Social Workers - Northern Ireland Social Care Council

Standards of Conduct and Practice for
Social Workers
NOVEMBER 2015
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Introductory Notes
About us
The Northern Ireland Social Care
Council (NISCC) was established
in 2001 as the regulatory body
for the social care workforce in
Northern Ireland.
We regulate the workforce
by maintaining a register and
setting standards for the conduct,
practice and training of social
workers and social care workers
to ensure that the quality of care
provided to service users and
carers is of a high standard.
‘Social work’ has been a
protected title since 1st June
2005, with social workers
required by law to register with
the Council in order to be able to
practise.
Our register is a public record
that those registered have met
the requirements for entry onto
the register and have agreed
to adhere to the standards of
conduct and practice set by
NISCC.
Produced by:
Northern Ireland Social Care Council
7th Floor, Millennium House
19-25 Great Victoria Street
Belfast BT2 7AQ
Tel: 028 9536 2600
Web: www.niscc.info
‘Social work is a practice-based
profession and an academic
discipline that promotes social
change and development, social
cohesion, and the empowerment
and liberation of people. Principles
of social justice, human rights,
collective responsibility and
respect for diversities are central
to social work. Underpinned by
theories of social work, social
sciences, humanities and
indigenous knowledge, social work
engages people and structures
to address life challenges and
enhance wellbeing.’
Global Definition of Social
Work (International Federation of
Social Workers and International
Association of Schools of Social
Work, 2014)
2
About the Standards
As part of its roles and responsibilities, NISCC is required to
produce and publish standards of conduct and practice expected of
social workers and social care workers. This booklet contains the
standards of conduct and practice for social workers.
The standards of conduct describe the values, attitudes and
behaviours expected of social workers.
The standards of practice outline the knowledge and skills required
for competent practice.
Together, both sets of standards combine to provide a baseline
against which a social worker’s conduct and practice will be judged.
Standards
of Conduct
+
Baseline
for judging
conduct and
practice
The standards are binding on
all social workers registered
with the Council, irrespective
of employment status or work
setting. Your fitness to practise
will be judged against these
standards and failure to comply
could put your registration
at risk. If someone raises a
concern about your conduct or
practice, it will be considered
against these standards when
deciding if we need to take
any action. The standards are
+
Standards
of Practice
intended to reflect existing good
practice and both professional
and public expectations of the
behaviour and practice of social
workers. They form part of the
wider package of legislation,
regulatory requirements,
practice standards and
employers’ policies and
procedures that social workers
must meet.
3
Social workers are professionally accountable for their practice
which means that they are responsible for ensuring their conduct
and practice does not fall below the standards set out in this
document and that no action or omission on their part harms the
wellbeing of service users or carers.
The standards provide social workers with clear criteria to guide their
practice and to check that they are working to standard. They are
intended to be a support to registrants in their day to day practice.
The standards provide service users and carers with a clear
understanding of how a social worker should behave towards them
and the standards of practice they can expect to receive.
Consistent application of these standards by social workers will
benefit service users and carers.
Employers of social workers are expected to take account of the
standards in making decisions about the conduct and competence of
their staff.
To help you understand these standards, we have published a
glossary of terms. We will also publish guidance from time to time to
support and underpin the standards. Guidance will be available on
our website: www.niscc.info.
Underpinning Values
The following values inform and underpin the standards of conduct
and practice:
Social workers must:
• Respect the rights, dignity
and inherent worth of
individuals
• Work in a person-centred way
• Treat people respectfully and
with compassion
• Support and promote the
independence and autonomy
of service users
4
• Act in the best interests of
service users and carers
• Uphold and promote equality,
diversity and inclusion
• Ensure the care they provide
is safe and effective and of a
high quality
Standards of Conduct...
1
As a social worker, you must protect the rights
and promote the interests and wellbeing of
service users and carers.
2
As a social worker, you must strive to establish
and maintain the trust and confidence of service
users and carers.
