Health and social care workforce

Guidance and services

• Post registration career framework for nurses
  The different roles and career support available for nurses in the NHS.
• Preceptorship guidelines for ward sisters and charge nurses
  Processes to follow for new ward sisters and charge nurses.
• NHS dress code
  Guidance on the dress code for all NHS staff.
• Guide to consent for examination or treatment: revised guidance (WHC/2017/036)
  Letter to NHS staff to introduce revised guidance on obtaining consent from patients.
• Patient safety incidents (WHC/2018/012)
  How and when to report patient safety incidents (never events).
• Sensory loss communication needs: data standards (WHC/2018/030)
  How to record the communication needs of people with sensory loss.
• Accessible communication and information standards in healthcare
  How to make it easier for people with sensory loss to access healthcare services.
• Welsh language in health care: guidance for staff
  Advice to help you provide health services to patients in Welsh.
• Welsh language in social care: guidance for staff
  Advice to help you provide social care and social services to patients in Welsh.
• NHS Wales peer review (WHC/2017/037)
  Letter to NHS staff to introduce guidance about a peer review framework.
• Nursing and midwifery: enabling professionalism
  Professional standards and behaviour for nurses and midwives.
• Working in social care in Wales: guidance for foreign nationals
  Explains how to apply to work in social care in Wales if you are not a UK citizen.
• Employing foreign nationals in social care (Health and Care Worker visa)
  Learn how foreign workers can get work in social care in the UK under the health and care worker visa.
• National workforce implementation plan
  Our plan to meet the challenges facing the NHS Wales workforce.
• Employing people from Ukraine and refugees in social care: resource for providers
  Resource for social care providers supporting refugees to work in social care.
• Real Living Wage for social care workers: guidance
  How local authorities and health boards should implement the Real Living Wage.
• 'More than just words' Welsh language awareness course (WHC/2022/028)
  Promoting the use of Welsh language services in health and social care.
• Employing international students and graduates in social care
  Find out how international students and graduates can work in social care in Wales.
• NHS Wales speaking up safely framework
  An outline of the needs and expectations of NHS Wales organisations in supporting all staff to 'speak up safely'.
• Protocol for dealing with violence and aggression towards NHS staff (WHC/2021/012)
  Implementation guidelines for an agreed approach across NHS organisations to improve staff safety.
• NHS Wales speaking up safely framework (WHC/2023/036)
  Letter to NHS Wales organisations on the publication of the NHS workforce Speaking up Safely Framework.
• Delegating third party tasks (WHC/2016/025)
  Guidance to support the delegation of health tasks by NHS health professionals to non NHS health and social care support staff.
• Never events: policy and incident list July 2022 (WHC/2022/020)
  How and when to report 'never events'.
• Commencement of the Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement) (Wales) Act 2020 (WHC/2023/06)
  A letter to health workers on the Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement) (Wales) Act 2020 that will commence on 1 April 2023.

Policy and background Includes strategy, reports, projects and assessments.

• Chief health professionals
  Policy and strategy
  Our chief health professionals are leaders in their profession and provide expert advice.
• A strategy for nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses
  Policy and strategy
  How we will help nurses and midwives provide better care for patients.
• NHS Wales staff survey 2018: report
  Report
  Results of the annual survey that asks staff about their experience of working for the health service.
• Health professional education investment: report
  Report
  Proposals for a new single body to oversee NHS workforce training and planning.
• Allied Health Professions (AHP) Framework
  Policy and strategy
  Welsh Allied Health Professions (AHP) Committee
  How AHPs will work in partnership with people to help them lead longer, healthier and happier lives for as long as possible.
• Allied health profession (AHP) careers framework
  Policy and strategy
  Guidance for AHPs to facilitate professional, clinical educational and leadership development.
• The Real Living Wage for social care workers: integrated impact assessment
  Impact assessment
  We assessed how the Real Living Wage for social care workers will affect a number of areas. These include equality, children’s rights, health, the environment, and the Welsh language.
• Additional payment for social care workers aligned to the Real Living Wage: impact assessment
  Impact assessment
  How the additional payment will impact on different areas.
• Social Care Fair Work Forum: annual progress update 2023
  Report
  Social Care Fair Work Forum
  The Forum’s progress against its fair work priorities in the social care sector during 2021 and 2022.
• Social Care Fair Work Forum: position statement
  Policy and strategy
  Social Care Fair Work Forum
  This statement sets out the Social Care Fair Work Forum’s vision for fair work in the social care sector.
• More than just words: Welsh language plan in health and social care
  Policy and strategy
  How we will embed the Welsh language in health and social care so that people can access the care that they deserve and require.