Code of Conduct for Healthcare
Support Workers and Adult Social
Care Workers in England
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As a Healthcare Support Worker or Adult Social Care
Worker in England you must:
1. Be accountable by making sure you can answer for your actions or omissions.
2. Promote and uphold the privacy, dignity, rights, health and wellbeing of people who use health
and care services and their carers at all times.
3. Work in collaboration with your colleagues to ensure the delivery of high quality, safe and
compassionate healthcare, care and support.
4. 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.
5. Respect a person’s right to confdentiality.
6. Strive to improve the quality of healthcare, care and support through continuing professional
development.
7. Uphold and promote equality, diversity and inclusion.
Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care
Workers in England
As a Healthcare Support Worker or an Adult Social Care Worker, you make a valuable and important contribution to
the delivery of high quality healthcare, care and support.
Following the guidance set out in this Code of Conduct will give you the reassurance that you are providing safe and
compassionate care of a high standard, and the confdence to challenge others who are not. This Code will also tell
the public and people who use health and care services exactly what they should expect from Healthcare Support
Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England.
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Purpose
This Code is based on the principles of protecting the public by promoting best practice. It will ensure that you are
‘working to standard’, providing high quality, compassionate healthcare, care and support.
The Code describes the standards of conduct, behaviour and attitude that the public and people who use health and
care services should expect. You are responsible for, and have a duty of care to ensure that your conduct does not fall
below the standards detailed in the Code. Nothing that you do, or omit to do, should harm the safety and wellbeing
of people who use health and care services, and the public.
Scope
These standards apply to you if you are a:
• Healthcare Support Worker (including an Assistant Practitioner) in England who reports to a Registered Nurse or
Midwife. Healthcare Support Workers reporting to other healthcare professionals are not currently included.
• Adult Social Care Worker in England. This could either be in an independent capacity (for example, as a Personal
Assistant); for a residential care provider; or as a supported living, day support or domiciliary care worker. The Code
does not apply to Social Work Assistants.
How does the Code help me as a Healthcare Support Worker or an
Adult Social Care Worker?
It provides a set of clear standards, so you:
• can be sure of the standards you are expected to meet.
• can know whether you are working to these standards, or if you need to change the way you are working.
• can identify areas for continuing professional development.
• can fulfl the requirements of your role, behave correctly and do the right thing at all times. This is essential to
protect people who use health and care services, the public and others from harm.
How does this Code help people who use health and care services and
members of the public?
The Code helps the public and those who use health and care services to understand what standards they can expect
of Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers. The Code aims to give people who use health and care
services the confdence that they will be treated with dignity, respect and compassion at all times.
How does this Code help my employer?
The Code helps employers to understand what standards they should expect of Healthcare Support Workers and
Adult Social Care Workers. If there are people who do not meet these standards, it will help to identify them and their
support and training needs.
Glossary
You can fnd a glossary of terms and key words (shown in bold throughout the Code) at the end of the document.
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Guidance statements
As a Healthcare Support Worker or Adult Social Care Worker in England, you must:
1. be honest with yourself and others about what you can do, recognise your abilities and the limitations
of your competence and only carry out or delegate those tasks agreed in your job description and
for which you are competent.
2. always behave and present yourself in a way that does not call into question your suitability to work in
a health and social care environment.
3. be able to justify and be accountable for your actions or your omissions – what you fail to do.
4. always ask your supervisor or employer for guidance if you do not feel able or adequately prepared to
carry out any aspect of your work, or if you are unsure how to effectively deliver a task.
5. tell your supervisor or employer about any issues that might affect your ability to do your job
competently and safely. If you do not feel competent to carry out an activity, you must report this.
6. establish and maintain clear and appropriate professional boundaries in your relationships with people
who use health and care services, carers and colleagues at all times.
7. never accept any offers of loans, gifts, benefts or hospitality from anyone you are supporting or
anyone close to them which may be seen to compromise your position.
8. comply with your employers’ agreed ways of working.
9. report any actions or omissions by yourself or colleagues that you feel may compromise the
safety or care of people who use health and care services and, if necessary use whistleblowing
procedures to report any suspected wrongdoing.
1. Be accountable by making sure you can answer for
your actions or omissions
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Guidance statements
As a Healthcare Support Worker or Adult Social Care Worker in England you must:
1. always act in the best interests of people who use health and care services.
2. always treat people with respect and compassion.
3. put the needs, goals and aspirations of people who use health and care services frst, helping them to
be in control and to choose the healthcare, care and support they receive.
4. promote people’s independence and ability to self-care, assisting those who use health and care
services to exercise their rights and make informed choices.
