Skills for Care debut their new induction toolkit, intended to support social care employers in delivering an effective induction for new starters.
Induction is a critical part of social care puzzle if we want to keep the right people working in the sector for longer. Research suggests that how we induct new staff impacts how likely they are to remain with your organisation. It’s important that people feel welcomed and confident in their ability to do their job right from day one.
Not only do effective inductions support with staff retention, which saves you time and money, but they also lead to higher quality care and better CQC ratings. To support your organisation plan, design and improve your current induction, Skills for Care have developed a new induction toolkit. Packed with information about what to include when and fully adaptable checklists to download, this is an easy to build guide to induction, making sure you don’t miss anything that can make the difference for your new starter.
This new toolkit will help managers plan and deliver a supportive and inclusive induction for new starters at all levels across all types of roles in adult social care.
What will be included in the toolkit?
What exactly will be needed during an induction will vary between organisations and roles, but all effective inductions share several common elements. This includes making sure new starters feel included, being on-hand to provide regular support, and ensuring they have the knowledge and resources they need to do their job effectively and support your organisation to deliver a safe, responsive and well-led service.
The toolkit is a collection of informational resources that aim to outline what a good induction looks like within a social care setting. It draws heavily on what providers have told us works best for them.
It makes recommendations for managers around what to do before your new starter joins, into week one and over the following months. It includes handy tools, such as checklists and guidance on creating an induction plan, to ensure you’re giving your new member of staff everything they need during their initial period. The toolkit also includes guidance on how to consider all aspects of inclusion, race, gender and neurodiversity during induction.
Jane Borland, Care Manager at Rathgar Care Home, says: “They provide a one-stop to everything we need to do… I also love that you have given us the documents to use so we are not having to go away and put one together. Really comprehensive.”
You’ll find the toolkit at www.skillsforcare.org.uk/induction
Coming soon!
Skills for Care is working with NHS England to create a new free-to-access national induction programme for health and social care. It’s designed to support and equip new starters with a clear understanding of health and social care, helping to build a sense of belonging and support retention.
The resources have been developed following the Messenger review (2022), which sought to improve leadership and management practices across health and social care in England while also aiding new members of staff to better understand what is expected of them.
