As everyone in the sector knows, there are hundreds of policies and procedures in health and social care. Sometimes this maze of rules and regulations can feel overwhelming – but you’re not alone.
Many social care policies have been written because of past concerns, or research that explains best practice. Many policies are there because of legal requirements, so that the people we support don’t come to any harm.
In this article, we’ll explain some of the laws that govern the sector, some of the most important policies and procedures in health and social care, and how you can make sure you’re developing effective policies in your organisation.
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Legislation in health and social care
Many policies and procedures in health and social care stem from several key pieces of legislation.
One of the main laws you’ll hear about in health and social care is the Health and Social Care Act 2008. It changed how social care is delivered in England.
The Health and Social Care Act 2008 did a few main things, including:
- Establishing regulators for health and social care services, and giving them powers to monitor, inspect and take action against services
- Defining standards for quality and safety for all health and care providers
- Improving the legal framework for safeguarding vulnerable adults
The Health and Social Care Act 2008 put a new emphasis on transparency and accountability, empowering service users to have access to more information than before. And it pushed providers to try to continuously improve, rather than merely meeting standards.
There are a few other important pieces of legislation that you might hear about in the health and social care world. These include:
The Care Act 2014:
This put a greater emphasis on protecting vulnerable people, as well as introducing personal budgets and direct payments, giving service users more power over their own care. It also changed the way that people are assessed, encouraging potential service users to think about their ideal outcomes and achievements, rather than just their care needs. This is commonly referred to as person-centred care.
The Health and Care Act 2022:
This made some changes to how much people will need to pay for their care, as well as putting more importance on how organisations work together to deliver joined-up, person-centred care.
The Mental Capacity Act 2005:
This Act is there to protect people who may not have the capacity to make their own decisions. It applies to everyone over 16 in England and Wales.
The Equality Act 2010:
This Act protects people from discrimination, whether it’s due to their race, gender, disability, or other protected characteristics. It supports service users and staff members in health and social care.
The Data Protection Act 2018:
This Act sets out rules on how data should be managed and stored.
Collectively, these laws explain some fundamental care standards, and explain some of the specific responsibilities we have as care providers.
Care management software, like PASS, can help care providers keep data safe and secure.
Who are the Health and social care regulators?
Policies and procedures in health and social care are important, but it’s also crucial to make sure that someone is checking whether they’re being followed. There are several regulatory bodies that make sure health and social care providers are providing safe and appropriate care.
Regulators aren’t just there to police health and social care providers, though. They also share best practices, provide guidance, and drive innovation in care. Work from health and social care regulators has raised standards across the UK.
The main one that you’re probably aware of is the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The CQC was created as part of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, and operates in England. It covers everything from hospitals and GP surgeries to home care agencies and residential care homes.
The CQC’s responsibilities are extensive, and include:
- Registering care providers
- Monitoring, inspecting and rating services using the Single Assessment Framework
- Taking action to protect service users, when necessary
- Speaking out on issues in health and social care
As a care provider, you may also need to be aware of some of the other regulators in the health and social care sector, including:
- Care Inspectorate: This is the Scottish equivalent to the CQC. If your organisation operates in both countries, you’ll need to work with both organisations.
- Care Inspectorate Wales (CI): This is the Welsh equivalent to the CQC. Like the Care Inspectorate in Scotland, if your organisation operates in both countries, you’ll need to work with both organisations.
- Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA): This is the Northern Irish equivalent to the CQC.
- General Medical Council (GMC): This is the regulator for doctors in the UK. If you have a complaint about a doctor’s behaviour or performance, you can contact the GMC.
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC): This is the regulator for nurses, midwives and nursing associates across the UK. If your organisation employs nurses, they must be registered with the NMC. Nurses, midwives and nursing associates must revalidate their registration every three years.
- Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC): This is the regulator of 15 health and care professions in the UK, including paramedics, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.
Key policies and procedures in health and social care
Policies and procedures may come directly from laws, such as the ones we’ve discussed above, or guidelines from your organisation. Some care providers may have different policies and procedures if you’re providing care in a client’s home, compared to if you work in a care home or day centre.
Policies are usually reviewed regularly – this might be every year or two years, based on best practice, changes to laws and emerging challenges. If there are any relevant incidents or legislative changes before a policy is due to be reviewed, it should be updated sooner.
