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{{org_field_name}}

Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

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Assisting with Personal Care Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide clear guidance on assisting service users with personal care in a manner that maintains dignity, privacy, respect, and independence. {{org_field_name}} is committed to ensuring that all personal care assistance is delivered safely, professionally, and in line with regulatory and legal requirements.

This policy is aligned with:

• Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 (“RISCA”).
• The Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017, as amended (including the 2024 Amendment Regulations, in force 31 March 2024).
• Welsh Government Statutory Guidance for care home and domiciliary suppliers (2024) issued under RISCA (service providers and responsible individuals must have regard to this guidance).
• CIW inspection framework and published ratings requirements, including the Regulated Services (Inspection Ratings) (Wales) Regulations 2025 (in force 31 March 2025).
• Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (well-being, voice and control, outcomes, co-production).
• Mental Capacity Act 2005, including lawful authority requirements for restrictions / deprivation of liberty (where applicable).
• Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010 (rights-based care, non-discrimination).
• Welsh Language Standards and the ‘Active Offer’ / “More Than Just Words” expectations in health and social care.
• Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR (confidentiality, lawful processing, secure records).

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• All employees providing personal care support at {{org_field_name}}.
• Service users receiving personal care as part of their care package.
• External professionals, family members, and advocates involved in care provision.

It covers:

• Defining personal care and the principles of care delivery.
• Legal and regulatory compliance.
• Dignity, privacy, and respect in personal care.
• Specific assistance with personal care tasks.
• Infection prevention and control.
• Risk assessment and safeguarding measures.
• Training and competency standards.

3. Defining Personal Care

Personal care includes, but is not limited to:

• Assistance with washing, bathing, or showering.
• Support with toileting, continence care, and catheter management.
• Oral hygiene support.
• Assisting with dressing and undressing.
• Skin care, shaving, and hair care.
• Support with menstrual care.

Personal care must be provided with consent, dignity, and respect, ensuring service users feel comfortable and in control of their care.

4. Principles of Assisting with Personal Care

4.1 Dignity, Privacy, and Respect

• Service users must always be treated with dignity, ensuring their rights, choices, and independence are respected.
• Staff should encourage service users to do as much as they can independently, providing support only where needed.
• Privacy should be maintained by closing doors, using appropriate covers, and ensuring only those required are present.

4.2 Person-Centred Care and Choice

• Personal care must be tailored to each service user’s individual needs and preferences, as outlined in their care plan.
• Staff must seek consent before providing any personal care and respect the service user’s right to refuse assistance.
• Cultural, religious, and gender preferences must be accommodated whenever possible (e.g., same-gender carers for personal care).

4.3 Consent, Mental Capacity and Best Interests

Staff must obtain the individual’s informed consent before providing any personal care, using the person’s preferred method of communication and allowing time and privacy for decision-making. Consent (or refusal) must be recorded in the daily notes.

If there is reason to doubt an individual’s capacity to consent to the specific care task at that time, staff must follow the Mental Capacity Act 2005 principles and:

• pause the task unless it is urgently required to prevent harm;
• take practicable steps to support the person to decide (communication aids, preferred language, involving someone they trust);
• where the person lacks capacity for that decision, ensure any action is in the person’s best interests and is the least restrictive option;
• escalate to the Registered Manager for decision-making/recording requirements and liaison with relevant professionals/representatives.

No individual must be deprived of their liberty for the purpose of receiving care and support without lawful authority. Where personal care arrangements could amount to continuous supervision and control and the person is not free to leave (or other restrictive arrangements are required), the Registered Manager must ensure appropriate lawful authority is in place and documented.

4.4 Communication, Equality and the Welsh Language “Active Offer”

Staff must communicate in a way that meets the individual’s communication needs and preferences, including cognitive impairment, sensory impairment, and literacy needs.

The service will deliver the Welsh language Active Offer: offering services in Welsh proactively, and providing information and support in an accessible format (e.g., large print, easy read, interpretation/translation, communication aids) without people having to struggle to ask.

5. Legal and Regulatory Compliance

To ensure compliance with CIW regulations, {{org_field_name}} commits to:

• Delivering personal care in line with best practices and legislation governing safeguarding and hygiene.
• Ensuring all staff are trained and competent before delivering personal care.
• Conducting risk assessments to protect both service users and staff from harm.
• Maintaining clear and accurate records of personal care tasks performed.

6. Assisting with Specific Personal Care Tasks

6.1 Washing, Bathing, and Showering

• Encourage service users to wash independently where possible.
• Support service users by providing stability, adjusting water temperature, and ensuring slip-resistant surfaces.
• Use sensitive, non-intrusive communication to reassure service users who feel vulnerable.

6.2 Toileting and Continence Care

• Maintain privacy and dignity by ensuring service users are comfortable before assisting.
• Provide discreet support with continence pads, commodes, and catheters where required.
• Staff must wear gloves and follow infection control procedures when handling bodily fluids.
• Catheter care/support must be delivered strictly in line with the care plan and any clinical instructions.
• Only staff who are trained, assessed as competent, and authorised may undertake catheter-related tasks beyond basic support. Where tasks are delegated by a healthcare professional, this must be documented and staff must work within their competence and the delegation plan.
• Staff must monitor for signs of infection/complications (e.g., fever, pain, confusion, foul-smelling urine, bypassing, leakage, blocked flow) and report and escalate immediately in line with escalation procedures.

