What are values?
Values are principles or standards of behaviour in care
Why are values important?
Values can guide everything we do in care
They help ensure we treat everybody equally and ethically
Values in Health and Social Care – The ‘6 Cs’
The 6 Cs are guiding principles of health care – Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage & Commitment
Care is supporting someone’s best interests and promoting their wellbeing
Compassion is having empathy for someone and being able to understand their situation
Competence is being able to understand what someone needs and having the skills to deliver it
Communication to be able to understand and adapt yourself to ensure you are understood
Courage is required to embrace new ways of working and speak out with concerns
Commitment is dedication to care work and understanding its responsibility
Person-Centred Values
Individuality
Individual needs, choices and values should be supported instead of a uniform approach
Choice
People should be offered choice and supported to make choices
Rights
Rights should be respected both by carers and others involved in care, including the right to be kept safe from harm
Privacy
Individuals have the right to privacy whenever they need it, and to have their personal data kept private
Dignity
People should be cared for in a way that support their beliefs & values, and not one that makes assumptions about them
Respect
People should have their views and beliefs respected, even if they are not agreed with
Partnership
Involves building a relationship of trust with other entities involved in care and family members alike
The Four Principles of Person Centred Care
Person centred care should put the individual first
Skills for Care sets out four key principles:
The belief that an individual can plan for themselves
Writing care plans in the first person to support person centred care
The individual has as much control as possible over the choices they can make
The plan is there to make the individual’s life better, not to fit them into an existing service
Changing Needs & Care Planning
As an individuals care needs change it becomes important to gain an understanding of their likes and dislikes – especially if their mental capacity is likely to deteriorate
It is best practice to draw up a brief life history to help understand how to make decisions which support a persons best interests
This is sometimes referred to as a ‘This is Me’ plan
