⚕️Care Handbook

Code of Conduct

The Skills for Care Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England sets out the standards of behaviour and practice that every care worker is expected to meet. It describes what good care looks like and helps you understand your responsibilities.

About the Code of Conduct:The Code of Conduct was developed by Skills for Care, Skills for Health, and the Department of Health. It applies to all healthcare support workers and adult social care workers in England. It is not a legal requirement in itself, but it underpins the CQC's expectations of staff conduct and is used by employers as a benchmark for performance, supervision, and disciplinary matters. Failing to follow the Code may result in disciplinary action, including dismissal, and may be referred to the DBS.

The Six Principles of the Code of Conduct

1

Accountability

You must take responsibility for your own actions and omissions. You should be able to justify your decisions and actions at all times.

  • Work within your scope of practice and competence at all times
  • Be honest if you make a mistake and report it immediately
  • Maintain clear and accurate records of the care and support you provide
  • Follow your organisation's policies, procedures, and codes of conduct
  • Seek advice from your manager or a more experienced colleague when you are unsure
  • Do not delegate care tasks to someone who is not competent to carry them out
2

Promote and Uphold People's Rights

You must promote and uphold the dignity, privacy, and independence of the people you support. You must treat every person as an individual and respect their views, wishes, and preferences.

  • Always knock before entering a resident's room and ask permission before providing care
  • Support residents to make their own choices wherever possible — what to wear, eat, and do
  • Respect confidentiality and never share personal information without consent (unless required by law or to prevent serious harm)
  • Challenge discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypical attitudes wherever you encounter them
  • Act as an advocate for residents who cannot speak up for themselves, while respecting their views
  • Support residents to maintain their relationships and community connections
3

Work in Partnership

You must work in partnership with colleagues, other professionals, and the people you support and their families to deliver safe, effective, and compassionate care.

  • Communicate clearly and respectfully with colleagues, residents, families, and other professionals
  • Share information appropriately and follow handover protocols to ensure continuity of care
  • Work collaboratively with health professionals (GPs, district nurses, occupational therapists, etc.)
  • Support new colleagues and students during their induction and learning
  • Respect the roles and contributions of all team members
  • Raise concerns if team working is not functioning effectively or safely
4

Maintain and Improve Your Knowledge and Skills

You must keep your knowledge and skills up to date through continuous professional development. You must take part in learning activities that maintain and develop your competence.

  • Complete all mandatory training and refresh it when required
  • The Care Certificate provides the minimum training standards for new care workers
  • Engage in supervision and appraisal as required by your employer
  • Reflect on your practice and identify areas for improvement
  • Keep up to date with changes in legislation, policy, and best practice
  • Pursue additional qualifications relevant to your role (e.g. Level 2/3/4 Diplomas in Health and Social Care)
5

Be Honest and Trustworthy

You must be honest and trustworthy in all your professional dealings. Integrity is the foundation of trust between care workers, residents, families, and the wider community.

  • Be truthful in your records, reports, and communications
  • Do not falsify records, MAR chart entries, or any documentation
  • Declare any conflicts of interest (e.g. personal relationships with residents or their families)
  • Do not accept gifts or favours that could be seen as influencing your professional judgement
  • Report concerns about the conduct of colleagues, even if this is difficult
  • If you are suspended, investigated, or subject to disciplinary proceedings, you must inform your employer
6

Respect Confidentiality

You must respect people's right to confidentiality and only share information with those who need to know. Confidentiality is both a professional and legal obligation under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

  • Only access personal information that you need for the care and support you are providing
  • Do not discuss residents' personal information in public areas or with people who do not need to know
  • Ensure written records are stored securely and not left visible to unauthorised people
  • Follow your organisation's information sharing and data protection policies
  • Understand when confidentiality can be breached — e.g. to prevent serious harm, for safeguarding, or when required by law
  • Be aware that personal data must be processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently under GDPR Article 5

Professional Boundaries

Maintaining professional boundaries is essential for safe, ethical care. Professional boundaries define the limits of the relationship between a care worker and the person they support. They protect both the resident and the care worker.

Gifts and Favouritism

You should not accept gifts from residents or their families, regardless of value, unless your organisation's policy specifically permits small gifts at Christmas or birthdays. Never accept money, loans, or items of significant value. Declining gifts politely but firmly is part of maintaining professional relationships. If a resident insists, explain that your professional code does not allow you to accept, and suggest they make a donation to a charity instead. Never show favouritism towards particular residents — all residents are entitled to equal care and attention.

Personal Relationships

You must not form personal or sexual relationships with residents, their families, or representatives. This includes social media connections. Even after a resident has left the service, a relationship formed during the professional working period raises significant concerns about the power dynamic and whether genuine consent was possible. If you find yourself in a situation where a personal relationship may develop (e.g. the resident is someone you knew before their admission), you must declare this to your manager immediately so appropriate action can be taken.

Financial Involvement

You must not become involved in a resident's financial affairs unless this is explicitly part of your role and has been properly authorised. Never agree to be a power of attorney, executor of a will, or signatory on a resident's bank account. You should never lend money to or borrow money from a resident. If a resident asks you to manage their money or make financial decisions on their behalf, direct them to the home manager or an independent advocacy service.

Social Media and Outside Contact

Do not share personal social media accounts, phone numbers, or email addresses with residents. Do not take or share photographs of residents on personal devices or social media. Be mindful of your own social media presence — anything that could undermine public confidence in the care profession may breach your professional code. If a resident or their family member sends you a personal message on social media, do not engage — report it to your manager and follow your organisation's policy.

Emotional Over-Involvement

It is natural to care about the people you support, but you must maintain professional distance. Warning signs of over-involvement include spending significantly more time with one resident than others, feeling personally responsible for a resident's happiness, making exceptions to rules for a particular resident, or finding it difficult to accept that a resident may prefer another colleague's care. If you notice these signs, discuss them with your manager in supervision — they are a risk to both you and the resident.

GDPR and Data Protection

The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 govern how personal data is processed. As a care worker, you handle sensitive personal data daily — health records, care plans, medication records, and personal information about residents and their families.

  • •Lawfulness, fairness, and transparency — you must have a lawful basis for processing personal data and be transparent about how you use it
  • •Purpose limitation — data collected for one purpose must not be used for a different purpose without consent
  • •Data minimisation — only collect and store the personal data you actually need
  • •Accuracy — keep records accurate and up to date
  • •Storage limitation— do not keep personal data longer than necessary; follow your organisation's retention policy
  • •Integrity and confidentiality — keep data secure from unauthorised access, loss, or damage