You’re likely to encounter policies and procedures in health and social care that are there to:
- Make sure service users, visitors and staff members are safe
- Make sure that service users receive good quality care
- Help care workers and other staff members know what to do in certain situations
- Help with hiring new staff members and HR management
Most health and social care organisations will have policies and procedures relating to:
- Safeguarding
- Infection control
- Medication management
- Confidentiality and data protection
- Equality and diversity
- Complaints
- Staff training
- Involving service users in care decisions
- Whistleblowing
In short, they’re there to make sure that we understand the duty of care we have to our clients.
A digital checklist will help you keep track of when policies and procedures should be reviewed.
Understanding policies and procedures in health and social care
It’s important to know the difference between policies and procedures.
Policies explain the standards, and why they’re important. Procedures are guidelines that explain the steps that should be taken.
A written procedure should explain:
- An aim or purpose
- Steps that should be followed
- Who is involved and what their roles are
- Necessary equipment or resources
It should also include references to relevant care documents, including related policies or guidelines.
For example, let’s look at a medication administration procedure. It’s written to ensure that service user safety is the highest priority, and explains the steps that a carer must follow:
- Checking the Electronic medicines administration records (eMAR)
- Checking the service user’s identity
- Preparing the right dosage
- Administering the medication
- Recording that they’ve administered the medication in your digital care planning system
- Monitoring the service user for adverse reactions
Including this level of detail means that care workers will be consistent, and that clients can expect the same experience no matter who their carer is. It’s also important for effective risk management and regulatory compliance.
Well-designed procedures can also help with staff training, and continuous improvement – as care workers continue to follow them, they may come up with ways to refine and improve them, providing better care for their clients.
Implementing policies and procedures effectively
Having well-crafted policies and procedures is one thing, but implementing them effectively is another. So, how can care providers make sure their policies and procedures work?
There are a few phases needed for effective implementation of policies and procedures in health and social care. We’ve shared a few tips to make each phase run more smoothly, allowing you to continue providing person-centred care.
Communication
This isn’t just one part of creating and implementing policies and procedures, but should be happening throughout. If your team and clients feel comfortable sharing their views with you, you’re more likely to learn when new procedures or updates are necessary.
Set up clear communication channels for sharing updates and answering questions. You might want to use regular team meetings, a suggestions box, emails or conversations through an app.
For insights on improving communication in care settings, check out our guide on types of communication in health and social care.
Development
When you’re creating policies and procedures, involve frontline workers. They’re likely to have valuable insights into what will work – after all, they’re the ones who are usually doing the job.
As well as your staff team, you should also involve service users where possible.
When you’re writing the policy or procedure, make sure that it’s written clearly and concisely. You should try to maintain a balance between consistency and allowing your team to trust their professional judgement when necessary.
Training
Establish a good training programme to educate your staff team. Rather than simply distributing documents, consider running interactive workshops or using e-learning modules. Use care management software to ensure that all of your staff team are up-to-date on the necessary training.
Make sure that managers and supervisors lead by example and can provide guidance to their teams. For more information on effective leadership in implementing policies and procedures, visit our leadership resources.
Providing access
Consider how your team members access up-to-date policies and procedures. Digital platforms and care management software are an easy way to make sure that everyone has the latest version of a policy.
Ongoing review
Simply launching a new policy or procedure isn’t the end of it. You should conduct regular compliance audits, and identify areas for improvement.
Encourage open feedback from your staff team and service users. They’re often the first to spot when something isn’t working as needed.
Conclusion
Policies and procedures in health and social care are more than just bureaucratic red tape. They’re in place to ensure consistency, safety and dignity for service users – and staff members.
But it’s not enough to simply have policies and procedures written down. It’s important to make sure that they’re effectively implemented and followed throughout your organisation – and updated when necessary.
Most importantly, as care providers, you should make sure that you listen to service users and frontline staff when developing and implementing policies and procedures. After all, these are the people who really understand what it means to provide and receive person-centred care.
Article by:
Jessica Slattery, Digital Social Care Expert @ PASS
Jess and her team have worked with more than 1,200 social care businesses, providing expert advice on Digital Social Care Record (DSCR) systems, resulting in thousands of hours saved, improved CQC ratings, and better quality of care for the people they care about.
