1.1 Explain how the purpose, vision and values define an organisation

This guide will help you answer 1.1 Explain how the purpose, vision and values define an organisation.

Every health and social care organisation builds its identity from three core elements: purpose, vision and values. Together, these elements set the direction for the organisation and shape its culture.

What Is Organisational Purpose?

Purpose describes why the organisation exists. It sets out the reason for its creation and what it seeks to achieve for the people it serves. Purpose is not about how the organisation works, but what drives its actions at the most basic level.

For example, a care home’s purpose might be “to provide high quality residential care and support for older adults, promoting well-being and independence.”

Features of Organisational Purpose

• Central reason for the organisation’s existence
• Clear statement understood internally and externally
• Usually visible in company literature, website and induction materials

Why Purpose Matters

Purpose gives meaning to the daily work of staff. It helps workers know where to focus their efforts. People draw job satisfaction from seeing how their work links to a positive outcome for others.

Examples of Organisational Purpose in Health and Social Care

• Supporting vulnerable adults to live safely in the community
• Improving health through accessible primary care services
• Giving children safe spaces where they can develop and learn
• Providing end-of-life care with dignity and respect

In each case, the purpose sets a clear expectation for everyone involved in the organisation.

Organisational Vision Explained

Vision expresses what the organisation wants to achieve in the future. It is forward-looking and ambitious. Vision statements usually describe the ideal situation the organisation aims to help create, even if that goal is not yet reached.

Vision tends to be broader than purpose, inviting people to imagine the difference the organisation could make if successful.

Examples of Vision Statements

• “A society where every person has access to compassionate, person-centred care.”
• “Communities where older people are empowered to live full, active lives.”
• “Children grow up feeling valued, protected and supported.”

Why Vision Is Important

Vision inspires people. It gives staff, service users, and partners something to work toward. Vision unites people because it appeals to shared hopes.

A strong vision motivates people to persist through challenges. It helps everyone see the bigger picture, rather than just focusing on routine tasks.

How Vision Influences Working Practice

• Sets long-term goals for staff and services
• Guides leaders when planning improvements
• Attracts supporters and funding from the wider community
• Shapes new projects and partnerships

The Role of Values in an Organisation

Values express what the organisation believes is right and important. They describe the standards for behaviour, decision-making, and attitudes within the organisation.

In health and social care, core values are often about dignity, respect, equality, compassion and integrity. These values define how workers treat service users and each other.

Examples of Common Organisational Values

• Respect – Treating everyone with dignity, recognising their individual worth.
• Compassion – Responding to needs with kindness and understanding.
• Accountability – Being answerable for actions and decisions.
• Inclusivity – Involving people from different backgrounds and removing barriers.
• Empowerment – Supporting people to make their own choices.

How Values Influence Practice

Values are not just statements. They are only meaningful when they are put into action.

For example:

• Staff treat each other with respect, even when under pressure.
• Workers use kind, supportive language with service users.
• Decision-making reflects honesty and openness.
• Service users have their choices listened to and their views taken seriously.

Values as the “Moral Compass”

Values guide behaviour, especially during difficult situations when rules may not provide an obvious answer. Staff often return to the organisation’s values to decide the right way forward.

For example, if a worker faces a choice between following a rigid rule and meeting a person’s urgent emotional needs, values like compassion and respect help guide the best response.

The Interaction of Purpose, Vision and Values

These three elements work together to define an organisation.

• Purpose tells us why the organisation exists right now.
• Vision describes what it hopes to achieve in the future.
• Values set out how people are expected to behave on the journey from current reality to future aspiration.

Without these elements working together, an organisation may drift and lose focus.

Example of Interaction in Action

A support service for adults with learning disabilities has:

• Purpose – “To enable people with learning disabilities to achieve greater independence.”
• Vision – “A society where everyone can participate fully, free from discrimination.”
• Values – Respect, Choice, Inclusion, Empowerment.

In practice, staff help service users develop skills for daily living, always promoting choice. Management measures success not just by numbers, but whether people feel included and respected.

Effects of Purpose, Vision and Values on Organisational Culture

Organisational culture describes “the way we do things here.” Culture develops through the shared beliefs, attitudes and behaviours in a workplace.

Purpose, vision and values shape culture in several ways:

• Recruitment – Organisations seek staff whose personal values match those of the organisation.
• Induction and Training – Staff learn the expected behaviours and standards through training and ongoing development.
• Policies and Procedures – These are based on the agreed values and support staff to act accordingly.
• Leadership Example – Leaders promote the culture by modelling values-based behaviour.
• Feedback and Recognition – Staff receive praise when their actions show the right values.

A clear, positive culture leads to:

• Greater staff satisfaction and retention
• Better outcomes for service users
• Fewer incidents of poor or unsafe care

The Risks When Purpose, Vision and Values Are Not Clear

A lack of clarity leads to confusion. Staff may not know what is expected or why tasks matter. Service users might feel that care is inconsistent or does not respect their wishes.

Conflicts can arise among staff or with service users if values are unclear or ignored. Morale drops when people do not feel part of something worthwhile. Trust in leadership can be damaged.

Misalignment causes problems. For instance, if an organisation’s literature says “we value choice,” but staff limit choices for convenience, mistrust may follow.

Communicating Purpose, Vision and Values

Organisations use different approaches to communicate these ideas:

• Displaying posters and written statements on walls
• Including purpose, vision and values in handbooks and on websites
• Embedding values in all training and supervision
• Encouraging workers to discuss these ideas during team meetings
• Recognising and celebrating behaviours that show the values in action

Regular communication helps everyone keep these ideas fresh in their minds.

Making Purpose, Vision and Values Meaningful

Having statements is not enough. Good organisations check that purpose, vision and values remain relevant and truly influence daily practice. They listen to staff, service users and families to see if lived experience matches the stated purpose and values.

When the wider world changes, such as through new health priorities or policy developments, they may review and update these guiding statements.

The Importance in Health and Social Care

Health and social care settings deal with people at vulnerable times. Purpose, vision and values provide stability and clarity in an environment where needs can be complex, sensitive, and urgent.

People using services often have little control over their own circumstances. Clear values give reassurance that their dignity and rights will be protected.

Staff are often under pressure, witnessing distress and making tough decisions. Returning to purpose and values helps them stay motivated and resilient.

Application in Your Role

As a health and social care worker, you contribute to the organisation’s purpose every day. You show the organisation’s values through your behaviour and decisions. Understanding these principles helps you:

• Act consistently and fairly
• Make better decisions when rules are unclear
• Feel part of a team working toward a shared aim
• Support service users to achieve positive outcomes
• Spot where values are being breached and take action

Monitoring and Reviewing Purpose, Vision and Values

Organisations benefit from regular review of these elements. They may:

• Gather feedback from staff, service users and stakeholders
• Compare practice against stated values and improve as needed
• Adapt statements if the organisation’s focus changes

This commitment to review keeps the organisation dynamic and honest about its purpose.

The Legal and Regulatory Context

In the UK, many frameworks require health and social care organisations to show their purpose, vision and values in practice, not just in writing.

For example, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) expects registered services to demonstrate a clear vision and values, which are shared by staff and visible in practice. Evidence of positive culture is part of inspection criteria.

Organisations failing to uphold good values may face warnings, lower inspection ratings or enforcement action.

Final Thoughts

Purpose, vision and values provide the foundation for everything an organisation does. They give direction, encourage commitment and ensure quality care for those who need it most. As a worker, knowing and living these statements helps you provide better service and grow in your professional role.