The Social Care Commitment - Working towards the care we all want

Written by Pippa Doran, Project Manager for Careers and Core Skills at Skills for Care.

The Social Care Commitment is the sector's promise to deliver high quality social care that aims to transform the sector into one that employees are proud to work in and people who need care and support are happy to use. It also aims to raise the confidence of the public in adult social care provision.

The Social Care Commitment is almost two years old and was developed after consultation with the sector to meet the needs of the adult social care workforce in line with Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards and the Care Certificate.

Its principles fit perfectly with the main aims of the Housing Learning and Improvement Network (LIN), to use learning materials developed through shared experience and knowledge to make the social care sector the best that it can be. It has gained support from the Minister for Community and Social Care Alistair Burt MP, and has so far been signed by almost 3,000 social care employers.

The Social Care Commitment is, first and foremost, a tool and it's free. Through seven online 'I will...' statements, employers and employees choose the areas of their work they most want to improve, set their own deadlines and work towards making positive changes. These changes aim not only to benefit people who need care and support but help set standards for new staff, who will hopefully sign the Social Care Commitment as part of their induction.

Thousands of employers and employees, plus people who need care and support, including those in a housing or residential care setting are currently benefitting from the commitment and the implementation of its principles in local authorities, large and small organisations and housing associations.

Paul Evans, owner of Crowborough Lodge in Brighton, signed up his 31 bedroomed care home after his Registered Manager read about it and told him she thought it would be beneficial.

"We believe in developing and supporting our staff to provide the best quality care to our residents and have always encouraged staff to undertake relevant qualifications," says Paul. "No member of staff will be forced into signing up but we hope that they will see this as an excellent way of learning as a team, recognition of what they do well, and be as proud of their commitment as we are."

The Social Care Commitment, like Housing LIN, is about building a social care sector that people who need care and support are confident in, offered by skilled and knowledgeable workers. Its main aim is to raise the standards in the levels of care by supporting employers and employees to continuously improve.

Signing up is free, quick and easy. If you are CQC registered, your sign up will be shown on the NHS Choices website. Visit www.thesocialcarecommitment.org.uk for more information.

Published on 24 September 2015 by the Housing LIN