Code of Conduct and National Minimum Training Standards for healthcare support workers

The Code of Conduct describes the standards of conduct, behaviour and attitudes that the public and the people who need healthcare, care and support should expect of workers providing this care and support.

The National Minimum Training Standards define the minimum knowledge workers must have, irrespective of individual job role. Both the Code and the Standards were created after extensive consultation with employers and workers across both sectors to make sure they were fit for purpose.

There is much work to be done with both sectors to ensure that they are implemented effectively to contribute to our ambition for high quality healthcare, care and support.

The new minimum training standards focus on 10 areas that are designed to cover the key knowledge for health and care workers and set out what should be covered during a period of induction in the first weeks of employment:

  1. The roles of the Healthcare Support Worker and Adult Social Care Worker
  2. Your personal development
  3. Effective communication
  4. Equality, diversity and inclusion
  5. Duty of care
  6. Safeguarding
  7. Person-centred care and support
  8. Health and safety
  9. Handling information
  10. Infection prevention and control

The Standards correspond to the underpinning knowledge within the Core Competences for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England developed as part of this project - these will be published shortly.

Skills for Health and Skills for Care were commissioned by the Department of Health following the Secretary of State's speech to the NHS Employers conference on 15 November 2011, where he announced that the Government's intention was to commission work to develop a Code of Conduct and minimum standards for education for support workers.
 

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