| 17 October 2024
The Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers has been designed to ensure a high standard of care and patient safety is maintained.
Understanding the Code of Conduct
The Code of Conduct will give you the reassurance that you are providing safe and compassionate care of a high standard, and the confidence to challenge others who are not. This Code will also tell the public and those using health and care services exactly what they should expect from Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England.
The Code ensures you can:
- Be confident of the standards staff are expected to meet.
- Be sure that staff can fulfil the requirements of their role, behave appropriately, and consistently do the right thing.
- Identify areas for continuing professional development.
Why is the Code of Conduct important?
The Code of Conduct is essential in healthcare as it outlines the expected standards of attitudes and behaviours that professionals must adhere to. This ensures consistent, ethical practices and serves as a guide for making decisions with integrity, respect, and accountability, helping staff provide safe and guaranteed care and support. By following the Code of Conduct, healthcare workers not only protect patient rights but also foster a collaborative environment that promotes trust, quality care, and a culture of excellence.
How does the Code help?
It provides a clear set of standards so you can be sure of the quality you are expected to meet. These Codes can help you assess whether you are working to these standards, and what you need to change if you are not, by identifying areas for continued professional development.
The Code of Conduct is about ensuring a certain level is maintained so you can fulfil the requirements of your role. It will also enable you to learn how to behave and act correctly and ensure you always follow appropriate procedures.
As a Healthcare Support Worker or Adult Social Care Worker in England you must:
- Be accountable by making sure you can answer for your actions or omissions.
- Promote and uphold the privacy, dignity, rights, health, and wellbeing of people who use health and care services, and their carers, at all times.
- Work in collaboration with your colleagues to ensure the delivery of high quality, safe and compassionate healthcare, care, and support.
- Communicate in an open, and effective way to promote the health, safety and wellbeing of people who use health and care services, and their carers.
- Respect a person’s right to confidentiality.
- Strive to improve the quality of healthcare, care, and support through continuing professional development.
- Uphold and promote equality, diversity, and inclusion.
This Code is based on the principles of protecting the public by promoting best practices. It will ensure that you are working to the required standard, providing high-quality, compassionate healthcare, care, and support. The Code describes the standards of conduct, behaviour, and attitude that the public and service users should expect.
Book a meeting with our team today
At Skills for Health, we understand the importance of the Code of Conduct. If your workplace needs support, we provide framework development expertise to help bring your practice up to, or exceed, industry standards.