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{{org_field_name}}

Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

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Adherence to the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) Codes of Practice 2024 Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that {{org_field_name}} operates in full compliance with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers and Employers 2024, which came into effect on 1 May 2024 and replaced all previous versions of the Codes. The Codes set out the standards of practice and behaviour expected of social service workers in Scotland and the standards expected of employers of social service workers.

This policy also supports compliance with the Health and Social Care Standards, Care Inspectorate requirements, SSSC registration requirements, safe recruitment and PVG requirements, workforce development duties, and the legal duty to provide safe, high-quality care through appropriate staffing and effective governance.

This policy provides guidance on how {{org_field_name}} embeds the SSSC Codes of Practice into daily operations, staff conduct, and workforce development, ensuring that all employees meet regulatory expectations and uphold the rights, dignity, and wellbeing of the people we support.

Our commitments include:

• Ensuring that all staff understand and comply with the SSSC Codes of Practice.
• Embedding the values and principles of person-centred care into daily practice.
• Providing ongoing training, supervision, and development to support compliance.
• Encouraging a culture of professionalism, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Ensuring leaders and managers fulfil their responsibilities in supporting and monitoring compliance.
• Ensuring staff apply the SSSC Codes in practice, including through induction, supervision, team meetings, reflective practice, training, appraisal and performance management.
• Ensuring people who use the service and, where appropriate, their carers or representatives are informed about the SSSC Codes and how to raise concerns relating to professional conduct or practice.
• Promoting safe, high-quality care through appropriate staffing, competent staff, safe recruitment, PVG checks, SSSC registration monitoring and effective governance.
• Supporting an open culture where staff can raise concerns, report unsafe, discriminatory or inappropriate practice, and whistleblow without fear of victimisation.
• Ensuring staff understand their duty to report concerns about harm, abuse, neglect, exploitation, discrimination, unsafe practice, resourcing concerns, fitness to practise concerns, and situations where practice has caused or may have caused harm or loss.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• All social service workers employed or engaged by {{org_field_name}}, including care at home workers, support workers, senior care/support workers, supervisors, coordinators, managers and leaders.
• Workers who are registered with the SSSC and workers who are required to apply for SSSC registration.
• Agency, bank, relief, temporary, student and volunteer workers where they are carrying out duties within, or on behalf of, the service.
• Workers from other professions who may be employed or engaged by {{org_field_name}} and who must also comply with their own professional codes.
• Managers and leaders responsible for recruitment, induction, supervision, staffing, learning and development, conduct, fitness to practise referrals and regulatory compliance.
• People who use the service and, where appropriate, their carers, families, representatives, attorneys, guardians or advocates, so that they understand what they can expect from workers and how to raise concerns.

3. Legal and Regulatory Framework

This policy aligns with:

• SSSC Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers and Employers 2024, effective from 1 May 2024.
• Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001, including the SSSC’s role in issuing Codes of Practice for social service workers and employers.
• Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, which provides the framework for scrutiny and regulation of care services by Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland, known as the Care Inspectorate.
• Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011, including Regulation 4 on welfare of service users, Regulation 5 on personal plans, and requirements relating to fitness of providers, managers and employees.
• Health and Social Care Standards: My Support, My Life, which are rights-based, person-led and outcome-focused and are taken into account by the Care Inspectorate when regulating and inspecting services.
• Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 and associated statutory guidance, which require care services to ensure appropriate staffing for safe, high-quality care and improved outcomes.
• Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 and the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007, including the requirement for PVG scheme membership for regulated roles.
• Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000, including principles of benefit, least restriction, taking account of the adult’s wishes and consulting relevant others.
• Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007, where there are concerns that an adult may be at risk of harm.
• Equality Act 2010, including the duty not to discriminate and to respect equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Human Rights Act 1998, including respect for private and family life, dignity, autonomy, liberty and non-discrimination.
• UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, including confidentiality, lawful processing, data minimisation, accuracy, security and appropriate record retention.
• Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, supporting workers to raise protected disclosures/whistleblowing concerns.
• Relevant Care Inspectorate guidance, including quality frameworks, personal planning guidance, notification guidance, safe staffing resources and records that registered care services must keep.