3
As a social worker, you must promote the
autonomy of service users while safeguarding
them as far as possible from danger or harm.
4
As a social worker, you must respect the rights
of service users while seeking to ensure that
their behaviour does not harm themselves or
other people.
5
As a social worker, you must uphold public trust
and confidence in social work services.
6
As a social worker, you must be accountable for
the quality of your work and take responsibility
for maintaining and improving your knowledge
and skills.
5
As a social worker, you
must protect the rights and
promote the interests and
wellbeing of service users
and carers.
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Protect the rights and promote the interests and
wellbeing of service users and carers
This includes:
1.1
Treating each person as an individual;
1.2
Treating people with consideration, respect and
compassion;
1.3
Empowering service users and carers to communicate
their views, needs and preferences, taking account of
their preferred language and form of communication;
1.4
Respecting and, where appropriate, representing the
individual views and wishes of both service users and
carers;
1.5
Supporting service users’ right to control their lives and
make informed choices about the services they receive;
1.6
Gaining consent as appropriate from service users
before you provide care or services, in line with your
employer’s procedures and any statutory requirements;
1.7
Explaining your role, the purpose of your involvement
and the reasons for any decision you make;
1.8
Respecting and maintaining the dignity and privacy of
service users;
1.9
Treating service users and carers fairly and promoting
equal opportunities;
1.10 Respecting diversity, beliefs, preferences, cultural
differences and challenging discriminatory attitudes or
behaviour.
7
As a social worker, you
must strive to establish
and maintain the trust
and confidence of service
users and carers.
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Strive to establish and maintain the trust and
confidence of service users and carers
This includes:
2.1
Being honest and trustworthy;
2.2
Communicating in an appropriate, open, accurate and
straightforward way;
2.3
Being able to communicate clearly in the English
language, both verbally and in writing;
2.4
Respecting confidential information and clearly
explaining agency policies about confidentiality to
service users and carers;
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Holding, using and storing records in line with
organisational procedures and data protection
requirements;
2.6
Being reliable and dependable;
2.7
Honouring work commitments, agreements and
arrangements and, when it is not possible to do so,
explaining why to service users and carers;
2.8
Declaring issues that might create conflicts of interest
and making sure that they do not influence your
judgement or practice;
2.9
Adhering to policies and procedures about accepting
gifts and money, hospitality or services from service
users and carers;
2.10 Refusing any loans of money or property from anyone
in your care or anyone close to them;
2.11 Not engaging in practices which are fraudulent in
respect of use of public or private monies.
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9
As a social worker, you
must promote the autonomy
of service users while
safeguarding them as far
as possible from danger or
harm.
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Promote the autonomy of service users while
safeguarding them as far as possible from
danger or harm
This includes:
3.1
Promoting service users’ independence and
empowering them to understand and exercise their
rights;
3.2
Using established processes and procedures to
assess, respond to and manage dangerous, abusive,
discriminatory or exploitative behaviour and practice;
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3.3
Following practice and procedures designed to keep
you and other people safe from violent and abusive
behaviour at work;
3.4
Bringing to the attention of your employer or the
appropriate authority, without delay, resource or
operational difficulties that might get in the way of the
delivery of safe practice;
3.5
Informing your employer or an appropriate authority,
without delay, where the practice of colleagues or
others may be unsafe or adversely affecting standards
of care;
3.6
Complying with employers’ health and safety policies,
including those relating to substance misuse;
3.7
Recognising and using responsibly with service users
and carers, the power that comes from your work role.
11
As a social worker, you
must respect the rights
of service users while
seeking to ensure that their
behaviour does not harm
themselves or other people.
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Respect the rights of service users while seeking to
ensure that their behaviour does not harm themselves
or other people
This includes:
4.1
Recognising that service users have the right to take
positive risks and helping them to identify and manage
potential and actual risks to themselves and others;
4.2
Following risk assessment policies and procedures
to assess whether the behaviour of service users or
others presents a risk of harm to themselves or other
people;
4.3
Taking necessary steps to minimise the risks of service
users’ behaviour causing actual or potential harm to
themselves or other people;
4.4
Ensuring that relevant colleagues and agencies are
informed about the outcomes and implications of risk
assessments in a timely and effective manner.
