Nursing – The 6Cs

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Are you a health care professional looking to brush up on your skills?

Someone new to health care, looking to refresh your knowledge before starting your first day at your new job?

Or even a young student, set on pursuing a career in healthcare and preparing for a crucial university interview?

If any of these apply to you then keep reading, as we cover the ins and outs of The 6Cs!

The 6 Cs Explained

Any care professional whose job role involves looking after other people should always ensure that they follow the best possible practice at work. This would be represented by the highest possible provision of care and treatment, as well as ensuring that every professional works towards the same common goal – delivering high quality and compassionate care on the way to achieving great health and wellbeing outcomes.

To roll-out and maintain this high level of care, the NHS Commissioning Board developed a new strategy known as ‘Compassion in Practice’. This strategy introduces the concept of the 6CS, underpinning the strategy and the level of care that professionals are expected to provide.

Who do the 6Cs apply to?

There are currently around 5.8 million people working in the care sector, who should all be aware of this topic. The Compassion in Practice strategy applies to every care and support setting including:

  • Ambulances
  • Care homes
  • Clinics
  • Community services
  • Dental surgeries
  • Doctors/GPs surgeries
  • Homecare agencies
  • Hospices
  • Hospitals
  • Mental health services
  • Phone/online advice
  • Prison healthcare
  • Services in the home

Further to this, the 6Cs apply to all workers and volunteers within the following care and support settings:

  • Attendant care workers
  • Carers
  • Community support and outreach workers
  • Dentists
  • Disability support workers
  • Doctors, GPs
  • Home care workers
  • Hygienists
  • Nurses
  • Occupational therapists
  • Paramedics
  • Personal care workers/assistants
  • Volunteer carers

Why are they important?

The 6Cs were developed to help provide the level of care which must underpin both the culture and practice of all organisations that offer care and/or support, as well as quality social care provision. By providing a set of common values there is consistency created across all health and social care work, leadership, employees, and organization. This ensures that the patients and service users all receive the same high-quality care.

The Compassion in Practice strategy is a nationally implemented strategy throughout the UK for nurses, care staff, and midwives. As it was implemented, as significant amount of work through six action areas was triggered. These areas are referred to as the 6Cs and they work to promote high quality, person-centred care for all service users and patients. All of the individual Cs carry equal weighting of importance and this fine balance is essential for providing compassionate care. The 6 Cs are as follows:

What are the 6 Cs?

Care

Care is the core business of the NHS and that of their many associated organisations. The care delivered by NHS staff will help individuals and improves the health of the entire community.

Caring defines the NHS and their work, with those receiving care expecting it to be right for them consistently and through every stage of their life.

Communication:

Communication is central to successful and caring relationships, as well as to effective team working. Listening is just as important as what staff say and is it essential for ‘No decision without me’.

Communication is integral to a good workplace and brings benefits to care recipients and staff alike.

Compassion:

Compassion can be thought of as how care is given through relationships based on empathy, dignity, and respect. It could also be described as intelligent kindness and is important to how people view their care.

Courage:

Courage allows staff to do the right thing for care recipients and speak up whenever they have concerns. Courage is shown by staff having the personal strength and vision to innovate and embrace new ways of working.

Competence:

Competence for staff is shown by all those in caring roles having the ability to understand an individual’s social and health needs. It also includes having the expertise, clinical and technical knowledge to be able to deliver effective care and treatments based upon evidence and research.

Commitment:

Commitment to patients and populations should be a cornerstone of what the NHS does. Efforts should be made to build on the commitment to improve the care and overall experience of care receivers.

The NHS has a desire to take action and make this vision and strategy a reality for all, and meet the health and social care challenges ahead.

Compassion in Practice Supporting Policy

  • Hard Truths
  • The Cavendish Review
  • The Clwyd-Hart Review
  • The Don Berwick Report
  • The Francis Report
  • The Keogh Report
  • The NHS Constitution for England (2013)
  • Winterbourne View

The Six Action Areas

Action Area 1:

Assisting people to retain independence, maximising wellbeing and improving their health

Action Area 2:

Work with people to provide an overall positive experience of care

Action Area 3:

Deliver the highest quality of care and measuring impact

Action Area 4:

Build and strengthen leadership

Action Area 5:

Make sure that the right staff are in place, with the right skills, and in the right place

Action Area 6:

Support and provide a positive staff experience

Supporting the 6Cs, 6Cs Live!

If you are looking for support or further resources on the 6Cs, then the support group of 6Cs Live! offers just that. The group is targeted towards nurses, midwives, or care staff are committed to improving their standard of care provision. They do this through:

  • Offering a wide variety of ways to get involved, connect with other care providers, and share the improvements in which others have made in delivering the 6Cs
  • Helping to deliver the Six Action Areas by offering evidence-based tools, techniques, and best practice
  • Running a virtual 6Cs Live! Communication hub – available online.
  • Empowering care providers delivering the 6Cs to innovate and embrace new ways of working.
  • Supporting care providers in speaking up when they have concerns.

6Cs Live! Contact Details

You can find a whole host of resources simply by googling 6Cs Live! or by clicking on one of the hyperlinks below.

Facebook: Click Here

Youtube: Click Here

Twitter: @6CsLive