??The 6 C's of Care??

The 6 C’s are a collection of personal qualities and values which people working within the health and social care industry are expected to demonstrate when delivering care. They ensure the standard for healthcare professionals remains consistent and high quality.

1?? Care

The first of the 6 is care - it’s in the name! Providing support and care is at the heart of what social care professionals do. Individuals who receive care expect it to be right for them, and consistent throughout their lives. These expectations may change as life goes on, but as care workers it’s important to be able to adapt to these changes and provide the best care possible.

2?? Compassion

The second is compassion. Compassionate care is achieved by empathizing with individuals, treating them with dignity and respect. Compassion also extends to colleagues and other members of the community; everyone should be treated with respect regardless of their backgrounds. The way in which people perceive their care is a big factor in an individuals’ experience - if staff are compassionate and understanding, the individual is more likely to feel as though their care is of high quality.

3?? Competence

Competence describes your ability, skills and knowledge. Social care professionals must be able to understand an individual's needs. The carer must also have the clinical and technical knowledge required to deliver effective care and treatments. The knowledge required must be kept up to date, as new research is constantly being conducted. It is for this reason that social care professionals undertake CPD (continued professional development). CPD can be available in many forms, including personal training courses, workplace training or simply by reading up on new studies and trends within the industry.

4?? Communication

The fourth C is communication. It goes without saying that communication is an important element of every career, however, within the care industry you also need to consider how to adapt your communication methods, and consider the way in which individuals communicate with you too. Modern care and support is built around a person-centered approach, and you won’t be able to put that person first if you don’t listen or communicate with them. Good communication is also a vital skill for working well together as a team to provide the best possible care to an individual.

5?? Courage

The next C is courage. This works hand in hand with safeguarding, and allows care professionals to do right by the people they care for, especially in rare and challenging situations. Like any job, there can be difficult days so it is important to remain committed to improving a residents’ care. It also takes courage to speak up and raise concerns where applicable, and allows for innovations regarding finding new ways of working.

6?? Commitment

The last C of the 6 is commitment. Maintaining all of the above values takes personal commitment and dedication to your role. You need to be committed to each individual in your care so that they receive the high quality of support possible. Commitment also encompasses the need to continue working towards improving a residents’ care through research, feedback and experiences.

?? Do you see yourself reflected in the 6 Cs of Health and Social Care? If so, you could be the perfect fit for a role with us! Find out more about working for SKA Group Ltd, and if you’re interested, please do get in touch! ??