What is this Code of Practice for?

 

We are small and, in order to play to the strengths of our personnel and punch above our weight in impact, our helpers may wear multiple hats and perform different roles. The unique value of our service comes from its flexibility and responsiveness: the ability to tailor support to individual service user’s needs. Therefore, it is not the intention for this Code to confine helpers with strictly defined service and role definitions.

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By its very nature, there are blurred boundaries around the work that we do: the support that we give incorporates elements of counselling, coaching, advocacy and befriending. We employ a qualified nurse.

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This Code of Practice is to set out guidance on the boundaries of the service and the roles of staff and volunteers sufficiently to:

• ensure that we maintain safe and ethical practice; and

• make sure we keep focused and use resources wisely.

 

 

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Our Promise to our service users:

 

Carers Guernsey helpers agree that we will:

 

Put service users first by:

1. making service users our primary concern while we are working with them

2. providing an appropriate standard of service to our service users.

 

Work to professional standards by:

1. working within our competence

2. keeping our skills and knowledge up to date

3. collaborating with colleagues to improve the quality of what is being offered to service users

4. ensuring that our wellbeing is sufficient to sustain the quality of our work

5. keeping accurate and appropriate records.

 

Show respect by:

1. valuing each service user as a unique person

2. protecting service user confidentiality and privacy

3. agreeing with service users on how we will work together

4. working in partnership with service users.

 

Build an appropriate relationship with service users by:

1. communicating clearly what service users have a right to expect from us

2. respecting the boundaries between our work with service users and what lies outside of that work

3. not exploiting or abusing service users

4. listening for how service users experience our working together.

 

Maintain integrity and demonstrate accountability by:

1. being honest about the work

2. communicating our qualifications, experience, and working methods accurately

3. working ethically within our Code of Practice and other policies governing our practice

4. reviewing our work with service users in supervision and peer review

5. monitoring how service users experience our work together and the effects of our work with them.

 

 

 

We have shared our Code of Practice in full below. This is a 'living document' that will be periodically reviewed and updated. We hope that our service users, volunteers and other service providers find our Code of Practice useful. We would welcome feedback so that we can continue to improve.

 

Other service providers are welcome to adapt this for their own practice, but we would be grateful if you could let us know.