It has been two years since the launch of the Social Care Commitment, the adult social care sector’s promise to provide people who need care and support with high quality services.
Since then, more than 3,000 care-providing organisations have signed up. To celebrate, Skills for Care and the Department of Health are supporting Social Care Commitment Week from 7 to 13 December 2015.
Make the commitment
During the week we’re encouraging those who haven’t signed up to do so.
Employers and employees across the whole adult social care sector can sign up, pledging to improve the quality of the workforce.
You’ll receive a logo to use on marketing material as a badge of quality.
In a recent evaluation, 93% of those using the commitment said they would recommend it to other employers.
What have you go to lose?
Harroon Rashid Sheikh, chief executive of care provider CareTech, said he would recommend all social care employers sign up.
“What have you got to lose?” he asked. “There is no reason not to sign up. Signing up to the commitment publically displays your organisation is committed to the delivery of quality care provisions and a provider of the best service possible for your customers.
“The commitment doesn’t say you have it right all the time, but it does say your organisation and your staff care about getting it right and are committed to recruiting the right people for the job, as well as the continuous improvement of service delivery.”
Minister support
Social Care Commitment Week is supported by the minister for community and social care, Alistair Burt, who said the commitment helps to empower and support those in the sector.
“The 1.45 million care workers and healthcare assistants in this country are the lifeblood of the care sector,” he said. “As our population continues to grow and age, their skills and dedication are needed now more than ever. But it is one thing to attract people with the right values and skills, quite another to empower and support them in what we know to be challenging yet highly rewarding careers.
“For more than two years, the Social Care Commitment has done exactly that – a contract between employers and employees to invest in each other and be the best they can – as together they strive to deliver high quality, compassionate care. Social Care Commitment Week is the perfect opportunity to reaffirm this pledge and encourage new registrations.
“The Department of Health will continue to support Skills for Care, care agencies and local providers as they use the commitment to facilitate better training and support, enhanced career paths and, ultimately, greater peace of mind for those receiving or arranging care for themselves and their loved ones.”
Let everyone know you’re committed
During Social Care Commitment Week, some of those employers already signed up will be taking to Twitter using the hashtag #SCCWeek to talk about how the commitment has helped them.
The official Social Care Commitment Twitter account – @CareCommitment – will also be sharing stories of those using it.
Several local authorities and national training providers – including Quality Compliance Systems (QCS) – have also pledged their support and will be encouraging care providers to sign up to the commitment,.
Ed Watkinson, head of care quality and compliance at QCS, said signing up to the commitment is the first step in making a difference.
“We trust the Social Care Commitment will enable care services to make excellence a standard by reinforcing the public’s confidence within this sector as well as supporting the staff with training in order to meet the sectors overall requirements.”
Content on this page is produced and controlled by Skills for Care, sponsor of the Guardian Social Care Network leadership, learning and development hub
