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Best practice in health and social care means delivering care that consistently meets or exceeds evidence-based standards, promotes dignity and is centred on the individual. This guide explains what best practice means in the sector and how providers can achieve it.
Best practice in health and social care refers to the methods, approaches and standards that have been shown through evidence and experience to produce the best outcomes for people who use services. It is defined by bodies including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) and professional bodies such as the Royal College of Nursing. Best practice encompasses clinical care, safeguarding, person-centred approaches, dignity and respect, communication, record-keeping, medication management and many other dimensions of care delivery.
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Best practice in health and social care requires: care planning that is genuinely person-centred and based on thorough assessment of individual needs and preferences; consistent delivery of care in line with the plan, with regular review and updating as needs change; communication with service users that respects their dignity, supports their autonomy and enables meaningful participation in decisions about their care; accurate and timely record-keeping; safe medication management; proactive safeguarding; and a commitment to learning and improvement when things go wrong.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produces evidence-based guidance on best practice across a wide range of health and care conditions. NICE guidance is not legally mandated for social care providers in the same way as for NHS organisations, but it represents the gold standard of evidence-based practice and is used by CQC, commissioners and providers as a reference point for what good care looks like. Providers that can demonstrate knowledge of and adherence to relevant NICE guidance demonstrate commitment to best practice.
Person-centred care is a cornerstone of best practice in health and social care. It means tailoring care to the individual, understanding their preferences, values, history and goals, involving them meaningfully in decisions about their care and treating them as a whole person rather than a collection of care needs. Person-centred care requires staff who listen, who take time to know the people they support and who are empowered to deliver care flexibly in response to individual needs.
Delivering care with dignity and respect is a fundamental principle of best practice and is embedded in the CQC Fundamental Standards. Dignity in care means treating people as individuals, maintaining their privacy, communicating respectfully, supporting their independence wherever possible and ensuring that care is delivered in a way that enhances rather than diminishes the person’s sense of self and wellbeing. Challenges to dignity in care include rush, disrespectful language, lack of privacy and failure to listen.
Best practice organisations have robust processes for learning from incidents, complaints and feedback. When things go wrong, best practice requires open disclosure to the person affected, thorough investigation to understand what happened and why, implementation of changes to prevent recurrence and sharing of learning across the organisation. The duty of candour, introduced as a CQC Fundamental Standard, requires providers to be open and transparent with people about things that go wrong in their care.
Care agencies can support best practice by supplying workers who have the training, experience and values needed to deliver care to a high standard. Agencies that invest in their workers’ development, that understand best practice in care delivery and that can supply staff who are genuinely skilled and values-aligned contribute positively to the quality of care delivered by the providers they serve.
For related information see our articles on Compliance in Health and Social Care and Good Staffing in Health and Social Care.
Best practice in health and social care refers to the methods and approaches that produce the best outcomes for people who use services. It is defined by evidence, expert guidance from bodies including NICE and SCIE, professional standards and the principles of person-centred, dignified and safe care. CQC assesses how closely providers align with best practice through their inspection framework.
NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) produces evidence-based guidance on best practice across a wide range of health and care topics. For social care providers, NICE guidance is not legally mandated but is used as a reference point for best practice by CQC, commissioners and providers. Demonstrating knowledge of and adherence to relevant NICE guidance is a positive indicator of commitment to evidence-based care.
CQC assesses best practice through the Well-Led and Effective domains of its inspection framework. Inspectors look for evidence of person-centred care planning and delivery, consistent application of best practice approaches, use of evidence-based guidance, learning from incidents and feedback and a culture that prioritises quality and continuous improvement. Outstanding ratings are typically given to providers that go beyond meeting minimum requirements to deliver genuinely exemplary care.
Visit our Health and Social Care Agency Resource Hub for more guides on staffing, compliance, CQC standards, agency costs and how to choose the right care agency for your organisation.
The information in this article is provided for general guidance only and does not constitute legal, regulatory or professional advice. Regulations, rates and compliance requirements change: always verify current requirements with the relevant regulatory body. SENDhelp Education Limited accepts no responsibility or liability for any loss or damage arising from reliance on this content. Any links to third-party websites are provided for convenience only and do not constitute endorsement of their content.
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