Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

Assisting with Personal Care Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all personal care provided within {{org_field_name}} is delivered safely, effectively, compassionately and consistently in line with the Fundamental Standards under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 (as amended) and current Care Quality Commission (CQC) guidance. This includes CQC’s single assessment framework and related quality statements for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led services. The policy sets out how we will protect people’s dignity, rights, choices and independence while meeting our legal duties under the Care Act 2014, the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the Equality Act 2010 and other relevant legislation and guidance.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

All domiciliary care staff, including care workers, coordinators, and managers.
Service users receiving personal care services.
Families and representatives involved in care planning and decision-making.
Regulatory bodies, ensuring compliance with statutory and ethical standards.

It covers:

Definition and principles of personal care.
Service user consent and choice.
Safe and respectful personal care practices.
Infection prevention and hygiene.
Training and staff competency.
Monitoring and continuous improvement.

3. Legal and Regulatory Framework

This policy aligns with, and must be read alongside, the following legislation, regulations and regulatory guidance (as amended):

Health and Social Care Act 2008 and the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 (as amended), including the Fundamental Standards:
- Regulation 9: Person-centred care
- Regulation 10: Dignity and respect
- Regulation 11: Need for consent
- Regulation 12: Safe care and treatment
- Regulation 13: Safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatment
- Regulation 14: Meeting nutritional and hydration needs
- Regulation 17: Good governance
- Regulation 18: Staffing
- Regulation 19: Fit and proper persons employed
- Regulation 20: Duty of candour
Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009 – including requirements for statements of purpose and statutory notifications.
Care Quality Commission’s single assessment framework and quality statements for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led services, which describe what good care looks like and how it will be assessed.
Health and Care Act 2022, section 181 – mandatory training on learning disability and autism for all staff working in CQC-registered services, delivered in line with the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Code of Practice or equivalent training appropriate to role.
Care Act 2014 – promoting wellbeing, prevention and person-centred care, and safeguarding adults.
Mental Capacity Act 2005 and associated Code of Practice and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) where applicable.
Equality Act 2010 – preventing discrimination and ensuring reasonable adjustments and inclusive care.
Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR – for the handling of personal and special category data, including care records and information about personal care.
Any relevant national guidance (for example, from CQC, DHSC, UKHSA and NICE) relating to personal care, infection prevention and control and safeguarding.

4. Definition and Principles of Personal Care

Personal care includes assisting service users with activities of daily living such as:

Personal hygiene – Washing, bathing, oral care, shaving, and grooming.
Dressing and undressing – Supporting service users to choose and wear appropriate clothing.
Toileting support – Assistance with continence care, catheter/stoma care, and use of mobility aids.
Assistance with eating and drinking – Encouraging adequate nutrition and hydration.
Skin and pressure care – supporting people with skincare, pressure area care and continence management in line with individual risk assessments and care plans.
Medication support – Assisting with medication only where authorised and in accordance with the person’s care plan, our Medicines Policy, staff competence, and Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment), including clear recording of any support provided.

Key principles:

Dignity and Respect – Ensuring service users’ privacy and treating them with sensitivity.
Independence and Empowerment – Encouraging self-care where possible.
Personal Choice – Honouring service users’ preferences, routines, and cultural/religious beliefs.
Safety and Comfort – Adhering to best practices for hygiene, positioning, and risk management.
Reasonable adjustments and accessible communication – Ensuring that information and explanations about personal care are provided in ways the person can understand, and that any sensory, cognitive, cultural, language or communication needs are met, in line with the Equality Act 2010 and CQC’s expectations for person-centred care.

5. Service User Consent and Choice

All personal care must be delivered with explicit, informed consent. Our approach includes:

Seeking consent before each care intervention.
Respecting service users’ right to refuse assistance.
Ensuring decisions align with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 for those unable to consent.
Documenting all consent discussions and preferences in the care plan.

When there is doubt about a person’s capacity to consent to a specific aspect of personal care, staff must follow the Mental Capacity Act 2005 by:

applying the five statutory principles, including presuming capacity and supporting the person to make their own decision wherever possible;
carrying out and recording a decision-specific capacity assessment using the two-stage test;
where the person lacks capacity for that decision, making and documenting a best interests decision, involving the person as far as possible and consulting family, friends or any attorney or deputy where appropriate; and
choosing the least restrictive option that still meets the person’s needs and keeps them safe.

Staff must pay particular attention to how consent is obtained from people with communication difficulties, a learning disability, autism, dementia or sensory impairments. Non-verbal communication, behaviour and known preferences must be taken into account, and reasonable adjustments made so that people can understand and express their choices.