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13
As a social worker, you
must uphold public trust
and confidence in social
work services.
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Uphold public trust and confidence in
social work services
In particular you must not:
5.1
Abuse, neglect or harm service users, carers or
colleagues;
5.2
Exploit service users, carers or colleagues in any way;
5.3
Abuse the trust of service users and carers or the
access you have to personal information about them or
to their property, home or workplace;
5.4
Form inappropriate personal relationships with service
users;
5.5
Discriminate unlawfully or unjustifiably against service
users, carers or colleagues;
5.6
Condone any unlawful or unjustifiable discrimination by
service users, carers or colleagues;
5.7
Put yourself or other people at unnecessary risk;
5.8
Behave in a way, in work or outside work, which would
call into question your suitability to work in social care
services;
5.9
Use social media or social networking sites or other
forms of electronic communication in a way that
contravenes professional boundaries, organisational
guidelines or NISCC standards.
15
As a social worker, you
must be accountable for
the quality of your work
and take responsibility for
maintaining and improving
your knowledge and
l skills.
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16
Be accountable for the quality of your work and take
responsibility for maintaining and improving your
knowledge and skills
This includes:
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6.1
Meeting relevant standards of practice and working in a
lawful, safe and effective way;
6.2
Taking personal and, where appropriate, collective
responsibility for quality improvement and safety in line
with your job role;
6.3
Being personally accountable for your actions and able
to explain and account for your actions and decisions;
6.4
Maintaining clear and accurate records as required by
procedures established for your work;
6.5
Informing your employer or the appropriate authority
in a timely manner about any personal difficulties that
might affect your ability to do your job competently and
safely;
6.6
Informing NISCC and any employers you work for at the
first reasonable opportunity if your fitness to practise
has been called into question. This includes ill-health
that affects your ability to practise, criminal convictions,
disciplinary proceedings and findings of other regulatory
bodies or organisations;
6.7
Seeking assistance from your employer or the
appropriate authority if you do not feel able or
adequately prepared to carry out any aspect of your
work, or you are not sure about how to proceed in a
work matter;
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6.8
Ensuring that if there is a conflict between the NISCC
standards of conduct and your work environment, your
first obligation is to the standards;
17
18
6.9
Helping service users and carers to make complaints
where required, taking complaints seriously and
responding to them or passing them to the appropriate
person including your employer or NISCC;
6.10
Making service users and carers aware of your
responsibilities within the NISCC standards of conduct;
6.11
Being open and honest with people if things go wrong,
including providing a full and prompt explanation to
your employer of what has happened;
6.12
Co-operating with any investigation or formal inquiry
into your conduct, the conduct of others, or the care or
services provided to a service user where appropriate;
6.13
Working openly and co-operatively with colleagues and
treating them with respect;
6.14
Taking responsibility for work delegated to you,
recognising and working within the limits of your
knowledge, skills and experience;
6.15
Recognising that you remain responsible for the work
that you have delegated to other workers;
6.16
Recognising and respecting the roles and expertise
of workers from other disciplines and agencies and
working in partnership with them;
6.17
Undertaking relevant training and learning to maintain
and improve your knowledge and skills and meeting
NISCC Post Registration Training and Learning
Requirements in line with your job role;
6.18
Contributing to the learning and development of others.
Standards of Practice...
As a social worker you must be able to:
1
Manage your role as
a professional social
worker.
2
Maintain an up-todate knowledge and
evidence base for
social work.
3
Develop social
work practice
through supervision,
consultation,
reflection and
analysis.
4
5
Practise competently
within your area of
practice.
Engage and
participate with service
users and carers.
6
Assess needs,
circumstances,
rights, strengths and
risks in partnership
with those involved
and respond
appropriately.
