TRAINING & EDUCATION
Course of Action
With the launch of the Care Certificate such a significant move in the delivery of frontline health and social care, Maria Scullion, HR manager for homecare specialist, Community Life Choices, discusses its impact and how care providers can enforce the initiative.
In the wake of the 2013 Cavendish Review, which brought to light huge inconsistencies in the training of health and social care workers across different organisations, the new Care Certificate is expected to revolutionise staff preparation.
Having come into force at the beginning of April 2015, UK care providers were given six months to prepare and transition, with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) expecting all organisations to comply with the reforms by autumn 2015.
Under the new proposals, all new staff members should complete 15 standards, an increase on the original eight, within a recommended 12-week induction. In addition to knowledge- based learning, workers must also undergo observations and assessments, in total completing around 230 outcomes – a 50% increase on the Common Induction Standards (CIS).
Improving Standards The Care Certificate brings with it a wealth of benefits for patients,
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service users and staff. Not only does it establish a clear foundation by providing staff new to the sector with the same basic training, but the more labour-intensive induction process will also rid the profession of poorly-skilled workers. This will help to reduce errors, improve patient quality and better support individual outcomes.
The introduction of seven additional standards is a major leap forward for the industry, which has experienced a radical evolution during the last 25 years — one that is set to continue. By the end of this year, more than 850,000 UK residents will have dementia, according to research from the Alzheimer’s Society; a figure that is expected to increase by 40% over the next 12 years. In addition, around a quarter of the population will experience some type of mental health issue over the course of the year.
Basic training in mental health, dementia and learning disabilities was fundamentally lacking from the previous induction process when,
in fact, the majority of health and social care professionals will at some point come into contact with these types of conditions.
The safeguarding of children is another milestone inclusion. Our adult carers regularly come into contact with children within the homes of our clients and without the knowledge and experience of safeguarding, providers run the risk of staff not fully understanding their duty of care, including when to escalate areas of concern.
With a focus on evidencing competence, the Care Certificate also provides reassurance to patients and clients that newly-appointed staff members possess the requisite skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to provide them with quality, personalised and compassionate care.
Designed with transferability in mind, the Care Certificate is a portable document, enabling data sharing between employers and a free movement of workers throughout
www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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