3.1 Use of Previous National Care Standards

Any reference to the former National Care Standards must be treated as historical context only. The service will use the Health and Social Care Standards: My Support, My Life as the current national standards for health, social care and social work services in Scotland. The Health and Social Care Standards are rights-based, person-led and outcome-focused and must inform care planning, service delivery, quality assurance, staff practice and improvement activity.

4. Overview of SSSC Codes of Practice

The SSSC Codes of Practice set out the expectations for both social service workers and their employers. The current Codes are the 2024 Codes of Practice, which came into effect on 1 May 2024. They are a tool for public protection, continuous improvement, induction, supervision, team discussion, learning and development, reflective practice, conduct management and fitness to practise decision-making.

4.1 Code for Social Service Workers

All workers at {{org_field_name}} must work in line with the SSSC Code of Practice for Social Service Workers. This means workers must:

• Protect and promote the rights and interests of individuals and carers.
• Work with kindness, compassion and respect and treat each person as unique.
• Respect and promote people’s rights, views, wishes and choices, including their right to have control over their lives and make informed choices about care and support.
• Communicate with individuals and carers using their preferred method and language.
• Respect dignity, privacy, diversity, equality, identity, values and culture.
• Build and maintain trust and confidence by being truthful, open, honest, reliable and dependable.
• Respect confidential information and explain confidentiality clearly to individuals and carers.
• Declare conflicts of interest and follow policies on gifts, money and financial transactions.
• Maintain professional boundaries and form open, positive and safe relationships with individuals, carers and colleagues.
• Promote wellbeing and independence while protecting people, as far as possible, from harm.
• Report allegations of harm, abuse, neglect, exploitation, discrimination, dangerous practice or unsafe behaviour through the correct systems and within appropriate timescales.
• Tell the employer or relevant authority about resourcing or operational matters that may affect the delivery of safe care and support.
• Tell the employer, SSSC or relevant authority where their own or another worker’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 {{org_field_name}}, the SSSC, the Care Inspectorate or any other relevant authority.
• Recognise that individuals have the right to take risks and work with them to understand, assess and manage those risks.
• Maintain clear, accurate and up-to-date records.
• Prepare for and engage in supervision and maintain continuous professional learning.
• Work in a trauma-informed way, recognising the impact trauma may have on individuals, carers and colleagues.
• Uphold public trust and confidence in social services both inside and outside work.

4.2 Code for Employers of Social Service Workers

{{org_field_name}}, as an employer, must work in line with the SSSC Code of Practice for Employers of Social Service Workers. This means {{org_field_name}} will:

• Use thorough and safe recruitment processes to ensure that workers have appropriate values, attitudes, knowledge, skills and suitability for their role.
• Follow safe recruitment guidance, including checking criminal records, PVG scheme membership where required, relevant registers, references and gaps in employment.
• Provide workers with clear information about their roles, responsibilities, line management arrangements, communication routes, relevant legislation, policies and procedures.
• Lead, manage and supervise workers in a way that promotes kind, compassionate, rights-based and person-led practice.
• Promote diversity, inclusion, equality and individual rights.
• Ensure individuals and carers are involved in decisions about care and support, where appropriate.
• Support workers to continuously improve their practice and professional development while ensuring fitness to practise.
• Promote an open culture where workers can discuss ethical practice, professional boundaries, concerns, mistakes and learning.
• Seek and use feedback from individuals, carers, representatives, staff and other professionals to shape and improve the service.
• Have systems for workers to report resourcing or operational difficulties that may affect care and support and take action to address these with relevant authorities where necessary.
• Support workers to whistleblow where practice is discriminatory, inappropriate, unsafe or otherwise concerning, and respond appropriately to concerns.
• Support workers employed from other professions to meet their own professional codes.
• Report workers whose fitness to practise may be impaired to the SSSC or other relevant authority, following current guidance.
• Provide accessible induction, learning and development, role preparation and regular effective supervision.
• Support workers to meet and maintain SSSC registration, qualification and continuous professional learning requirements.
• Have written policies and procedures to protect individuals, carers, workers and others from harm.
• Ensure workers know the signs of exploitation, discrimination, harm, neglect and abuse and know the action they must take.
• Support workers affected by trauma, abusive behaviour, violence, threats, bullying, harassment or discrimination.
• Publicise and promote the SSSC Codes to workers, individuals and carers and provide information about how to raise issues relating to the Codes.
• Cooperate promptly with SSSC, Care Inspectorate and other relevant investigations and take appropriate action on findings.