7
Use social work
interventions to
manage risk and
improve outcomes for
service users.
8
Develop yourself
and others.
9
Practise in multidisciplinary and
inter-agency contexts.
19
As a social worker, you
must manage your role as a
professional social worker.
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Manage your role as a professional social worker
This includes:
1.1
Practising safely and effectively within the context of
your organisation, requirements of legislation and scope
of practice, being able to balance accountability and
autonomy;
1.2
Exercising authority and professional judgement as a
social worker within the appropriate legal and ethical
frameworks;
1.3
Managing competing or conflicting interests;
1.4
Recognising ethical issues, dilemmas and conflicts
that arise in the context of social work practice and
drawing on an appropriate knowledge base to inform
professional judgements;
1.5
Reflecting on the impact of your own values and
experiences on practice with different groups of service
users and carers;
1.6
Demonstrating social work values and principles,
including the promotion of rights, social justice, equality
and inclusion;
1.7
Prioritising and managing your work effectively;
1.8
Constructing professional reports that are analytical,
coherent and appropriate to the intended audience;
1.9
Maintaining accurate, complete, retrievable and upto date records that comply with applicable legal and
organisational requirements;
1.10 Maintaining personal and professional boundaries;
1.11 Taking steps to ensure your own safety where there is a
risk of harm;
1.12 Reporting any adverse events, incidents, errors and
near misses that are likely to affect the wellbeing of
service users or carers;
21
As a social worker, you
must maintain an up-to-date
knowledge and evidence
base for social work.
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R
t
s
Sup ofessio
e
n
d
o
i
Pr
s
H
n
e
o
l
C
b
i
s
d
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e
d
r
o
t
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p
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m
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o
Re
f
n
n
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o
s
r
d
p
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i
e
s
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c
i
a
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d
i
g
i
t
i
v
a
R
r
E
e
e
p
v
o
i
s
Co
gem
Inclu
22
Maintain an up-to-date knowledge and evidence base
for social work
This includes:
2.1
Taking responsibility for maintaining an up-to-date
knowledge and evidence base for social work practice;
2.2
Working within the legislative and policy context for
social work, including professional codes, standards,
frameworks and guidance;
2.3
Updating your knowledge through research and
evidence-based practice, to inform your interventions;
2.4
Applying evidence-based knowledge and skills to
practice.
e
e
t
a
n
io
ing
e
v
i
t
flec
e
t
a
r
de
e
l
b
a
i
l
e
R
d
e
v
i
t
pa used
c
o
f
hts l
ta
n
e
m
23
As a social worker, you
must develop social
work practice through
supervision, consultation,
reflection and analysis.
l
u
f
t
l
c
b
e
a
t
p
s
e
oun
R
c
c
s
A
s
a
t
p
n
e
m
t
o
e
p
C
r
e
w
Com e Open
o
p
m
E
iv
t
l
r
a
e
o
n
p
R
o
p
i
t
s
s
s
Su
e
e
f
n
o
d
o
i
Pr
s
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le
C
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d
r
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p
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o
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i
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i
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v
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i
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R
r
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e
e
p
v
o
i
s
u
m
l
Co
e
c
g
n
I
ud
e
24
Develop social work practice through supervision,
consultation, reflection and analysis
This includes:
3.1
Applying critical thinking to reflect on practice;
3.2
Integrating learning into practice;
3.3
Accessing and using professional supervision
appropriately in accordance with organisational and
professional requirements;
3.4
Using supervision proactively by bringing your own
ideas, suggestions and decisions for discussion;
3.5
Using feedback from supervision and other sources,
including service users and carers, to inform reflection
on and evaluation of social work practice.
