10.07.13
Standardised training for HCAs – Cavendish
All healthcare assistants (HCAs) and social care support workers must undergo the same basic training, a new review has recommended. Camilla Cavendish was charged with investigating how standards in HCAs could be improved, following the Francis review.
Her report calls for a standard ‘Certificate of Fundamental Care’ before HCAs can care for people unsupervised.
Other recommendations include opportunities for care workers to progress into nursing and social care through a Higher Certificate of Fundamental Care, a reduction in the number of job titles available to improve clarity, and for Health Education England (HEE) to develop a system of quality assurance.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council should make caring experience a prerequisite to start a nursing degree, and the legal processes for challenging poor performance should be reviewed.
Cavendish said: “There are more care assistants than nurses working in England. Many of us will rely on them at some point in our lives, in particular in old age, and we need them to be as good as they can possibly be – especially as some support workers are carrying out procedures which used to be done by nurses, even doctors.
“I have seen many examples of excellent and skilled care, but I have been struck by how disconnected the systems are. The airline industry figured out 30 years ago that the most junior staff could be a critical link in the passenger safety chain. Patient safety in the NHS and social care depends on recognising the contribution of support workers, valuing and training them as part of a team.
“For people to get the best care, there must be less complexity and duplication and a greater focus on ensuring that support staff are treated with the seriousness they deserve – for some of them are the most caring of all.”
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “We are determined to build a compassionate health and social care system – one where people are always treated as individuals, with kindness and respect.
“I am very grateful to Camilla Cavendish for the work she has put into this review. It rightly highlights some of the best practices on the frontline – where staff with the right values have been recruited and offered the training and support to do their jobs not just competently but also with compassion. But it also shines a light on how disconnected the health and social care systems can be and the stark variations in training that staff receive.”
Dean Royles, chief executive of the NHS Employers organisation, said: “The Cavendish Review is a welcome contribution to the debate on how the NHS can best deliver high quality, compassionate and dignified care.
“It recognises the work employers have put in to ensure nursing support staff are an essential, well supervised part of the team. Strong recruitment, induction and development programmes are widespread in the NHS, helping ensure healthcare assistants are supported to do a fantastic job.
“Nursing support workers are often unappreciated by society, often working in very challenging circumstances, and it’s important this is being acknowledged. But they provide a crucial role in ensuring compassionate care. They are as much a part of patients’ experience of the NHS as registered nurses or doctors.”
Dr Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the RCN said: “Improving training and support for healthcare support workers is not only desirable, it is essential. With a rising population of older people, this is a workforce without which the NHS could not function. We welcome this review, in particular Camilla Cavendish’s proposal for a Certificate of Fundamental Care for all healthcare support workers. It is vital we invest in this group and give greater clarity to their care role.
“However, we remain concerned that without mandatory regulation to support this, there is a danger that those staff who are found to be unsuitable could move from one employer to another unchecked. The priority must now be to underpin the recommendations made by Camilla Cavendish in the regulatory structure which governs care.”
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