Health and Safety
What Are The 6 Cs In Health And Social Care
People working in health and social care in the United Kingdom have been using the 6 C’s of health and social care since 2012 and are obligated to provide care to anyone who requires it. The 6 C’s establish shared principles that ensure that all patients and service users receive the same high-quality care across all health and social care workers and organisations.It is the responsibility of all healthcare practitioners, including full-time and part-time.
It is the responsibility of all healthcare practitioners, including full-time and part-time.
These healthcare practices ensure that everyone is treated equally; thus, they are important in health and social care and are a legal requirement. In this blog, you will learn about the health and social care standards and the 6 C’s; also, get the answers to all your questions about What are the 6 C’s in health and social care?
Table of Content
The Health and Care Standards were created for all healthcare services, settings, and places. They provide a framework for identifying strengths and highlighting opportunities for improvement, which the caregivers can utilise to improve the quality and safety of healthcare services. When using health, social care, or social work services, the standards define what we should expect.
Everyone is subject to these standards. We are all entitled to the same high-quality care and support, regardless of age or ability. NHS Inform states,
“The Standards are built upon five principles; dignity and respect, compassion, be included, responsive care and support and well-being.”
Health and Social Care Worker Training
The term “standards” is used throughout this to refer to the headline results and the descriptive statements that outline the standard of care a person can anticipate.
The main results are:
- I receive excellent treatment and assistance that is appropriate for me.
- Every choice relating to my care and assistance has my full participation.
- I believe in those who assist and look out for me.
- I trust the organisation that cares for and supports me.
- If the organisation gives the space, I will experience a high-quality environment.
What do the 6 C’s stand for?
The six C’s stand for Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage and Commitment.
Jane Cummings, the chief nursing officer of NHS England, developed the 6 C’s in December 2012 to promote the culture and practice of health and social care organisations. These 6 C’s are considered the gold standard in healthcare. The 6 C’s were created to define the ideals that must drive the culture and practice of care and support organisations. These are easily recognisable as values that shape high-quality social care.
In 2023, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published a new report on the 6 Cs. The report found that there is still “a long way to go” in terms of embedding these values into the culture of health and social care.
Six C’s in Health and Social Care
The goal of introducing and promoting the 6 C’s in practice is to ensure that the job is completed promptly and effectively and that patients are kept safe and well-treated. The 6 C’s are designed to ensure that people are cared for with compassion and by capable professionals, communicate well, dare to make changes that improve care, offer the best, and are committed to doing so.
So, let’s learn about the Six C’s thoroughly.
Care
Care is the first and most important C of the 6 C’s. It is something that everyone should demonstrate in their activities. It’s also vital to note that people getting care will have different needs and expectations at different phases of life, so the care workers must change their ideas about quality care regularly.
Compassion
Compassion is a way of providing care based on empathy, respect, and dignity. It’s also known as “intelligent kindness”. It’s at the heart of how people perceive their care. Compassion requires consideration of an individual’s situation and needs.
Competence
Competence is assessing and evaluating skills and knowledge gained through experience and training. However, competence also refers to the required knowledge and understanding of the person or persons they are caring for. For example, having the proper people in your care organisation with the knowledge, talents, and skills to do their jobs in a way that ensures high-quality, safe, and compassionate care.
Communication
Maintaining clear, accurate, and up-to-date records on the people we care for, as well as ensuring that necessary information is communicated to the appropriate individuals, is essential for efficient teamwork and successful, caring relationships.
Courage
In the field of social work, caregivers can use courage in a variety of ways. It takes courage to make complex judgments or say and do the correct thing when the situation demands it. If required, act and voice any concerns about safety or well-being. When innovations improve care quality or safety, courage can also entail being open to adjustments and improvements.
Commitment
Commitment is a desire to help those who are most in need, as well as a desire to improve and provide the best possible care constantly. This dedication should be embraced by everyone in the care industry, from caregivers to managers and business owners. This dedication to improving wherever possible and providing the most excellent care and support should be applied across care services and, more importantly, at the level of each individual who uses that service.
To master the above 6 Cs of health and social care and advance in your career, consider taking the Advanced Diploma in Health and Social Care Worker Training. In this course, you’ll learn about health and social care, core principles, different areas, and how to use your skills in real-life situations. It will make you a confident and skilled health and social care worker.
Why 6 C’s are important?
The 6 C’s of health and social care are a set of shared ideals that should guide the provision of high-quality care and ensure consistency across the industry. Individual providers and the sector as a whole can contribute to guarantee that individuals who are being cared for are always the focus by adopting and embodying the 6 C’s of social care.
The 6 C’s were created to ensure that patients are cared for with compassion and care by knowledgeable professionals, communicate well, and have the courage to make changes that improve care. They can offer the best all day, every day.
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The Six C’s serve as the highest health and social care standards. They convey values that are very significant to the people seeking medical help. Individuals, families, and communities entrust their collective well-being to health and social care personnel. The six C’s ensure that the vulnerable and those in need of care receive the most outstanding possible care and live as pleasantly as possible.
The Six C’s of Care are concerned not only with patients’ physical well-being but also with their psychological and emotional well-being. The Six C’s look at every area of a patient’s health to ensure their overall well-being.
Besides, policies and procedures in health and social care are crucial because they offer clear instructions to keep people safe and well-cared for. If you’re in charge, it’s your job to make good rules for your employees. Read our blog to understand these rules and why they matter.
Which of the 6 C’s is most important?
Care is the most important of all the C’s. Giving excellent patient care can have a significant impact on health results. It adds to a more positive patient recovery experience and can help persons with serious illnesses improve their physical and cognitive quality of life. Caring can help build trust, meet the patient’s needs, promote physical and psychological well-being, and foster a sense of being in the healing process.
The World Health Organization (WHO) shared some concerning news about healthcare. They said that “Around 1 in every 10 patients is harmed in health care and more than 3 million deaths occur annually due to unsafe care.”
Conclusion
The government has set a standard for the people taking healthcare and the caregivers by introducing the 6 C’s. People who decide to take healthcare now know what to expect from caregiving organisations. It has also become more convenient for organisations to follow the standard as they know exactly what is expected from the people who decide to take care of them.
