Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the training provided to adult social care workers that undertake tasks delegated to them by NHS staff.

Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment to patients, which includes the provision of appropriate training for adult social care workers undertaking delegated healthcare activities. The regulated healthcare professional remains accountable for the appropriateness of the activity being delegated and is responsible for working with the adult social care employer to ensure staff are sufficiently trained and competent to carry out delegated healthcare activity.

The Department published national, voluntary guiding principles to support effective, safe, and person-centred delegated healthcare in May 2023. We work with Skills for Care, NHS England, and stakeholders to promote and embed the guiding principles and supporting resources, to ensure care providers and their staff receive the right training and support to carry out delegated healthcare activities.