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{{org_field_name}}

Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

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Staff Code of Conduct Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to define the professional standards, behaviour, and ethical responsibilities expected from all employees of {{org_field_name}}. The policy is aligned with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) Codes of Practice, Health and Social Care Standards (Scotland), and Care Inspectorate Scotland regulations to ensure that staff act with integrity, professionalism, and accountability in all aspects of their work.

This policy ensures that:

• Employees uphold the highest standards of care, dignity, and respect for the people we support.
• There is a clear and consistent framework for expected behaviours and professional responsibilities.
• Staff operate within legal and regulatory requirements to maintain compliance and best practices.
• Any breaches of conduct are identified, addressed, and managed fairly and effectively.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all employees, agency workers, volunteers, and contractors working within {{org_field_name}}. It covers professional conduct, ethical responsibilities, confidentiality, safeguarding, and accountability in all interactions with the people we support, colleagues, and external stakeholders.

3. Legal and Regulatory Framework

This Code of Conduct must be read and applied in line with the current legal, regulatory and best practice framework for care at home services in Scotland. In particular, staff must work in accordance with:

• Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers and Employers (2024), which apply from 1 May 2024 and set the standards of practice and behaviour expected of workers and employers in social services in Scotland.
• Health and Social Care Standards: My support, my life, which set out what people should expect when using health, social care or social work services in Scotland.
• Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, which provides the framework for the regulation of care services in Scotland.
• The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011, including the requirements relating to welfare, personal plans, records, staffing, fitness of workers, complaints and service quality.
• Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001, including the statutory basis under which the SSSC Codes of Practice are issued.
• Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007, requiring action to protect adults at risk of harm.
• Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000, requiring staff to act lawfully where a person has impaired capacity and to apply the principles of benefit, necessity and least restrictive option.
• Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013, supporting choice, control and involvement in how care and support are arranged.
• Equality Act 2010, promoting equality, inclusion and non-discrimination.
• Human Rights Act 1998, requiring services to uphold the rights, dignity, privacy, family life, autonomy and participation of the people we support.
• Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 and the PVG Scheme requirements, including the legal requirement from 1 April 2025 for PVG membership for anyone carrying out a regulated role with children, protected adults, or both.
• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and related health and safety requirements.
• UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, governing confidentiality, lawful information sharing, records and data security.
• Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, protecting workers who raise concerns in the public interest.

{{org_field_name}} will also have regard to relevant Care Inspectorate guidance, quality frameworks and improvement resources for support services, including care at home.

4. Professional Responsibilities

All staff must uphold the following core responsibilities:

4.1 Duty of Care

Employees must prioritise the well-being, safety, and dignity of the people they support by:

• Acting in the best interests of individuals at all times.
• Promoting choice, independence, and person-centred care.
• Preventing harm and ensuring safe, high-quality care delivery.

4.2 Maintaining Dignity, Respect, and Inclusion

Employees must:

• Treat every individual with dignity and respect, valuing diversity and equality.
• Recognise and respond to individual needs, preferences, and cultural backgrounds.
• Challenge discrimination and report any form of abuse or mistreatment.

4.3 Professional Boundaries and Integrity

Employees must maintain clear professional boundaries with the people they support by:

• Ensuring relationships remain professional and not engaging in inappropriate personal relationships.
• Not accepting gifts or favours that could compromise professional judgement.
• Avoiding conflicts of interest and declaring any personal connections.

4.4 Communication and Conduct

Employees must:

• Communicate openly, honestly, and respectfully.
• Use clear and appropriate language with colleagues, people we support, and families.
• Listen actively and respect different opinions while working collaboratively.
• Raise concerns professionally, following reporting procedures.

4.5 Confidentiality and Data Protection

Employees must adhere to GDPR and confidentiality policies by:

• Protecting personal and sensitive information.
• Only sharing information when legally required or with appropriate consent.
• Safeguarding electronic and physical records.

4.6 Human Rights, Consent and Supported Decision-Making

Employees must uphold the human rights of the people we support in all aspects of their work. This includes:

• respecting privacy, dignity, autonomy, family life, culture, beliefs and identity;
• supporting individuals to make informed choices and to have as much control as possible over their lives and care;
• communicating in a way that is meaningful to the individual, including their preferred method of communication and, where appropriate, their preferred language;
• seeking valid consent wherever required and recording consent appropriately;
• where a person has reduced or fluctuating capacity, acting in accordance with the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000, involving any lawful representative or advocate as appropriate, and applying the least restrictive option consistent with the person’s welfare and rights; and
• recognising that individuals have the right to take informed risks and working with them to understand and manage those risks lawfully and proportionately.