6.3 Oral Hygiene

• Encourage independent brushing where possible.
• Support service users with denture cleaning, mouthwash use, and hydration.
• Identify and report signs of dental issues to family members or medical professionals.

6.4 Dressing and Undressing

• Offer choice in clothing selection to promote independence.
• Ensure the environment is warm and comfortable to maintain dignity.
• Support dressing in a gentle, non-restrictive manner, being mindful of any mobility limitations.

6.5 Skin Care and Grooming

• Assist with moisturising skin to prevent dryness.
• Support with shaving, hair washing, and nail trimming, respecting personal preferences.
• Observe and report any signs of pressure sores, bruising, or rashes.

6.6 Refusal of Personal Care

If an individual refuses personal care (in full or in part), staff must:

• respect the refusal and remain calm and non-judgmental;
• explore reasons (pain, embarrassment, timing, gender preference, cultural needs, fear, previous trauma) and offer alternatives (different time, different approach, different staff member where possible);
• consider immediate risks (e.g., skin breakdown, infection risk, continence-related harm) and seek advice from the Registered Manager if risks are increasing;
• record the refusal, what was offered, the person’s wishes, and any agreed next steps;
• where repeated refusal may indicate self-neglect or other safeguarding concerns, follow the safeguarding process and update the care plan/risk assessment.

7. Infection Prevention and Control

• Hand hygiene must be performed before and after assisting with personal care.
• Disposable gloves and aprons must be used when assisting with toileting, wound care, or other intimate tasks.
• All equipment (e.g., razors, hairbrushes) must be service user-specific and cleaned appropriately.
• Follow the Infection Prevention and Control Policy (DCW17) for full hygiene measures.

8. Risk Assessment and Safeguarding Measures

8.1 Identifying and Managing Risks

• Initial risk assessments must be carried out for all service users requiring personal care.
• Risk assessments should cover:
  • Mobility limitations and the need for hoists or grab rails.
  • Medical conditions impacting personal care needs (e.g., dementia, stroke recovery).
  • Signs of neglect, abuse, or self-neglect.

8.2 Safeguarding Vulnerable Individuals

• Staff must remain alert to any safeguarding concerns and report issues immediately to the Safeguarding Lead: {{org_field_safeguarding_lead_name}} ({{org_field_safeguarding_lead_role}}).
• Any signs of unexplained bruising, distress, or reluctance to receive care must be recorded and escalated following the Safeguarding Adults from Abuse and Improper Treatment Policy (DCW13).
• Care plans must be adjusted if a service user’s condition changes and their needs increase.

9. Training and Competency Requirements

• All new staff must complete training on assisting with personal care before providing support.
• Ongoing refresher training is provided annually, covering:
  • Best practices for dignity and respect.
  • Infection prevention and control measures.
  • Recognising and reporting safeguarding concerns.
  • Handling sensitive situations professionally.
• Competency assessments are conducted regularly to ensure staff uphold care quality standards.

10. Documentation and Record-Keeping

Staff must complete records that are accurate, complete, contemporaneous and factual, in line with data protection requirements. Records must clearly evidence:

• what personal care was offered and provided (including time);
• the person’s consent or any refusal, and how the refusal was managed;
• observations relevant to wellbeing and safety (e.g., skin integrity, continence issues, pain, mood/behaviour changes);
• any concerns, incidents, or escalation actions taken and to whom it was reported;
• any care plan updates required.

Where records are stored electronically, access must be secure and the system must provide a clear audit trail of entries/amendments.

11. Monitoring, Quality Assurance and CIW Compliance

The Registered Manager (and Responsible Individual where applicable) will ensure this policy is implemented through supervision, competency checks, spot checks and audit of care records.

Learning from audits, incidents, concerns, complaints and safeguarding matters will be used to improve practice and update care plans/risk assessments promptly. Quality monitoring will feed into the service’s governance arrangements and required quality reviews (at least every six months).

CIW inspections (and published ratings) assess services against themes aligned to the regulations and statutory guidance, including Well-being, Care and Support, and Leadership and Management (and Environment where applicable).

Where something goes wrong during the delivery of personal care that results in harm (or a significant risk of harm), the service will act in an open and transparent way with the individual and/or their representative, including an explanation of what happened, an apology where appropriate, and actions taken to reduce recurrence, in line with the duty of candour requirements.

12. Related Policies

This policy should be read in conjunction with:

• Dignity and Respect Policy (DCW08)
• Infection Prevention and Control Policy (DCW17)
• Safeguarding Adults from Abuse and Improper Treatment Policy (DCW13)
• Confidentiality and Data Protection (GDPR) Policy (DCW34)
• Mental Capacity, Consent and Best Interests Policy (add if not already in your suite)
• Restrictive Practice / Control and Restraint Policy (add if not already in your suite)
• Complaints Policy and Procedure (and information on advocacy / Llais signposting)
• Duty of Candour / Being Open Policy
• Welsh Language / Active Offer Policy
• Delegated Healthcare Tasks / Clinical Support Tasks Policy
• Lone Working Policy

13. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually or sooner if required by legislative updates, CIW guidance, or operational needs.

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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.