consultation at the beginning of the year. The consultations reached hundreds of users of social care, carers, and employers and workers in the public, private and voluntary sectors.
The responses received led to significant revisions and improvements to the original draft codes which were agreed by a four-country working group of members and officers.
The four Chairs/Convener issued a joint statement: “Consulting on these codes and working together to ensure they are aligned throughout the UK has been a very affirmative process. It has shown how open the sector is to the benefits of proper regulation for the first time. 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.”
The codes will now go to each of the councils for consideration during June. The timetable for each meeting is:
General Social Care Council 11 June
Scottish Social Services Council 25 June
Care Council for Wales 27 June
Northern Ireland Social Care Council 28 June
Following the agreement of the four councils, the codes will be sent to the four countries’ respective ministers for comment. It is hoped to publish the codes later this year.