4.7 Record Keeping, Personal Plans and Information Sharing

Employees must maintain clear, accurate, timely and up-to-date records in line with organisational procedures, legal requirements and professional standards. This includes:

• recording care, support, observations, decisions, incidents, concerns, consent and actions taken promptly and factually;
• contributing to personal plans, risk assessments and reviews in a way that reflects the individual’s needs, wishes, choices, outcomes and any changes in circumstances;
• sharing information lawfully, proportionately and on a need-to-know basis;
• escalating without delay where records, plans or information indicate a risk to safety, wellbeing or rights; and
• never falsifying, omitting, backdating or inappropriately altering records.

4.8 Learning, Supervision and Trauma-Informed Practice

Employees must take responsibility for maintaining and improving their knowledge, skills and practice. This includes:

• preparing for and engaging in supervision;
• asking for support if they do not feel able, competent or sufficiently prepared to carry out any aspect of their work;
• completing required induction, training, registration and continuous professional learning;
• working in a way that is informed by an understanding of the impact of trauma on individuals, carers and colleagues; and
• listening to feedback from the people we support, carers, colleagues and professionals and using this to improve practice.

5. Compliance with SSSC Codes of Practice

All employees must comply with the current SSSC Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers. In particular, employees must:

• work with kindness, compassion and respect, and treat each individual as unique;
• respect and promote the rights, views, wishes and choices of individuals and carers;
• communicate in a respectful, open, accurate and straightforward way using the individual’s preferred method and language wherever possible;
• be truthful, open, honest, trustworthy, reliable and dependable;
• maintain professional boundaries and declare any conflict of interest;
• respect confidential information and explain confidentiality appropriately;
• report harm, abuse, neglect, exploitation, dangerous practice, discrimination and any resourcing or operational issue that may affect safe care;
• tell the employer or relevant authority where a colleague’s fitness to practise may be impaired;
• be open and honest when practice has caused, or may have caused, harm or loss;
• cooperate with investigations by the employer, the SSSC, the Care Inspectorate, police or any other relevant authority;
• work with individuals to understand and manage risks rather than removing choice unnecessarily;
• keep clear, accurate and up-to-date records;
• take responsibility for learning, development, supervision and safe delegation;
• work in partnership with carers, families and professionals from other disciplines, recognising their different roles and expertise;
• use feedback and complaints constructively to improve practice; and
• behave, in or outside work, in a way that upholds public trust and confidence in social services.

Any employee who is registered with the SSSC must also meet all registration requirements and must inform the SSSC and {{org_field_name}} of any matter that may affect their fitness to practise, where required.

6. Safe Working Practices, Safeguarding and Protection

Employees must act at all times to protect individuals, colleagues and themselves from harm and to promote safe, compassionate, rights-based care. This includes:

• recognising and reporting without delay any concern about abuse, neglect, exploitation, self-neglect, discrimination, coercive or controlling behaviour, or any other form of harm;
• following the organisation’s Adult Support and Protection, Child Protection, medication, lone working, moving and assisting, infection prevention and control, and incident reporting procedures;
• taking immediate action where a person appears to be at risk and seeking emergency assistance where required;
• understanding that protection work must be lawful, proportionate and the least restrictive option consistent with the person’s safety and rights;
• working with individuals to balance safety with independence, choice and positive risk-taking;
• reporting accidents, incidents, near misses and unsafe environments promptly and accurately;
• using equipment, PPE, technology and aids safely and in line with training and manufacturer guidance; and
• raising any staffing, scheduling, environmental or operational concern that may compromise safe or dignified care.

7. Reporting Concerns, Duty of Candour and Whistleblowing

Employees must raise concerns promptly where they believe that a person may be at risk, standards of care may be unsafe or poor, practice may have caused harm or loss, or a colleague’s fitness to practise may be impaired. Concerns must never be ignored, minimised or concealed.

Employees may report concerns through:

1. their line manager;
2. the Registered Manager;
3. the Safeguarding Lead or other designated senior person;
4. the organisation’s whistleblowing procedure;
5. the local authority social work or adult protection team, where there is a safeguarding concern;
6. emergency services or Police Scotland, where there is an immediate risk of harm or a possible crime;
7. the Care Inspectorate, where concerns relate to the quality, safety or conduct of a registered care service; and
8. the SSSC, where concerns relate to the fitness to practise of a registered worker or a person applying to register.

