The ability to provide safe, effective, and individualised support has never been more important in the health and social care sector. Proportionate care is a concept that sits at the heart of modern, person-centred practice — but what does it really mean?

Proportionate care is about balancing the level of support provided with the actual needs, preferences, and rights of the individual receiving care. It ensures that decisions and actions are appropriate to each situation, without being excessive or insufficient. This approach recognises that one-size-fits-all doesn’t work — care must be responsive, respectful, and tailored.

For example, in risk management, proportionate care might mean supporting someone to take informed risks in their daily life, rather than restricting them for safety’s sake alone. It’s about doing what’s necessary — no more, no less — while upholding dignity, autonomy, and choice.

This principle becomes even more vital when applied to single-handed care. With rising pressures on the care sector to work more efficiently, many providers are exploring whether some care tasks can be safely delivered by one staff member rather than two. Our Proportionate Care training explores how to make these decisions responsibly — ensuring safety, dignity, and compliance while also using resources effectively. It equips teams to assess whether single-handed care is appropriate, how to document decisions, and how to approach such care with confidence.

With increasing demands on frontline teams, proportionate care — and specifically proportionate single-handed care — helps providers deliver the right level of support in the right way, without compromising on quality or values. It aligns with the Care Act, CQC Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOEs), and human rights-based care frameworks.

This approach supports not only better outcomes for individuals but also greater efficiency, reduced risk, and improved staff morale. When teams understand how and why to act proportionately, they feel more confident in their decisions — and less fearful of blame or scrutiny.

Bringing It Into Training

At TJS Solutions, we saw a growing need for practical, relevant training on this subject — so we created our own Proportionate Care training course, designed in partnership with our clients. The course focuses on real-world scenarios, including single-handed care, to ensure that frontline teams feel capable, confident, and supported in making proportionate decisions that truly reflect the needs of those they care for.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll share how our course is being delivered across the North West, what it includes, and why our clients say it’s making such a difference.

Want to learn more now? Get in touch to find out how TJS Solutions can bring proportionate care training to your team.