25
As a social worker, you
must practise competently
within your area of practice.
l
u
f
e
t
l
c
b
e
a
t
p
n
s
u
e
o
R
c
o
i
c
s
A
s
a
t
p
n
e
m
t
o
e
p
C
n
i
r
m
n
e
o
e
w
C
p
o
O
p
e
m
v
E
i
e
t
l
r
fl
a
e
o
n
p
R
t
s
Sup ofessio
e
n
e
d
o
r
i
P
s
H
n
e
o
l
C
b
si
d
n
e
d
r
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t
e
p
n
s
m
e
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Re
f
n
n
I
o
s
r
d
p
e
i
e
s
P
c
i
a
t
b
r
a
e
P
c
s
n
t
e
e
h
v
d
i
t
ig
a
R
r
Evi
e
e
p
o
iv
e
s
o
u
m
l
C
e
c
g
n
I
d
u
e
j
iv
n
t
c
o
o
e
N
w
t
Eff
e
s
f
26
Practise competently within your area of practice
This includes:
4.1
Clarifying and complying with legal and organisational
requirements for your particular area of practice;
4.2
Fulfilling statutory responsibilities;
4.3
Demonstrating appropriate knowledge and skills for
your particular area of practice;
4.4
Adapting your practice to meet specific needs of service
users, carers, families, groups, and communities;
4.5
Developing your practice as needed to take account
of new developments, research evidence or changing
contexts;
4.6
Contributing to the continued improvement of social
work practice, services, policies and procedures within
your area of practice.
27
As a social worker, you
must engage and participate
with service users and
carers.
l
u
f
e
t
l
c
b
e
a
t
p
n
s
u
e
o
R
c
o
i
c
s
A
s
a
t
p
n
e
m
t
o
e
p
C
n
i
r
m
n
e
o
e
w
C
p
o
O
p
e
m
v
E
i
t
l
r
fl
a
e
o
n
p
R
o
t
s
Sup ofessi
e
n
e
d
o
i
Pr
s
H
n
e
o
l
C
b
i
s
d
n
e
d
r
o
t
e
p
n
s
m
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r
c
o
Re
f
n
n
I
o
s
r
d
p
e
i
e
s
P
c
i
a
t
b
r
a
e
P
c
n
t
e
e
h
v
d
i
g
i
t
i
a
R
r
Ev
e
e
p
v
o
i
e
s
o
u
m
l
C
e
c
g
n
I
d
u
e
j
v
i
n
t
c
o
o
e
N
28
Engage and participate with service users and carers
This includes:
5.1
Building and sustaining purposeful and situationappropriate professional relationships with service
users and carers which are person-centred and
inclusive;
5.2
Working in partnership to promote the active
participation of service users and carers in all aspects
of decisions and actions affecting their lives;
5.3
Supporting service users and carers to communicate
their views, needs and preferences, advocating on their
behalf where appropriate;
5.4
Where appropriate, challenging service users to
achieve their goals;
5.5
Clearly communicating your own and your
organisation’s roles and responsibilities;
e
e
t
a
n
o
ng
e
v
i
t
flec
erate ble
a
i
l
e
R
e
v
i
t
pa used
c
o
f
ts
l
a
t
en
y
h
t
r
o
29
As a social worker, you
must be able to assess
needs, circumstances,
rights, strengths and risks
in partnership with those
involved and respond
l
u
f
t
c
e
appropriately.
p
s
Re
30
u
o
c
c
A
t
n
m
te
o
e
p
C
Com e Open
p
m
v
E
i
t
l
r
a
o
n
s
Supp ofessio
e
n
o
Pr
H
le
C
b
i
s
d
n
e
r
o
t
p
n
s
e
e
c
o
R
f
n
n
I
o
s
r
d
e
e
s
P
a
b
a
e
P
c
n
e
e
v
d
i
i
t
v
a
r
E
e
e
p
v
o
i
s
u
l
Co
c
n
e I
ju
Assess needs, circumstances, rights, strengths and
risks in partnership with those involved and respond
appropriately
This includes:
6.1
Undertaking accurate, comprehensive and personcentred assessments in line with agreed standards and
procedures;
6.2
Assessing the nature, level, urgency and implications of
any risks identified in compliance with legal and other
requirements;
6.3
Making professional judgements about needs, risks and
protective factors to inform planning, while balancing
service users’ rights and responsibilities;
6.4
Challenging resistance in the interests of achieving full
information on which to assess risk;
6.5
Working in partnership with service users and carers to
prepare, implement, monitor, review and revise plans
to meet needs and circumstances, securing resources
where required;
6.6
Supporting service users and carers to connect with
appropriate resources and support to meet identified
outcomes.
