Code of Conductfor Healthcare Support Workers in Wales

IntroductionThis national Code of Conduct for NHS Waleswill help to ensure service users and thepublic receive a consistent, high-quality,safe and effective service from HealthcareSupport Workers.

Healthcare Support Workers make a valuableand important contribution to the delivery ofhigh quality healthcare. This Code of Conductdescribes the standards of conduct, behaviourand attitude required of all Healthcare SupportWorkers employed within NHS Wales.

Health Care Support Workers are responsible,and have a duty of care, to ensure their conductdoes not fall below the standards detailed inthe Code and that no act or omission on theirpart harms the safety and well being of serviceusers and the public, whilst in their care.

PurposeThe purpose of the Code of Conduct is toprovide an assurance framework for publicprotection through:-

Guidance and support to Healthcare SupportWorkers’ on their practice so that theyunderstand what standards of conductemployers, colleagues, service users and thepublic can expect of them.Development of this key workforce.

ScopeThe Code applies to all Healthcare SupportWorkers employed in clinical and non-clinicalenvironments within the NHS and will bereferenced in job descriptions.

What will this Code mean forHealthcare Support Workers?

This will provide a set of standards, soHealthcare Support Workers can be surewhat standards they are expected to meet. Healthcare Support Workers should use theCode to assure themselves they are workingto the standard and if not to change the waythey are working.Healthcare Support Workers can use theCode to identify areas for personaldevelopment and improvement.The Code will support Healthcare SupportWorkers to fulfil the requirements of theirrole, behave correctly and do the right thingat all times. This is essential to protectservice users, public and others from harm.

How will this Code help Managers?The Code will help employers to understandwhat standards they can expect ofHealthcare Support Workers.Employers have a Code of Practice thatoutlines how they should treat and supportHealthcare Support Workers to achieve thestandards within this Code.

How will this Code help the Public?The Code is based on the basic principle ofprotecting the public, and provides anassurance framework so that the public canunderstand what standards they can expectof Healthcare Support Workers.NHS Wales has a legal duty and responsibilityto protect the interests and wellbeing of itsservice users.

Definition of Healthcare Support WorkerThe Flexible and Sustainable WorkforceStrategy (2008) provided a definition forHealthcare Support Workers responsible forproviding direct services to patients. However,this Code of Conduct applies to all HealthcareSupport Workers, whether they deliver direct orindirect care,And who is engaged in any of the following: – in a direct clinical role, under the supervision

of a health care professional; – in an indirect clinical role, under the

supervision of a health care professional; – in a direct service provision role, with access

to patients and members of the public; – dealing with personal identifiable patient

data; – having responsibility for maintaining premises

or equipment used by patients; or – involved in the preparation/delivery of goods

or services directly for/to service users. But who is not: – a health care professional or– an unpaid volunteer or– a worker who is in a contract with a third

party. This includes workers in a contract orother arrangement with persons whoprovide primary medical services, generaldental services, general ophthalmic servicesor pharmaceutical services

Healthcare Support Workers must:1. Be accountable by making sure you can

always answer for your actions oromissions.

2. Promote and uphold the privacy, dignity,rights and wellbeing of service users andtheir carers at all times.

3. Work in collaboration with your colleaguesas part of a team to ensure the delivery ofhigh quality safe care to service users andtheir families.

4. Communicate in an open, transparent andeffective way to promote the wellbeing ofservice users and carers.

5. Respect a person’s right to confidentiality,protecting and upholding their privacy.

6. Improve the quality of care to service usersby updating your knowledge, skills andexperience through personal andprofessional development.

7. To promote equality all service users,colleagues and members of the public areentitled to be treated fairly and without bias.

4. Always seek guidance from yoursupervisor if you do not feel able oradequately prepared to carry out anyaspect of your work, or you are unsurehow to effectively deliver a given task.

5. Inform your supervisor about anydifficulties that might affect your ability todo your job competently and safely. If youdo not feel competent to undertake anactivity, you must report this to yoursupervisor.

6. Establish and maintain clear andappropriate professional boundaries inyour relationships with service users,their carers and colleagues at all times.

7. Refuse to accept any offers of loans, gifts,benefits or hospitality from anyone in yourcare or anyone close to them which maybe seen to compromise your position.

8. Comply with your employers policies andprocedures.

9. Report any actions or omissions byyourself or colleagues that you feel maycompromise the safety or care ofservice users.

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Be accountable by making sureyou can always answer for youractions or omissions.

Guidance Statements

As a Healthcare Support Worker in Wales you must:

1. Be honest with yourself and othersabout what you can do, recognise thelimitations of your competence andonly carry out those tasks agreed inyour job description and in which youhave gained and maintainedcompetence.

2. Behave in a professional mannerwhich would not call into question yoursuitability to work in a health careenvironment.

3. Make sure you can justify and areaccountable for your actions or youromissions to service users, youremployer, members of the public,your supervisor, and others.