5. always gain valid consent before providing healthcare, care and support. You must also respect a
person’s right to refuse to receive healthcare, care and support if they are capable of doing so.
6. always maintain the privacy and dignity of people who use health and care services, their carers and
others.
7. be alert to any changes that could affect a person’s needs or progress and report your observations
in line with your employer’s agreed ways of working.
8. always make sure that your actions or omissions do not harm an individual’s health or wellbeing.
You must never abuse, neglect, harm or exploit those who use health and care services, their carers
or your colleagues.
9. challenge and report dangerous, abusive, discriminatory or exploitative behaviour or practice.
10. always take comments and complaints seriously, respond to them in line with agreed ways of
working and inform a senior member of staff.
2. Promote and uphold the privacy, dignity, rights,
health and wellbeing of people who use health and
care services and their carers at all times
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Guidance statements
As a Healthcare Support Worker or Adult Social Care Worker in England you must:
1. understand and value your contribution and the vital part you play in your team.
2. recognise and respect the roles and expertise of your colleagues both in the team and from other
agencies and disciplines, and work in partnership with them.
3. work openly and co-operatively with colleagues including those from other disciplines and agencies,
and treat them with respect.
4. work openly and co-operatively with people who use health and care services and their families or
carers and treat them with respect.
5. honour your work commitments, agreements and arrangements and be reliable, dependable and
trustworthy.
6. actively encourage the delivery of high quality healthcare, care and support.
3. Work in collaboration with your colleagues to ensure
the delivery of high quality, safe and compassionate
healthcare, care and support
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Guidance statements
As a Healthcare Support Worker or Adult Social Care Worker in England you must:
1. communicate respectfully with people who use health and care services and their carers in an open,
accurate, effective, straightforward and confdential way.
2. communicate effectively and consult with your colleagues as appropriate.
3. always explain and discuss the care, support or procedure you intend to carry out with the person
and only continue if they give valid consent.
4. maintain clear and accurate records of the healthcare, care and support you provide. Immediately
report to a senior member of staff any changes or concerns you have about a person’s condition.
5. recognise both the extent and the limits of your role, knowledge and competence when
communicating with people who use health and care services, carers and colleagues.
4. 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
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Guidance statements
As a Healthcare Support Worker or Adult Social Care Worker in England you must:
1. treat all information about people who use health and care services and their carers as confdential.
2. only discuss or disclose information about people who use health and care services and their carers
in accordance with legislation and agreed ways of working.
3. always seek guidance from a senior member of staff regarding any information or issues that you are
concerned about.
4. always discuss issues of disclosure with a senior member of staff.
5. Respect people’s right to confdentiality
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Guidance statements
As a Healthcare Support Worker or Adult Social Care Worker in England you must:
1. ensure up to date compliance with all statutory and mandatory training, in agreement with your
supervisor.
2. participate in continuing professional development to achieve the competence required for
your role.
3. carry out competence-based training and education in line with your agreed ways of working.
4. improve the quality and safety of the care you provide with the help of your supervisor (and a mentor if
available), and in line with your agreed ways of working.
5. maintain an up-to-date record of your training and development.
6. contribute to the learning and development of others as appropriate.
6. Strive to improve the quality of healthcare, care and
support through continuing professional development
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Guidance statements
As a Healthcare Support Worker or Adult Social Care Worker in England you must:
1. respect the individuality and diversity of the people who use health and care services, their carers
and your colleagues.
2. not discriminate or condone discrimination against people who use health and care services, their
carers or your colleagues.
3. promote equal opportunities and inclusion for the people who use health and care services and their
carers.
4. report any concerns regarding equality, diversity and inclusion to a senior member of staff as soon
as possible.
7. Uphold and promote equality, diversity and inclusion
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Glossary of terms
ACCOUNTABLE: accountability is to be responsible for the decisions you make and answerable for your actions.
AGREED WAYS OF WORKING: includes policies and procedures where these exist; they may be less formally
documented among individual employers and the self-employed.
BEST INTERESTS: the Mental Capacity Act (2005) sets out a checklist of things to consider when deciding what’s in
a person’s ‘best interests’.
CARE AND SUPPORT: care and support enables people to do the everyday things like getting out of bed, dressed
and into work; cooking meals; seeing friends; caring for our families; and being part of our communities. It might
include emotional support at a time of diffculty or stress, or helping people who are caring for a family member or
friend. It can mean support from community groups or networks: for example, giving others a lift to a social event.
It might also include state-funded support, such as information and advice, support for carers, housing support,
disability benefts and adult social care.
COLLABORATION: the action of working with someone to achieve a common goal.