e
l
b
a
unt ionate
ss
a
p
m
g
n
i
r
e
w
o
e
p
v
i
t
c
e
fl
e
st R derate
e
l
si
b
n
a
i
o
l
C
e
R
d
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or
v
i
t
a
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c
s
i
u
t
c
o
ar
f
s
t
h
g
e Ri ental
m
e
g
d
y
u
31
As a social worker, you
must be able to use social
work interventions to
manage risk and improve
outcomes for service users.
l
u
f
t
c
e
a
t
p
n
s
u
o
Re
c
c
A
a
t
p
n
e
m
t
o
e
p
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Co e Open
o
p
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v
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i
t
l
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a
o
n
p
R
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p
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t
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s
s
s
S
e
e
f
n
o
o
r
P
s
H
n
e
o
l
C
b
i
s
d
n
e
r
o
t
p
Res son-cen Inform
d
e
s
Per
i
a
t
b
r
a
e
P
c
n
e
e
v
d
i
i
t
i
v
a
R
r
E
e
e
p
32
Use social work interventions to manage risk and
improve outcomes for service users
This includes:
7.1 Having a sound knowledge
of a range of evidence-based
interventions and the ability to
appropriately select and apply
these to meet identified needs
and circumstances of service
users, families, carers, groups
and communities;
e
l
b
a
e
t
a
n
o
i
s
as
g
n
i
r
e
e
v
i
t
c
e
fl
Re
e
t
a
r
side liable
e
R
med ive
t
a
p
ici focused
s
t
igh tal
7.2 Coordinating and facilitating
a range of practical and
emotional support, based
on assessed need, to
complement the service user’s
own resources and networks;
7.3 Developing and implementing
risk management plans which
promote independence and
positive risk taking while
taking account of legal and
organisational requirements
and service user capacity to
make decisions regarding
risks;
7.4 Identifying behaviours and
environments that present
potential risk of harm or
abuse;
7.5 Reporting and investigating
harm or abuse in line with
regional safeguarding
procedures, using persistence
and assertiveness where
required;
7.6
Promoting and supporting
the safeguarding of service
users in collaboration with
multidisciplinary colleagues,
adopting the least restrictive
and least damaging plan
of action to guarantee their
safety and protection;
7.7
Being able to make a
professional case for
your assessment and
recommendations where
agreement is not reached
and there is the potential
for challenge from
multidisciplinary colleagues
and others;
7.8
Providing therapeutic support
to service users who have
experienced harm and/ or
abuse;
7.9
Disengaging in a planned
manner, providing service
users and other agencies with
information on the closure or
continuity of support;
7.10 Arranging for the transfer or
closure of information relating
to social work involvement in
line with agreed standards and
procedures.
33
As a social worker, you
must develop yourself and
others.
l
u
f
t
l
c
b
e
a
t
p
oun
Res
34
cc
A
ss
a
t
p
n
m
te
o
e
p
C
m
er
w
Co e Open
o
p
m
v
E
i
l
a
e
ort
n
p
R
o
p
i
t
u
s
S
es
es
f
n
o
d
o
r
i
P
s
H
n
e
Co d
bl
i
s
d
n
e
r
o
t
e
p
n
s
m
e
r
e
c
o
R
f
n
n
I
o
s
r
d
i
se
Pe
c
i
a
t
b
r
a
e
P
c
n
e
e
gh
tiv
i
a
R
r
Evid
e
e
p
v
o
i
s
o
u
m
C
e
cl
g
n
I
d
e
ju
v
i
n
t
c
o
e
N
Develop yourself and others
This includes:
8.1
Managing the physical and emotional impact of your
practice and developing personal and professional
resilience;
8.2
Keeping your knowledge, skills and competence up to
date throughout your career, proactively seeking out
learning and development opportunities that will meet
your learning needs and priorities;
8.3
Taking responsibility for your continued professional
registration and understanding what is required of you
by your regulatory body;
8.4
Contributing to the learning, development and practice
of others.
