A code of conduct and practice for workers and employers involved in social care has been launched with the aim of ensuring that high ­standards are reached and ­maintained.

The two complementary codes - one for social service workers and the other for their employers - are a key step towards the regulation of social care through the licensing of service providers and the regulation of people working in the area, Kenneth Grech, director of the Department for Social Welfare Standards, said.

Speaking during the launch of the codes, contained in one booklet, Dr Grech explained that the Code of Conduct and Practice for Employers of Social Service Workers set down the responsibilities of employers towards workers and required that they adhere to standards, support workers in abiding by their own code and take appropriate action when they do not meet the expected standards.

Employer responsibilities also include ensuring that employees are suitable for the job and understand their role, providing training and development opportunities for employees and having written policies in place.

The code contains a list of statements that describe the standards of professional conduct and practice required.

Workers are urged to protect the rights and promote interests of service users and their families, uphold public trust and confidence in social care services, be accountable for the quality of their work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving their knowledge and skills.

Dr Grech said the codes will also benefit the public, or service users, who will now know what standards to expect in terms of social care.

While stressing that this is not a law, and that the codes are not intended to be disciplinary in nature, he said the department would take into account the standards listed when considering issues of misconduct and when making decisions.

The department encouraged ­service users who had complaints to first direct them to the service provider. If they were not pleased with the outcome, they would then go to the department that would investigate.

Following the launch, a series of seminars and conferences will be held with the aim of helping people to familiarise themselves with the code. The next step would then be to move towards a legal framework.

The Minister for Family and Social Solidarity, Dolores Cristina, under whom the department falls, said social policy was not solely based on social benefits but also on services aimed at social protection that lead families towards empowerment and self-respect, towards social inclusion and independence.

The codes, she said, were another step towards professionalism and a better quality of social care services.