All reports will be taken seriously and responded to in a fair, timely and proportionate way. No employee will suffer detriment for raising a genuine concern in the public interest or for complying with a professional duty to report. Malicious or knowingly false allegations may, however, be dealt with under the disciplinary procedure.

Where practice has caused, or may have caused, harm or loss, employees must be open and honest, cooperate with any review or investigation, and follow the organisation’s relevant incident, notification and duty of candour procedures.

Internal reporting contacts

1. Verbally to the Registered Manager or Safeguarding Lead
2. Inform the Registered Manager by email: {{org_field_registered_manager_email}}
3. Call the office and inform the Registered Manager or Safeguarding Lead: {{org_field_phone_no}}
4. Out of hours phone number: {{out_of_hours}}
5. Online via our website: {{org_field_website}}

8. Professional Registration and Fitness to Practise

Where an employee is required to register with the SSSC or any other professional regulator, they must maintain that registration and comply with all associated standards, conditions and post-registration requirements.

Employees must notify {{org_field_name}} without delay if:

• they cease to be registered;
• their registration lapses, is suspended or becomes subject to a condition;
• they are referred to, investigated by, or made subject to findings by the SSSC or another regulator;
• they are charged with or convicted of an offence that may affect their role or suitability; or
• there is any change in circumstances which may affect their fitness to practise or ability to work safely.

{{org_field_name}} may make a referral to the SSSC or another relevant authority where required or where a worker’s fitness to practise may be impaired.

9. Dress Code and Personal Presentation

All employees must maintain a professional appearance in line with organisational expectations. This includes:

• Wearing appropriate uniform or attire as designated by {{org_field_name}}.
• Keeping clothing clean and presentable.
• Maintaining good personal hygiene.
• Wearing identification badges at all times.

• Employees must follow infection prevention and control requirements relating to uniform, jewellery, nails, hair and personal protective equipment.
• Employees must not present for work under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs, or any substance that may impair judgement, performance or safety.

10. Use of Social Media, Digital Communication and Online Conduct

Employees must use social media, messaging platforms, email, mobile phones and other digital tools in a professional, lawful and respectful way. Employees must not:

• post, share or discuss confidential, identifying or work-related information inappropriately;
• take, store or transmit photographs, video or audio of people we support, their homes, records or medications except where expressly authorised and lawful;
• use personal phones, personal email or personal social media accounts to communicate with people we support or their relatives unless specifically authorised by organisational policy;
• form online relationships that blur professional boundaries, including personal friend requests or inappropriate private messaging; or
• post content, whether in or outside work, that may amount to bullying, harassment, discrimination, abuse, hate speech or conduct likely to undermine trust and confidence in the service or profession.

Any authorised digital communication must be professional, secure, proportionate and recorded where required by policy.

11. Accountability and Consequences of Misconduct

Failure to comply with this Code of Conduct, associated policies, professional standards or legal requirements may result in action being taken. This may include:

• informal management action, reflective discussion or supervision;
• formal capability or disciplinary action;
• restriction of duties or temporary redeployment where appropriate;
• referral to the SSSC or another professional or regulatory body;
• referral to the Care Inspectorate, local authority, Disclosure Scotland, police or other authority where appropriate;
• dismissal in cases of serious or repeated misconduct; and
• civil or criminal action where applicable.

Examples of misconduct include, but are not limited to, abuse, neglect, exploitation, discrimination, breach of confidentiality, falsification of records, failure to report safeguarding concerns, inappropriate relationships or gifts, unsafe practice, dishonesty, misuse of medication systems, serious digital misconduct, and conduct inside or outside work that calls suitability to work in social services into question.

12. Supporting Staff to Uphold Conduct Standards

To ensure employees can meet these standards, {{org_field_name}} provides:

• Ongoing training on ethics, professional conduct, and safeguarding.
• Regular supervision meetings to discuss conduct and performance.
• Confidential support for employees who face challenges in meeting conduct expectations.
• Clear policies and reporting procedures for raising concerns.

13. Related Policies

This policy should be read alongside:

• Safeguarding and Protection Policy
• Training and Continuing Professional Development Policy
• Whistleblowing Policy
• Data Protection and Confidentiality Policy
• Health and Safety Policy

14. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed at least annually and sooner where there are changes to legislation, SSSC Codes of Practice, Care Inspectorate requirements, Disclosure Scotland/PVG requirements, national standards, or organisational practice. Any amendments will be communicated to all staff and relevant stakeholders.

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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.