35
As a social worker, you
must be able to practise in
multidisciplinary and
inter-agency contexts.
l
u
f
t
c
e
spe
ntabl
Re
36
ou
c
c
on
i
A
s
s
t
a
n
ete
mp
p
o
C
g
m
n
i
n
r
Co
e
e
p
O
ow
p
e
v
i
m
t
E
c
or
l
e
a
p
fl
p
n
e
o
u
R
S
si
s
t
e
s
f
e
o
a
n
r
Pr
o
e
d
H
i
ns
le
o
b
i
C
s
n
d
R
o
Resp on-centre formed
t
a
Pers based In
p
i
c
ti
r
ec
a
n
P
e
-f
e
s
v
t
i
h
t
Evid
a
g
er
Ri
p
e
o
v
t
i
s
n
Co
e
u
l
c
m
e
In
g
d
e
u
v
j
i
t
rt
o
Effec afe Non
w
t
S
Trus
Practise in multidisciplinary and inter-agency contexts
This includes:
9.1
Developing and maintaining effective collaborative
relationships with professionals from other disciplines
and agencies;
9.2
Upholding and promoting the role and function of social
work when working in a multidisciplinary context;
9.3
Understanding the roles and responsibilities of others
and being able to negotiate respective responsibilities
and deal constructively with disagreements and conflict;
9.4
Making and receiving referrals appropriately;
9.5
Ensuring the timely and effective exchange of
information between professionals and agencies to
inform assessments and promote the safeguarding and
wellbeing of service users and carers.
nate
g
ctive
ate
ble
a
i
l
e
R
tive
ed
s
u
c
fo
tal
thy
37
Glossary
ACCOUNTABLE
EQUALITY
Being responsible for the
decisions you make and being
able to justify them.
Treating everyone fairly and
ensuring they have access to the
same opportunities irrespective
of their race, gender, disability,
age, sexual orientation, religion
or belief.
ADVERSE EVENT
Any event or circumstance
that could have or did lead
to harm, loss or damage to
people, property, environment or
reputation.
COMPETENCE
The overarching set of
knowledge, skills and attitudes
required to practise safely and
effectively without supervision.
DIVERSITY
Accepting that everyone is
different and respecting and
valuing those differences.
EFFECTIVE
To be successful in producing a
desired or intended result.
EMPOWER
To give someone the strength
and confidence to act on their
own initiative.
38
FITNESS TO PRACTISE
When someone has the
competence, character and
health to do their job safely and
effectively.
NEAR MISS
An unplanned event that did not
result in injury, illness or damage,
but had the potential to do so.
POST REGISTRATION
TRAINING AND LEARNING
REQUIREMENTS
These are the learning and
development activities you must
undertake to maintain your
registration.
PREFERENCES
A person’s preferred option or
choice.
PROMOTE
To support or actively encourage.
RESPECT
To have due regard for someone’s
feelings, wishes or rights.
RIGHTS
The entitlements that individuals
have legally, socially and ethically,
including human rights.
SERVICE USER
Any individual who receives social
care services.
WELLBEING
Enjoying a good quality of life
characterised by keeping well
and healthy, feeling safe and
secure, being able to participate
in purposeful activities and social
networks and realise one’s full
potential.
39
Produced by:
Northern Ireland Social Care Council
7th Floor, Millennium House
19-25 Great Victoria Street
Belfast BT2 7AQ
Tel: 028 9536 2600
Web: www.niscc.info