A series of initiatives have been launched to provide additional support for the Island’s healthcare assistants and care support workers. The aim is to improve the quality and consistency of care in both the public and private sectors.
The Island’s Healthcare Assistant Forum has worked closely with the Isle of Man’s Chief Nurse, Linda Radcliffe, to develop a code of conduct, introduce the Care Certificate to the Island and launch a mentorship programme.
Minister for Health and Social Care, Howard Quayle MHK, said:
“Healthcare assistants and care support workers represent a significant proportion of the Island’s health and social care workforce. In the UK for example, a recent review showed that this group made up around a third of the caring workforce in hospitals and now provide more time at the bedside than nurses.
“These individuals are an integral part of the professional teams that provide care services in the Isle of Man. They are highly valued and deliver care with kindness, professionalism and skill. These new initiatives are designed to ensure that they are supported through consistent training to gain a greater appreciation of the role they have to play in raising the standard of care.”
The Healthcare Assistant Forum is made up of healthcare assistants from health and social care services within government as well as from private sector nursing and residential homes. It was formed to give the sector a voice on topics that affect it.
The new code of conduct has been adopted across the Island and outlines seven behaviours that must be adhered to, such as being accountable for actions and promoting privacy and dignity.
The Care Certificate, a nationally recognised award which was launched in England last year, has been adopted on the Island. It has 15 standards covering areas such as duty of care, communication and fluids and nutrition.
Chief Nurse, Linda Radcliffe, said:
“The new Care Certificate will help to ensure that our healthcare assistants and care support workers can provide consistently good quality care to the people of the Isle of Man.”
The new certificate includes support for trainees through mentorship. To deliver this a healthcare assistant mentoring programme has been developed to train existing staff, empowering them to provide mentorship to new employees.
