A good induction can help new employees feel happy and settled in their role and promote a sense of belonging to you and to working in the care sector.
Research shows that how we support new staff and volunteers can determine how long they stay. A well planned, supportive induction contributes to staff wellbeing, improving their confidence as they settle and helps new starters to fit comfortably and safely into your organisation.
Induction is a unique opportunity to share your culture and values and to set clear expectations of the behaviour, standards, and ways of working you want to see.
All new starters should have an induction tailored for their particular role, but with consistent quality. A good induction should be:
- compassionate – recognising the challenges new starters face, providing them with the support to enable them to succeed
- inclusive – recognising each individual, tailoring to their needs, and creating a consistent sense of belonging for all
- collaborative – providing opportunities for new starters to work with and get to know your staff, those you provide care and support to, and to understand their role in the team.
New induction toolkit
Use our new induction toolkit for social care managers to help you offer a robust induction to fully support new starters and ensure you create the right first impression.
Take a look at our recent webinar which shows managers and leaders that a quality induction doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to be planned and considered. Explore practical ideas to support new employees with an effective induction and learn how this helps create a positive workplace culture within your organisation.
Coming soon: National induction programme for health and social care
Skills for Care is working with NHS England to create a new free-to-access national induction programme for health and social care. The programme is 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 induction programme is intended to be used alongside organisation specific induction and doesn’t replace or duplicate the Care Certificate, Manager Induction Standards or formal qualifications.