Common Induction Standards
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) state that all staff should receive a comprehensive induction that takes account of recognised standards within the sector and is relevant to their workplace and their role. The relevant induction in this context means the Common Induction Standards (CIS).
The CIS incorporate standards that are specific to adult social care and standards that are generic to the working environment. Service providers are advised that all adult social care practitioners should complete the CIS within 12 weeks of starting their job.
The CIS need to be delivered in a context relevant to the service and job role and completion is subject to a recorded assessment which identifies the areas of work that the practitioner is competent to undertake at that point in time.
Lone working should not be permitted until the CIS are completed or until competence has been assessed and a manager 'signs off' the practitioner as 'safe to leave' to work alone. Not all workers however will need to complete the full induction standards, for example if they have already completed an induction or have a relevant vocational qualification. Please see the guidance for those responsible for workers below for more information.
The standards
The eight standards map across to the mandatory units of the new Health and Social Care Diploma to ensure there is consistency of approach for the workforce.
Standard 1 Role of the health and social care worker
Standard 2 Personal development
Standard 3 Communicate effectively
Standard 4 Equality and Inclusion
Standard 5 Principles for implementing duty of care
Standard 6 Principles of safeguarding in health and social care
Standard 7 Person-centred support
Standard 8 Health and safety in an adult social care setting
Each standard contains a number of areas of knowledge that care workers need to know about before they can work unsupervised. Managers have a duty to ensure new staff know enough to meet the required outcomes in each knowledge area.
If carried out in depth, they can provide excellent evidence of underpinning knowledge towards the diploma at level 2 or level 3.
The following documents are available to download only. They are not available in a hard copy format unlike the priced workbooks Starting Out and Supporting Starters.
These are the standards with a glossary which outlines how they link to GSCC codes of practice; a progress log; a guide for those responsible for workers in an induction period; a guide for new workers; and a certificate for managers to sign to confirm that standards have been met.
- Common Induction Standards with glossary
print friendly version - Common Induction Standards progress log
print friendly version - Common Induction Standards guidance for new workers
print friendly version - Common Induction Standards guidance for those responsible for workers
print friendly version - Common Induction Standards certificate of successful completion
print friendly version
The induction standards for care workers and managers have a fire safety element in the health and safety section but find here a new leaflet which includes guidance on how to access free advice available from the fire service.
Skills for Care Common Induction Standards workbooks
Skills for Care has published workbooks to help workers being inducted, and their managers.
- Starting Out is for workers, replacing Your Induction to Work in Adult Social Care.
- Supporting Starters is for managers and replaces The First 12 Weeks and Beyond.
The CIS are explained in both, and suggestions made for assessing and recording a new worker's induction (including experienced workers starting new posts).
Both publications are now available to order via the Social Care Association and are priced at £19.50 each. Please visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/publications for details of how to order.
Blank copies of the templates in Starting Out section D can be downloaded here in Word format for public use to support the gathering of evidence for all learners:
- Summary log of learner's assessment record
- A1 Assessment evidence completion sheet (general level job roles)
- A2 Assessment evidence completion sheet (higher level job roles)
- L1 Reflective learning log
- L2 Boundaries scenarios
- L3 Agreed ways of working in this particular workplace
- L4 Other professionals I might work with
- L5 Record keeping
- L6 Barriers to communication
- L7 Communicating with someone with dementia
- L8 Types of abuse
- L9 Hazardous substances
Common Induction Standards to Health and Social Care diploma mapping
This mapping publication has been developed to support the use of evidence gathered in the Common Induction Standards by workers as they move on to the health and social care diploma at level 2 or 3. The guide is intended for those with a more technical focus on helping workers apply their induction learning to their subsequent diploma learning without unnecessary repetition. It will be particularly helpful for training providers.
It is priced at £7.70. For more information or to order a copy visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/publications
For clarification on the Common Induction Standards please see our Frequently Asked Questions
Information on inducting your personal assistants is also available.
Skills for Care has created an evaluation report on the Common Induction Standards - please click on the link below to view the report:
evaluation reports.
entry to social care
- introduction
common induction standards- i care...ambassadors
- recruitment
- starting a career in social care
