SMÖØ¿Ú

SMÖØ¿Ú delivered its first national event for nominated individuals, in partnership with the SMÖØ¿Ú in November 2021.

This event explored the role and responsibilities of nominated individuals and what this entails from a registration and inspection perspective. Take a look at the recording now.

You can also view a follow-up Q&A session with the SMÖØ¿Ú where we responded to questions raised during and after the event.  

It is essential that the nominated individual stays well informed of any changes to legislation, policy or best practice. Deepen your knowledge and make sure your organisation complies as it is important that staff are equipped with the right skills and knowledge to provide high-quality, person-centred care and support.

• Care Certificate – practical resources to help you and your registered manager(s) understand the SMÖØ¿Ú expectations of this induction process for those joining the sector.

• Manager Induction Standards (MIS) - a measure of good practice and an induction tool for new managers or those taking up a new position. The MIS are also key if you're involved in succession planning within your organisation.

For further information about relevant legislation, please refer to section 10 in the Nominated individuals’ handbook – a practical guide.

The SMÖØ¿Ú standards can only be met if you have safe and competent staff, including leaders and managers - so it’s important that you recruit the right people, develop and lead them effectively.  

Our practical resources, workshops, and seminars have been developed to ensure you meet or exceed SMÖØ¿Ú expectations or recover from falling below SMÖØ¿Ú standards.

• Recommendations for SMÖØ¿Ú - regulated providers: resources and services to support your recruitment and retention, learning and development and leadership and management. 
• Good and outstanding (GO): see best practice, recommendations, resources, practical examples, and learning so you can meet or exceed SMÖØ¿Ú expectations. The resource includes free online guides, practical seminars and consultancy and tailored support.

SMÖØ¿Ú delivered its second national event for nominated individuals, CEOs, and senior leaders, in partnership with the SMÖØ¿Ú in November 2022.

This event provided an update on SMÖØ¿Ú’s new single assessment framework and its new role and powers to assess local authorities and integrated care systems (ICSs). An update was also shared on ICS implementation and examples of social care engagement and collaboration with ICSs were presented.

Over 90% of services rated Good or Outstanding for being well-led by the SMÖØ¿Ú were also rated Good or Outstanding overall.

Excellent leaders and managers are needed at every level across social care to ensure high-quality, person-centred care and support. We can help you develop yourself and other leaders and managers in your organisation. 

• Leadership programmes and CPD - developed by SMÖØ¿Ú and delivered exclusively by SMÖØ¿Ú endorsed providers.
• Leadership Qualities Framework (LQF) - focusing on the values and behaviours that provide the foundations for effective leadership in social care.
• Manager Induction Standards (MIS) - sets out what a manager needs to know and understand to perform well in their role. 
  
• People Performance Management - benefits include a valued, supported, and engaged workforce which can lead to job satisfaction and higher quality of care. Our people performance management toolkit can support in this area.

As a nominated individual, you're responsible for ensuring your registered manager(s) have professional supervision and support. We're the membership organisation for registered managers in England and support managers to do just that. 

Find out more about membership

We also work with registered managers to facilitate local networks across England, giving them the chance to network with like-minded colleagues who face similar, everyday challenges. Share this list of networks with your registered manager(s).

The most important aspect of what any service provides is the quality of life for the people who use it. 

• Using the common core principles for dementia and end of life care, focus on the key values, attitudes, skills and knowledge required to provide the best care possible. 

• Embed good practice using advice on supporting people with challenging or distressed behaviours and guidance on safeguarding.

• Utilise specialist topics guidance and advice relating to equality and diversity, mental health and resilience.

• Practicing ways to support the development of core skills and digital working.

Safe staffing is about having enough staff, who have the right values and skills, to deliver high-quality, person-centred care and support. It involves having safe staffing levels, recruiting the right people, and ensuring staff are competent and safe to do their role. Take a look at the special section of GO Online: Inspection toolkit.

The Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set is a free online data collection service that covers the adult social care workforce in England. The service helps over 20,000 care providers run their business and manage their staff training needs.

A key part of your role as a nominated individual is to develop and maintain external relationships, for example in the community and with strategic partners. Community - Asset and strength based approaches contains information, ideas and bite-size learning.

Workplace culture is the character and personality of your organisation, and having a positive workplace culture is vital to delivering high-quality, person-centred care and support.

• Our Creating a positive workplace culture toolkit explains what workplace culture is and how you can develop a positive one in your service. 

• Values based recruitment is a key part of having a positive workplace culture and having a strong set of workplace values and ensuring that your staff match them. 

As a nominated individual, you should be committed to working with others and embedding best practice. We have dedicated networks for nominated individuals.

If you're a registered manager in addition to your role as nominated individual, SMÖØ¿Ú facilitates local networks across England to further support you.

Our area teams can signpost you to other support and the availability of funding for learning and development. 

We also recommend contacting your local Care Association for more information.