5. Implementation at {{org_field_name}}

5.1 Workforce Registration and Compliance

• {{org_field_name}} will identify which roles require SSSC registration and will ensure workers understand the registration requirements for their role.
• Workers in roles requiring SSSC registration must apply for registration as soon as possible and within three months of starting their role, and must be registered within six months, unless a different requirement applies to the specific role.
• Agency, relief, bank and temporary workers must also be registered with the SSSC where they are carrying out a role that requires registration.
• Managers will check SSSC registration status at recruitment, during induction, during probation, before the end of the permitted registration period, during supervision, and at least annually thereafter.
• Workers must maintain their SSSC registration, comply with any conditions of registration, complete required qualifications and continuous professional learning, and notify {{org_field_name}} and the SSSC of any matter that may affect their fitness to practise.
• Failure to apply for, obtain, maintain or comply with SSSC registration requirements may result in management action, restriction of duties, referral to the SSSC and/or action under the disciplinary procedure.
• {{org_field_name}} will keep evidence of registration checks, renewal dates, conditions, qualification requirements and continuous professional learning records.

5.2 PVG Scheme Membership and Disclosure Scotland Requirements

• {{org_field_name}} will assess each role to determine whether it is a regulated role with children, protected adults, or both, in line with Disclosure Scotland guidance and current legislation.
• From 1 April 2025, workers and volunteers carrying out a regulated role must be members of the PVG scheme for the relevant workforce.
• No worker, agency worker, volunteer, student or other person will be permitted to carry out a regulated role until {{org_field_name}} has received and considered the appropriate PVG scheme disclosure.
• Where a worker’s role changes, or where a worker moves between work with children and work with protected adults, {{org_field_name}} will review whether a new or additional PVG scheme membership/disclosure is required.
• {{org_field_name}} will act immediately where PVG information, vetting information, barring/listing information, criminal record information or other suitability information raises a concern about a worker’s suitability to work in the service.
• {{org_field_name}} will follow safer recruitment, referral and reporting duties where a worker may be unsuitable to work with protected adults or children.

5.3 Learning, Development and Continuous Professional Learning

• {{org_field_name}} will provide good quality, accessible induction, learning and development opportunities to support workers to carry out their roles safely and effectively.
• All workers will receive induction on the SSSC Codes of Practice 2024, Health and Social Care Standards, safeguarding/adult support and protection, professional boundaries, confidentiality, equality and diversity, whistleblowing, complaints, record keeping, medication, infection prevention and control, moving and handling, health and safety, lone working, fire safety, data protection, duty of candour, incident reporting, trauma-informed practice and any role-specific procedures.
• Workers will be supported and prepared for new or changing roles, responsibilities, practice developments and digital systems.
• Workers required to register with the SSSC will be supported to meet registration conditions, qualification requirements and continuous professional learning requirements.
• Workers must maintain evidence of learning and development, including reflective practice, supervision discussions, formal training, e-learning, team learning, practice observations and learning from incidents, complaints and feedback.
• Supervisors and managers will review learning and development during induction, probation, supervision and appraisal.
• Where a worker does not feel able, confident, competent or well enough prepared to carry out any part of their role, they must inform their line manager and must not undertake duties beyond their competence unless appropriate support, training and supervision are in place.

5.4 Supervision, Appraisal, and Performance Management

• Regular one-to-one supervisions are conducted to discuss adherence to SSSC standards.
• Annual appraisals include reviewing professional conduct, skills development, and training needs.
• Performance improvement plans are implemented where compliance issues are identified.
• A culture of reflective practice and feedback is encouraged to support continuous improvement.

Supervision will include discussion of the SSSC Codes, Health and Social Care Standards, the worker’s wellbeing, learning needs, professional boundaries, record keeping, safeguarding, feedback from people using the service, any concerns about practice, and any resourcing or operational issues affecting safe care. Supervision records will evidence reflective practice and agreed actions.