Guidance Statements

As a Healthcare Support Worker in Wales you must:

1. Treat each person as an individual,promote independence and self care andassist service users to exercise their rightsand make informed choices about care.

2. Always gain consent before you begin anytreatment or care and support people’srights to accept or decline any treatmentor care.

3. Consider, respect and protect the privacyand dignity of service users, carers andcolleagues.

4. Contribute to a safe health careenvironment that is fit for practice.

5. Always make sure your actions oromissions will not harm the person'shealth or wellbeing or delay their recovery.Do not abuse, neglect, harm or exploitservice users, carers or colleagues.

6. Challenge and report dangerous, abusive,discriminatory or exploitative behaviouror practice.

7. Always take complaints seriously,respond to them in line with theorganisations policy and inform a senior member of staff.

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Promote and uphold theprivacy, dignity, rights andwellbeing of service users andtheir carers at all times.

Guidance Statements

As a Healthcare Support Worker in Wales you must:

1. Value and understand the part you play inthe team, recognise and respect theroles and expertise of colleagues in theteam and from other agencies anddisciplines and work in partnership withthem.

2. Work openly and co-operatively withservice users and their families and treatthem with respect.

3. Work openly and co-operatively withcolleagues including those from otherdisciplines and agencies, and treat themwith respect

4. Honour work commitments, agreementsand arrangements and be reliable anddependable.

5. Promote and maintain the delivery ofhigh quality care to service users.

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Work in collaboration with yourcolleagues as part of a team toensure the delivery of highquality safe care to serviceusers and their families.

Guidance Statements

As a Healthcare Support Worker in Wales you must:

1. Communicate respectfully with serviceusers and carers in an open, accurate,effective and straightforward wayensuring confidentiality.

2. Communicate effectively and consultwith colleagues as appropriate.

3. Always explain and discuss the care orprocedure you intend to carry out with theservice user and only continue if they giveinformed consent.

4. Document and maintain clear andaccurate records of your care and reportany changes or concerns in the conditionof individuals immediately to a seniormember of staff.

5. Recognise the limits of you role,knowledge and competence whencommunicating with service users, carersand colleagues.

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Communicate in an open,transparent and effective way topromote the wellbeing ofservice users and carers.

Guidance Statements

As a Healthcare Support Worker in Wales you must:

1. Regard all service user and carerinformation as confidential

2. Only discuss or disclose relevantinformation about service users tomembers of the team or otherprofessionals who need information tohelp plan care or services.

3. Always seek guidance from a seniormember of staff regarding anyinformation or issues that you areconcerned about.

4. Always discuss issues of disclosure witha senior member of staff.

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Respect a person’s right toconfidentiality, protecting andupholding their privacy.

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Improve the quality of care toservice users by updating yourknowledge, skills andexperience through personaland professional development.

Guidance Statements

As a Healthcare Support Worker in Wales you must:

1. In agreement with your supervisorensure up to date compliance with allstatutory/mandatory training.

2. Participate in and take responsibility forthe personal development process andKSF to support achievement of thecompetence required for your role.

3. Undertake competence based trainingand education in line with local reviewprocesses accessing effectivementorship and supervision to improvethe quality and safety of care to serviceusers.

4. Maintain an up to date record of trainingand development.

5. Contribute to the learning anddevelopment of others whereappropriate.

Guidance Statements

As a Healthcare Support Worker in Wales you must:

1. Respect the individuality and diversity ofservice users, carers and colleagues andnot discriminate or condonediscrimination against them in any way.

2. Promote equal opportunities for serviceusers and carers.

3. Report concerns to a senior member ofstaff as soon as possible.

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To promote equality all serviceusers, colleagues andmembers of the public areentitled to be treated fairly andwithout bias.

Code of Conduct Glossary

1. Accountability - To be responsible and answerable for actions2. Promote - To support or actively encourage 3. Uphold - To maintain (a custom or practice)4. Service User - A person who uses services 5. Collaboration - The action of working with someone 6. Transparent - To be open to public scrutiny7. Effective - To be successful in producing a desired or intended

result8. Professional - A person competent or skilled in a particular

activity9. Omission - To leave out or excluded10. Supervise - The active process of directing, guiding and

influencing the outcome of an individuals performance of atask

11. Competent - Having the necessary ability, knowledge, or skillto do something successfully.

12. Respect - To have due regard for someone's feelings, wishes,or rights

13. Mentor - An experienced person who trains and counselsemployees or students

14. Dependable - Worthy of trust; reliable15. Procedures - An established or official way of doing

something16. Skill - The ability to do something well; expertise.17. Disclose - To make (secret or new information) known18. Capability - The power or ability to do something.19. Competence - The knowledge, skills, attitudes and ability to

practise safely and effectively without the need for directsupervision.

20. Competencies - Specific knowledge, skills, judgment, andpersonal attributes required to practice safely.

21. Consent - Permission for something to happen or agreementto do something.

22. Responsible - Morally accountable for one's behaviour andhaving an obligation to do something, as part of one's job orrole.