The Social Care Commitment has signed up 2,000 employers in the last 18 months. Sharon Allen, Skills for Care's Chief Executive, shares the good news on the Department of Health initiative aiming to improve quality of care in adult social care and its implementation across the sector led by her organisation.
Employers embedding the Commitment in their workplaces have reported the positive impact it has had on the development of their staff and the quality of care they deliver.
Many have used it to assist them in reaching the standards of care required by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) - and as evidence for the Care Certificate.
Paul Evans, owner of Crowborough Lodge Residential Care Home in Brighton, said they were using the Commitment to increase the quality of care provided by their staff.
The Social Care Commitment is pitched as the sector’s promise to deliver high quality care. Using seven ‘I will…’ statements selected by employers and employees, it guides the adult social care workforce on how to improve and enhance the care they provide.
It is a public declaration and a promise of excellence. It has so far been signed by over 2,000 employers, including twenty seven local authorities and the British Red Cross.
National care provider CareTech, who were the first large employer to sign up all of their service provision sites, believe the Social Care Commitment not only helps their staff improve the level of care they provide, but also helps CareTech with their recruitment and retention.
Chief Executive Officer Haroon Rashid Sheikh said, “The Commitment is the glue that sticks everything together. Employees are asked to sign up to make a commitment to quality service delivery and we think it gives employees a sense of ownership and pride in what they do. They provide a vital and valuable role, and the Commitment helps them to understand the importance of their role and the impact it has on a service user’s life.”
The CQC and the College of Social Work have both voiced support for the Commitment, and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) recently said: “ADASS fully supports the Social Care Commitment and recognises the crucial role of every employer and employee in raising standards and improving the quality of care experienced by the citizens we serve. We will encourage our members to sign up and embed the commitments in the provision and commissioning of care.”
In response to employer demand, and the Commitment’s positive impact on the sector, an online large employer sign up resource has now been developed to help organisations with multiple sites take a ‘whole organisation’ approach to signing up all of their services and ensuring a company-wide commitment to quality care provision. Due for release this month, trials of the model have already supported over 20 multi-site employers to sign up all of their services, with many more anticipated over the coming months once this new employer resource is launched.
Find out more
To find out how the Social Care Commitment can help you, or to see who has already signed up, click here
1 comment
Comment by Nick posted on
Not wishing to be cynical, but the good ones will sign up, it's the ones who don't who will need greater scrutiny.