What are the codes of practice?
Codes of practice for social care workers and employers
The first ever UK-wide codes of practice for social care workers and employers were launched in September 2002. The codes provide a clear guide for all those who work in social care, setting out the standards of practice and conduct workers and their employers should meet. They are a critical part of regulating the social care workforce and helping to improve levels of professionalism and public protection.
To date, the GSCC has distributed more than two and a half million copies of the codes to employers and social care workers across England.
Section 62 of the Care Standards Act 2000 requires us to produce the codes and to keep them under review. The codes were developed following extensive consultation with social care workers, people who use services and carers in 2002. They build on existing good practice and the shared values of the sector. Many people rely on the honesty, integrity and professional skills of social care workers and these codes spell out the standards people can expect of them.
Enforcing the codes of practice
The codes mean that, for the first time, the social care sector will have similar regulation to doctors and nurses. Registered social care workers who breach the codes could be removed from the Social Care Register.
- Over time, it is expected that employers will introduce code compliance as a contractual requirement for all their staff. If an employer feels an issue brings a worker's registration into question, a registered social care worker can be referred to the GSCC, which will investigate and consider whether their case should be heard at a conduct hearing.
- The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) takes the Code of Practice for Social Care Employers into account when enforcing care standards