Independent review launched to improve training for care workers

The Government has launched an independent review to look at how training and support for care workers can be strengthened so they give better care to patients.

The review will be led by Times journalist Camilla Cavendish who will report back to Government at the end of May.

The review will look at how to raise training standards. This includes making sure people get the right training, development and feedback to provide compassionate and competent care in busy working environments and providing consistent training and development to help the best healthcare assistants progress to their potential in more senior roles.

The review will also look at how recruitment can be strengthened to place the right people, with the right values and behaviours, in the right settings.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “We want everyone receiving treatment and support across the health and care sector to get the most safe, effective and compassionate care.

“So we need to make sure that the staff tasked with carrying out some of the most personal and fundamental jobs have the skills, values and behaviours needed to provide this.”

He added: “Camilla Cavendish has a long-standing and strong interest in the quality of care and compassion in health and social care. She will provide a fresh perspective on the key issues of valuing and supporting the staff who provide that care.”

Care workers and healthcare assistants provide some of the most personal and fundamental support that people get – eating, washing, dressing, help getting out of bed or going to the toilet. They also take basic measurements such as temperature, pulse and weight.

In his report into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, Robert Francis QC set out the importance of looking at how care is provided at every level. This independent study into care workers and healthcare assistants will ensure they have the training and support they need to provide these essential services to the highest standards.

Camilla Cavendish said: “I’m delighted to be leading this review into a vitally important part of the health workforce. Feeding an elderly sick person, turning them and avoiding pressure sores are skilled tasks.

“There are more care assistants than nurses in this country, many of us will rely on them in old age, and we need them to be as good as they can possibly be.”

Dr Peter Carter, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing welcomed the review and said: “Improving training and support for health care support workers is a hugely significant part of improving patient care. Camilla Cavendish will bring a new perspective and we look forward to sharing the experiences of our nurse and HCA members with her.

“This review must build on the recommendations made by the Francis Inquiry, which was very clear that registration must go alongside improvements in training if care is to be improved across the board. The Inquiry also stated that a voluntary system of registration would provide little or no advantage to the public.

“The RCN has worked closely with organisations such as Skills for Health and Skills for Care to set out training standards that are needed, but 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. We believe that Francis' recommendation on HCA regulation must be implemented if care is to be safe and of a consistently high standard.”

The review will draw on the experience of a wide number of people and organisations, including those who use these services, the staff that provide this care, leaders and supervisors, as well as employers. The work will also consider and draw on the key lessons from the Francis Inquiry.