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Common Induction Standards 

Following consultation with the sector, Skills for Care has refreshed the Common Induction Standards to ensure they are fit for purpose and reflect current policy and practice. The standards are for people entering social care, and those changing roles or employers within social care.

The refreshed Common Induction Standards replace the Common Induction Standards 2005.

The effective implementation of the Common Induction Standards is a significant step towards the delivery of high quality care and support. The Care Quality Commission's Essential Standards of Quality and Safety highlight the importance and value of strong and comprehensive induction and they will need to be assured that all new staff have undergone a thorough induction process.

They are designed to be met within a 12 week period to enable care workers to demonstrate providing high quality care and support. It provides recognition for their work, and prepares them for entry into future training and qualifications.

the standards


The standards now map across to the mandatory units of the new Health and Social Care Diploma to ensure there is consistency of approach for the workforce. There are now eight standards, however they will not take any longer to complete and the core elements are still retained.

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 which can be ordered through the Social Care Association on 0870 770 2469.

These are the refreshed 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.

 

Skills for Care Common Induction Standards books
Following the 2010 'refresh' of the Common Induction Standards (CIS), 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 refreshed 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:

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:

For clarification on the Common Induction Standards refresh please see our Frequently Asked Questions


Information on inducting your personal assistants is also available.