We often speak about the importance of social care workforce values at TLAP — the knowledge, skills, behaviours, and values that people working in social care need to have in order to provide good person-centred care and support.
In the Values and the workforce report, these key areas were identified:
- Respect
- Seeing the whole person
- Honesty
- Trustworthiness & reliability
- Kindness, compassion & empathy
- Courage & principles
- Flexibility
- Openness & willingness to learn
- Pride & positivity
At the heart of good person-centred care are the values held by the workforce. It’s the way those values are displayed in actions that people experience. With these values at the forefront of our conversations, I’d like to take this opportunity to share an everyday example.
The Chief Nurse Adult Social Care Awards acknowledge and reward the significant and outstanding contribution made by social care workers and nurses in England. They celebrate nurses and care workers who go above and beyond their everyday roles to provide excellent care, leadership, and inspiration to their colleagues and patients, and those who use services.
This year I took the opportunity to nominate Marcia — one of my carers who has been with me for seven years — for the gold award that recognises the enormous range of skills, expertise, and enduring compassion that modern nursing and social care represent. I’m delighted to share the news that she has won the award.
I always talk about Marcia when I’m doing my experience talks, she is a great example of excellent workforce values. She comes to my house at 7.30 am, not a minute after or a minute before, but exactly 7.30 am. I know she has a long commute involving two buses and two trains but when the doorbell goes in the morning I don’t even have to look at my watch, I know it will be 7.30 am.
Because Marcia is now so familiar with my needs and routine, we rarely need to discuss what needs doing — instead, we’ll just get on chatting about the news and getting me ready for the day ahead. This routine includes getting me dressed, and doing my skincare routine, checking for pressure sores, supporting me with physio stretches and preparing my lunch. She then returns at 7.45 pm for my evening routine.
She’s trained in things related to my specific needs — my hoist, and physio stretches for example. But not only is she very professional, she’s also now like part of the family…she even knew my daughter was engaged before my husband did!
She’s also able to adapt quickly to unexpected situations. On one occasion a family member needed to be rushed to the hospital for an emergency appointment. I was going through the usual morning routine with Marcia when I found out about the emergency. I just explained the change of plan to her, that we needed to drop everything and I had to leave as soon as possible, without hesitation or a question she just dropped everything and helped me get on my way so that I could drive my relative to the appointment straight away — this meant a lot to me because it meant I was able to support my family in the way I want to. This approach — marked by flexibility, empathy, and compassion — means a great deal to me.
Nothing is too much for Marcia. The outstanding care I get from her, along with my other carers, enables me to fully participate in family life and to be able to work and lead an active social life, and this deserves to be recognised. It’s a great example of workforce values in action.
