New adult care induction standards expected for September 2005
02-08-2005 
Skills for Care has given overall approval for revised social care induction standards. The present standards, used by registered managers to assess the fitness to practice of new staff, need revision to come into line with social care's revised NVQs and with the General Social Care Council codes of practice. The new standards will come into use from September 2005, and are expected to become compulsory a year later. 

The new induction period will be longer, possibly up to 12 weeks rather than the current six weeks, but the present six month foundation period will be scrapped. It is assumed that employers will add their own induction requirements to tailor the standards to particular workplaces. 

Skills for Care is talking with the Commission for Social Care Inspection about how the new standards will fit with regulatory requirements for care services, including how they can be completed by care workers under 18, whose care work is currently restricted. 

Skills for Care chief executive Andrea Rowe said, "Our introduction of induction and foundation standards in 2001 has been a huge success, giving care workers a ramp up to the NVQ framework. The new induction will fit with the new NVQs and will be more adaptable to the needs of individual care services, and will recognise new workers' current expertise." 

The new induction standards will be for all workers involved directly in adult social care. A separate set of induction standards for new managers will be produced later. As at present, externally provided training programmes will be able to contribute to induction training, but the intention is that induction should be tailored to individual needs. 

New workers with relevant qualifications or previous induction will only need to complete their manager's workplace-specific standards. Those with no experience or no evidence of qualification or previous induction will need a full induction. 

There will be six new standards: 
- Understand the principles of care 
- Understand the organisation and the role of the worker 
- Maintain safety at work 
- Communicate effectively 
- Recognise and respond to abuse and neglect 
- Develop as a worker. 
The new standards will be accompanied by managers' and employees' guides with a glossary, and a certificate of completion to be signed off by the registered manager. 

The draft of the new standards is in the consultation section of www.skillsforcare.org.uk 

The current and the new induction standards will run in parallel for a transitional year so that employers can amend their internal procedures.