COMPASSION: descriptions of compassionate care include:, dignity and comfort: taking time and patience to listen,
explain and communicate; demonstrating empathy, kindness and warmth; care centred around an individual person’s
needs, involving people in the decisions about their healthcare, care and support.
COMPETENCE: the knowledge, skills, attitudes and ability to practise safely and effectively without the need for direct
supervision.
COMPETENT: having the necessary ability, knowledge, or skill to do something successfully.
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: this is the way in which a worker continues to learn and develop
throughout their careers, keeping their skills and knowledge up to date and ensuring they can work safely and
effectively.
DIGNITY: covers all aspects of daily life, including respect, privacy, autonomy and self-worth. While dignity may be
diffcult to defne, what is clear is that people know when they have not been treated with dignity and respect. Dignity
is about interpersonal behaviours as well as systems and processes.
DISCRIMINATE: discrimination can be the result of prejudice, misconception and stereotyping. Whether this
behaviour is intentional or unintentional does not excuse it. It is the perception of the person discriminated against that
is important.
DIVERSITY: celebrating differences and valuing everyone. Diversity encompasses visible and non-visible individual
differences and is about respecting those differences.
EFFECTIVE: to be successful in producing a desired or intended result.
EQUALITY: being equal in status, rights, and opportunities.
INCLUSION: ensuring that people are treated equally and fairly and are included as part of society.
MENTOR: mentoring is a work-based method of training using existing experienced staff to transfer their skills
informally or semi-formally to learners.
OMISSION: to leave out or exclude.
PROMOTE: to support or actively encourage.
RESPECT: to have due regard for someone’s feelings, wishes, or rights.
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SELF-CARE: this refers to the practices undertaken by people towards maintaining health and wellbeing and
managing their own care needs. It has been defned as: “the actions people take for themselves, their children and
their families to stay ft and maintain good physical and mental health; meet social and psychological needs; prevent
illness or accidents; care for minor ailments and long-term conditions; and maintain health and wellbeing after an
acute illness or discharge from hospital.” (Self care – A real choice: Self care support – A practical option, published by
Department of Health, 2005).
UPHOLD: to maintain a custom or practice.
VALID CONSENT: for consent to be valid, it must be given voluntarily by an appropriately informed person who has
the capacity to consent to the intervention in question. This will be the patient, the person who uses health and care
services or someone with parental responsibility for a person under the age of 18, someone authorised to do so
under a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) or someone who has the authority to make treatment decisions as a court
appointed deputy). Agreement where the person does not know what the intervention entails is not ‘consent’.
WELLBEING: a person’s wellbeing may include their sense of hope, confdence, self-esteem, ability to communicate
their wants and needs, ability to make contact with other people, ability to show warmth and affection, experience and
showing of pleasure or enjoyment.
WHISTLEBLOWING: whistleblowing is when a worker reports suspected wrongdoing at work. Offcially this is called
‘making a disclosure in the public interest’ and may sometimes be referred to as ‘escalating concerns.’ You must
report things that you feel are not right, are illegal or if anyone at work is neglecting their duties. This includes when
someone’s health and safety is in danger; damage to the environment; a criminal offence; that the company is not
obeying the law (like not having the right insurance); or covering up wrongdoing.
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Acknowledgements
The Code was adapted from original work developed in partnership by NHS Wales, the National Leadership and
Innovation Agency for Healthcare (NLIAH) and the Welsh Government and published online at:
http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/829/page/49729
This Code was adapted from original work developed in partnership by NHS Education Scotland, NHS Scotland and
the Scottish Government and published online at:
http://www.healthworkerstandards.scot.nhs.uk/pages/profCurrUnreg.htm
Published by Skills for Care and Skills for Health
Skills for Care, West Gate, 6 Grace Street, Leeds LS1 2RP www.skillsforcare.org.uk
Skills for Health, 1st Floor, Goldsmiths House, Broad Plain, Bristol BS2 0JP www.skillsforhealth.org.uk
© Skills for Care & Skills for Health 2013
Copies of this work may be made for non-commercial distribution. Any other copying requires the permission of the
publishers.
Skills for Care is the employer-led strategic body for workforce development in social care for adults in England. It is
part of the sector skills council, Skills for Care and Development.
Skills for Health is the employer-led authority on workforce development and skills for the health sector. It is the
licensed Sector Skills Council for health.
Bibliographic reference data for Harvard-style author/date referencing system:
Short reference: Skills for Care/Skills for Health [or SfC/SfH] 2013
Long reference: Skills for Care & Skills for Health, Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social
Care Workers in England www.skillsforcare.org.uk & www.skillsforhealth.org.uk
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