Where performance, conduct, competence, health, wellbeing, professional boundaries, registration or fitness to practise concerns are identified, {{org_field_name}} will take proportionate action. This may include additional supervision, training, mentoring, practice observation, restriction of duties, occupational health referral, disciplinary action, referral to the SSSC or referral to another relevant authority.

5.5 Safe and Appropriate Staffing

{{org_field_name}} will ensure that staffing arrangements support safe, high-quality care and positive outcomes for people using the service. Staffing decisions will take account of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019, statutory guidance, people’s assessed needs, personal plans, risk assessments, visit schedules, travel time, staff competence, staff wellbeing, continuity of care, feedback, incidents, complaints and changes in people’s health, welfare or safety needs.

Managers will monitor whether there are enough suitably qualified, skilled and competent staff to meet people’s needs safely. Where staffing, resourcing, rota, travel, workload or operational pressures may affect care or support, staff must report this promptly to their line manager. Managers will assess the risk, take action to reduce the risk, record decisions, escalate concerns where necessary and inform relevant authorities where required.

5.6 Reporting and Addressing Concerns

• Workers must report allegations, suspicions or evidence of harm, abuse, neglect, exploitation, discrimination, unsafe practice, poor practice, dangerous behaviour, professional boundary breaches, confidentiality breaches, medication errors, record keeping failures, staffing pressures, resourcing concerns or any other matter that may affect the health, welfare, safety, rights or dignity of people using the service.
• Workers must report concerns through {{org_field_name}}’s reporting procedures and within the required timescales. Where necessary, concerns must also be reported to the relevant external authority, including the Care Inspectorate, local authority adult support and protection team, police, SSSC, Disclosure Scotland or other professional regulator.
• Workers must tell their manager, the SSSC or another relevant authority if their own fitness to practise, or a colleague’s fitness to practise, may be impaired.
• Workers must be open and honest with {{org_field_name}}, individuals and carers when practice has caused, or may have caused, harm or loss.
• {{org_field_name}} will investigate concerns promptly, fairly, effectively, confidentially and openly, while prioritising the safety and wellbeing of people using the service.
• {{org_field_name}} will protect workers from victimisation or unfair treatment when they raise genuine concerns, whistleblow or cooperate with investigations.
• {{org_field_name}} will make referrals to the SSSC, Disclosure Scotland, the Care Inspectorate, police, local authority or other relevant body where required.
• {{org_field_name}} will cooperate promptly with SSSC, Care Inspectorate and other investigations, including providing documents, attending hearings and responding to findings and decisions.

5.7 Promoting Ethical and Professional Conduct

• All staff are expected to adhere to professional boundaries and act with integrity.
• Employees must maintain confidentiality and respect privacy at all times.
• Staff must ensure their personal and professional conduct upholds public trust.
• Any breaches of professional conduct are subject to disciplinary action.

Workers must not:

• Abuse, harm, neglect or exploit individuals, carers or colleagues.
• Abuse trust or misuse information about individuals, carers or colleagues.
• Form unprofessional or harmful relationships with individuals or carers.
• Discriminate against individuals, carers or colleagues, or condone discrimination by others.
• Put themselves or others at unnecessary risk.
• Behave, inside or outside work, in a way that would bring their suitability to work in social services into question.

Workers must use social media, digital communication and personal devices responsibly and must not share confidential information, images, recordings or comments about people using the service, carers, colleagues or the organisation unless lawful, authorised and necessary for their role.

5.8 Personal Plans, Rights and Risk Enablement

Although this policy focuses on the SSSC Codes of Practice, workers must understand that professional conduct is directly linked to personal planning and safe, rights-based care. {{org_field_name}} will ensure that every person using the service has a written personal plan within 28 days of first receiving the service, developed in consultation with the person and, where appropriate, their representative, carer, attorney, guardian or advocate.

Personal plans will set out how the person’s health, welfare and safety needs will be met, as well as their wishes, choices, strengths, outcomes, communication needs, cultural and spiritual preferences, risks, support arrangements and any restrictions on independence, control or choice. Personal plans will be reviewed whenever needs, wishes, risks or circumstances change and at least once every six months.

Staff must use the personal plan to provide consistent, person-led and outcome-focused support. Staff must recognise that individuals have the right to make informed choices and take positive risks. Where risks are identified, staff will work with the person and relevant others to understand, assess, reduce and manage risks in the least restrictive way possible.

