Use of anti-psychotic medication in care homes
Social Care Wales’
response to the
National Assembly’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
inquiry
Gerry Evans,
Director of Regulation
Social Care Wales
South Gate House
Wood Street
Cardiff
CF10 1EW
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1.
Social Care Wales
works with partners to make care and support better for people in
Wales. We have powers to regulate and support the training of
the social care workforce. We have a new remit to support
improvement and research in the field. Until 31 March 2017 we
were known as the Care Council for Wales.
2.
We have been
responsible for the professional regulation of adult care home
managers since 2011. In that time we have not received
referrals relating specifically to the inappropriate use of
anti-psychotic medication. However, we will continue to
monitor the situation. Should people or organisations become
aware of specific instances of registered social care workers
engaged in such practices they should contact Social Care
Wales.
3.
The Code of
Professional Practice for Social Care[1]
and The Social Care Manager: Practice Guidance for Social Care
Managers[2]
emphasises person centred approaches as fundamental to the social
care profession. These documents are the foundation on which
the regulation and training of social care workers and social care
managers is built. Both documents are used in assessing a
member of staff’s fitness to practice should they be
called before a Social Care Wales panel. The Practice
Guidance for Social Care Managers includes a specific section on
medication which reads:
“You must comply with the relevant law, statutory regulations
and professional guidance regarding medication. If you are
responsible for developing a medication policy and procedure this
should specify the circumstances in which a staff member may
administer or assist in the administration of medication. It should
include procedures for the safe administration, recording,
handling, safekeeping and disposal of medication. If you are
responsible for implementing medication policy and procedure, you
should ensure that the policy is adhered toby you and your staff.
You should address any concerns about the safety of the medication
policy and procedure or its implementation.[3]”
4.
The inquiry’s
terms of reference asks us to consider the “training for
health and care staff to support the provision of person-centred
care for care home residents living with dementia.” In
our view, it is vital that each care home is staffed by people who
are sufficiently skilled to provide person centred and preventative
approach to care. To support this aim, we have produced a
range of training materials. Furthermore, we are working to
improve the qualifications required to work in the care
profession.
5.
In November 2016 we
published the Dementia Learning and Development Framework for Wales
alongside NHS Wales. The new resource aims to change the way
in which dementia care is provided in Wales by creating a single,
shared vision for health and social care workers to provide the
best possible care and support for those living with dementia. The
framework has people with dementia at its heart and recognises that
people with dementia, their families and carers should all be
central to the care and support they receive[4].
6.
We are working with
Qualifications Wales on a new set of qualifications for health and
social care from 2019. These have a strong emphasis on person
centred care, with a specific pathway for the skills needed to care
for people with dementia. People who work in the care
profession will be required to hold these qualifications, so their
reform is a significant step. Person centred practice has
been strengthened in the revised induction framework for health and
social care. We will be conducting a consultation on the
changes to the framework in late spring.
7. We also produced a learning resource called Positive Approaches : Reducing Restrictive Practices in Social Care[5]. The resource aims to provide an understanding of how to work using positive and proactive approaches and reduce the use of restrictive practices in social care. The focus of the resource is on enabling and ensuring best practice using examples and scenarios for illustration. It can be used in supervision; as part of induction; training sessions; appraisals and to inform policy; protocols; audit; quality assurance and commissioning.
[1] Code of Professional Practice for Social Care, Care Council for Wales
[2] The Social Care Manager: Practice Guidance for Social Care Managers (PDF), Care Council for Wales
[3] Par 20, page 15, as above
[4] Good Work: A Dementia Learning and Development Framework for Wales, Care Council for Wales
[5] Positive Approaches: Reducing Restrictive Practices in Social Care Care Council for Wales