6. Safe and Respectful Personal Care Practices

To ensure safety and dignity, care workers must:

Respect service users’ privacy by using screens, closing doors, and covering exposed areas.
Maintain hygiene and infection control – Using gloves, aprons, and following hand hygiene protocols.
Use appropriate manual handling techniques – Avoiding undue discomfort or risk of injury.
Communicate clearly and sensitively – Explaining each step of the process and ensuring comfort.
Encourage autonomy – Allowing service users to participate as much as possible.
Follow the person’s risk assessments and personal care plan, including guidance on moving and handling, falls prevention, pressure area care and skin integrity, and escalate any concerns promptly.
Be alert to and immediately report any actual or suspected abuse, neglect or unexplained injuries observed during personal care, in line with {{org_field_name}}’s Safeguarding Adults policy and local safeguarding procedures.
Record personal care provided, including any refusals, changes in the person’s condition or concerns identified, in the care record on the same day, in line with our governance and record-keeping requirements (Regulation 17).

7. Infection Prevention and Hygiene

Hygiene standards must be maintained through:

Use of PPE (personal protective equipment) – Gloves, aprons, and masks where required.
Frequent handwashing and sanitisation before and after care tasks.
Proper disposal of waste materials including incontinence pads, gloves, and wipes.
Adherence to infection control policies, especially for service users with specific health conditions.
Carry out and follow individual infection prevention and control (IPC) risk assessments for each person, including any additional precautions needed due to wounds, catheters, stomas, respiratory infections or immunosuppression.
Follow current national IPC guidance (for example UKHSA or DHSC guidance) relevant to domiciliary care, including any outbreak management measures communicated by the local authority or health protection team.
Ensure that reusable equipment used in personal care (for example, hoists, slings, washbowls, commodes) is cleaned and stored safely in line with IPC guidance and manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Training and Staff Competency

All staff assisting with personal care must:

Complete and keep up to date with mandatory training in personal care, infection prevention and control, dignity and respect, safeguarding adults, Mental Capacity Act, and any role-specific training required (for example, moving and handling or medicines support).
Receive refresher training on an annual basis or as needed.
Be observed and assessed regularly to ensure competence and adherence to best practices.
Complete mandatory training on learning disability and autism appropriate to their role and responsibilities, in line with section 181 of the Health and Care Act 2022. {{org_field_name}} will use the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, or an equivalent programme that meets the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice.
Apply the knowledge and skills from learning disability and autism training when planning and delivering personal care, including communication, sensory needs, reasonable adjustments and supporting people’s rights.

9. Monitoring and Continuous Improvement

To maintain high standards of care:

Care plans are reviewed regularly to align with changing needs.
Supervisory visits and spot checks ensure compliance with best practices.
Service user feedback is actively sought to improve care quality.
Incident reporting and investigations help to identify and address any concerns.
Use audits, spot checks, supervision, feedback and incident learning to generate evidence that personal care is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led, and to map this evidence to the relevant CQC quality statements under the single assessment framework.

10. Duty of Candour and Incident Reporting

{{org_field_name}} is committed to an open and honest culture and complies with the statutory duty of candour (Regulation 20 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014). Where a notifiable safety incident occurs in relation to personal care (for example, avoidable harm, significant pressure damage, serious medication error or serious injury), we will:

inform the person affected (and/or their representative) as soon as reasonably practicable and provide a truthful account of what is known;
offer a sincere apology;
explain what further enquiries, investigations and actions will be taken; and
provide this information in writing and document all discussions and actions in the care record.

All incidents, near misses and concerns linked to personal care – including pressure damage, falls, medication errors, missed or shortened visits, complaints, and any actual or suspected abuse or neglect – must be reported immediately in line with {{org_field_name}}’s Incident Reporting and Safeguarding Adults policies. Where required, statutory notifications will be made to the CQC and the local authority.

11. Policy Review and Updates

This policy is reviewed annually or when:

Regulatory changes require amendments.
Feedback from service users, families, or staff suggests improvements.
Best practices evolve, requiring updated procedures.

This policy should be read together with the following related policies and procedures: Safeguarding Adults; Medicines Management; Infection Prevention and Control; Moving and Handling; Mental Capacity and Consent; Complaints; Incident Reporting and Duty of Candour; Confidentiality and Data Protection. Staff are responsible for following these policies when delivering personal care.

Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
Copyright © {{current_year}} – {{org_field_name}}. All rights reserved.

DC40-Assisting with Personal Care Policy