5.9 Involvement of Individuals, Carers and Representatives

{{org_field_name}} will ensure that individuals and, where appropriate, carers, families, representatives, attorneys, guardians and advocates are involved in decisions about care and support. Workers will communicate in ways that are right for the person, using preferred language, communication aids, interpreters, accessible formats or advocacy support where required.

People using the service and carers will be informed about the SSSC Codes of Practice and how to raise issues relating to worker conduct, professional standards or the quality of care and support. Feedback from individuals, carers and representatives will be actively sought, recorded, reviewed and used to improve practice.

6. Care Inspectorate, SSSC and External Compliance Monitoring

• {{org_field_name}} will cooperate fully with the Care Inspectorate, SSSC, Disclosure Scotland, local authorities, Health and Social Care Partnerships, commissioners, police, safeguarding bodies and other relevant regulators or authorities.
• Evidence of compliance will be maintained and made available where appropriate, including recruitment records, PVG checks, references, SSSC registration checks, induction records, training records, continuous professional learning evidence, supervision records, appraisal records, staffing assessments, personal plan audits, incident records, complaints, compliments, feedback, notifications, referrals and improvement actions.
• {{org_field_name}} will use the Care Inspectorate quality framework for support services, including care at home and supported living models, to support self-evaluation, scrutiny and improvement.
• {{org_field_name}} will carry out regular audits and self-evaluation to check whether the service is safe, effective, compassionate, person-led, rights-based and outcome-focused.
• Feedback from people using the service, carers, families, representatives, staff and external professionals will be used to identify learning and improve practice.
• Any requirements, areas for improvement, enforcement action, SSSC findings or findings from other standard-setting bodies will be reviewed by management and addressed through a recorded improvement plan.

7. Continuous Improvement and Best Practice

To maintain high standards and support compliance with SSSC Codes, {{org_field_name}} will:

• Use the SSSC Codes of Practice 2024 as a practical tool for induction, team meetings, supervision, appraisal, learning and development, reflective practice, conduct management and service improvement.
• Review practice against the Health and Social Care Standards, Care Inspectorate quality frameworks, safe staffing guidance, personal planning guidance and relevant legislation.
• Carry out regular quality assurance of personal plans, records, medication practice, safeguarding practice, incident reporting, complaints, staffing, supervision, training, registration and PVG compliance.
• Ensure improvement actions are recorded, allocated, monitored and reviewed.
• Learn from complaints, incidents, accidents, near misses, safeguarding concerns, feedback, inspections, audits, SSSC findings and staff suggestions.
• Promote a culture of openness, honesty, accountability, compassion, inclusion, trauma-informed practice and continuous learning.
• Ensure leaders and managers model the SSSC Codes and support staff to understand how the Codes apply in day-to-day care at home practice.

8. Related Policies

This policy should be read alongside:

• Regulatory Compliance with the Care Inspectorate Policy.
• Training and Development Policy.
• Safeguarding and Adult Protection Policy.
• Whistleblowing Policy.
• Disciplinary and Grievance Policy.

9. Compliance Statement

{{org_field_name}} recognises that compliance with the SSSC Codes of Practice is not limited to individual staff conduct. It requires effective leadership, safe recruitment, appropriate staffing, SSSC registration monitoring, PVG compliance, supervision, learning and development, personal planning, safeguarding, record keeping, feedback, complaints handling, whistleblowing, referral to relevant authorities and continuous improvement. The service will ensure that the SSSC Codes are embedded into everyday practice and that evidence of compliance is available for internal audit, Care Inspectorate scrutiny, SSSC processes and other regulatory or commissioning reviews.

10. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed at least annually or sooner where there are changes to legislation, SSSC Codes or guidance, Care Inspectorate guidance, Disclosure Scotland/PVG requirements, Health and Social Care Standards, safe staffing requirements, organisational structure, service delivery, inspection findings, SSSC findings, significant incidents, complaints, safeguarding concerns or identified improvement needs.

The Registered Manager or responsible person will ensure that staff are informed of changes to this policy and that any required training, supervision discussion or practice update is completed and recorded.

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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.