A social care nurse balances health care with social care, providing holistic and personalised care with empathy and strong communication to support individuals with complex, long-term needs.
If you’ve ever read the phrase social nursing care and wondered exactly what it means, you’re not alone. The words “social” and “nursing” sitting side-by-side can sound a little confusing — is it health? Is it social care? The short answer: social nursing care sits between both worlds. It’s nursing delivered in social care settings (or at home) to people who need clinical support alongside day-to-day help. This guide explains what it looks like, who provides it, how families can access it, and practical questions to ask so you can advocate confidently for someone you love.
What is Social Nursing Care?
Think of social nursing care as clinical nursing brought to people living outside hospital wards. Instead of being based in an acute hospital, the nurse works in the community — in a care home, a supported living flat, or the person’s own home — and delivers healthcare tasks that require a registered nurse. The aim is simple: provide safe clinical care in a way that keeps people living as independently and comfortably as possible.
Examples of social nursing care tasks include changing complex wound dressings, managing catheters, providing feeding-tube (PEG) care, giving subcutaneous injections (for pain or dehydration), and providing palliative nursing at the end of life. These are not tasks you would expect from a non-clinical carer alone.
Where Does Social Nursing Care Happen?
Social nursing care is delivered in a few common places:
- Care homes with nursing (sometimes called nursing homes) — staffed by registered nurses who provide daily clinical oversight.
- Supported living or residential settings — where a visiting nurse provides clinical input for residents with health needs.
- At home (domiciliary nursing) — nurses who visit private homes to perform clinical tasks and train carers/family.
- Community nursing teams — NHS community nurses may also deliver clinical support in the social care setting, often in partnership with the care provider.
The setting matters because it affects staffing patterns, funding routes, and how quickly a nurse can respond in an emergency.
Who Provides Social Nursing Care?
Registered nurses — clinicians who hold current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) — provide social nursing care. That includes adult branch Registered Nurses (RGN), learning disability nurses, mental health nurses, and district/community nurses, depending on needs. Agencies, private providers, and care homes may also employ nurses to deliver care.
Important safeguards to look for: nurses should have up-to-date registration, appropriate training for the clinical tasks they perform (e.g., catheter care, PEG management), and evidence of supervision and continuous professional development. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates care providers and inspects nursing standards in England; you can check their reports for a provider’s performance.
What’s the Difference Between Social Nursing Care and Social Care?
It’s a question many families ask. Social care (often provided by care workers or support staff) focuses on day-to-day living: personal care (washing, dressing), meal support, companionship, shopping, and helping someone get out of the house. Social nursing care adds clinical responsibilities that require registered nursing assessment and intervention.
A care worker might help a person get dressed; a social nurse will assess a wound, decide how often a dressing should be changed, and carry out that clinical procedure. Both roles are essential — they work hand in glove.
Typical Tasks Covered by Social Nursing Care
Here are some common clinical tasks that fall under social nursing care:
- Wound assessment and dressing changes (including pressure ulcers).
- Catheter monitoring and care (urethral or suprapubic).
- PEG/enteral feed management and stoma care.
- Subcutaneous injections (e.g., for pain relief or to treat dehydration at the end of life).
- Medication administration and complex medicine management (including controlled drugs).
- Clinical assessments and liaison with GPs or hospitals.
- Palliative and end-of-life nursing support at home or in a care home.
- Monitoring of chronic conditions (e.g., heart failure, diabetes review, oxygen monitoring).
If your relative needs one or more of these tasks regularly, social nursing care is likely relevan
How do Families Get Social Nursing Care?
There are a few routes:
- NHS community nursing referral: Your GP, district nurse, or hospital team may refer to NHS community nursing for short-term clinical needs (e.g., post-op care). These services are clinically led and usually time-limited.
- Care home placement with nursing: If a person needs round-the-clock nursing, a nursing home placement (self-funded or funded) provides that level of care.
- Private social nursing providers: Families can arrange privately-funded nursing support at home or via private nursing agencies.
- Assessment by the local authority: If needs are primarily social with some nursing input, a local social services assessment will determine support and potential funding.
- NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC): For people whose primary need is health-related and complex, CHC funding may cover nursing care in the community; eligibility depends on a formal assessment.
As you navigate options, involve the GP, the local social services team, and any hospital discharge coordinators — they’ll advise which route fits your relative’s clinical and social needs.
Who Pays? Funding Basics (the short version)
Funding for social nursing care can be confusing because it sits at the intersection of health and social care.
- NHS-funded care: Short-term community nursing visits (e.g., wound checks after discharge) are NHS services. Long-term nursing needs may be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare if the primary health need.
- Local authority (social care) funding: If the person’s primary needs are social (daily living help). But they also require nursing support; the council may contribute. Local eligibility rules vary.
- Self-funding: Many families arrange and pay for private nursing at home or choose private nursing homes if they don’t qualify for public funding.
Because funding rules vary and can change, ask for a clear explanation from social services or the local NHS team. If the stakes are high, consider getting advice from a social care or welfare rights advisor.
How Social Nursing Care Fits into Everyday Life?
Good social nursing care is about clinical safety and normal life. Nurses create and update care plans, train carers and family members, and act as a clinical hub — coordinating GP visits, medicines reviews, and hospital referrals when needed. They also help families recognise when a change is worrying (fever, new pain, wound deterioration) and escalate appropriately.
Mrs. A has diabetes, a healing leg ulcer, and needs help with insulin. A social nurse visits twice a week to review the ulcer, change dressings, check blood sugars, and teach the family to assist safely between visits. When blood sugars trend high, the nurse liaises with the GP and adjusts the plan — preventing an emergency hospital visit.
Questions Families Should Ask (Quick checklist)
- Is the nurse registered with the NMC, and do we see ID?
- What clinical tasks will the nurse perform and how often?
- Who supervises the nurse, and how are incidents escalated?
- How does the nurse coordinate with the GP, district nursing team, and hospital?
- Who is responsible for updating the care plan?
- What happens in an emergency?
- What happens if the nurse is unavailable?
- How is consent and confidentiality handled?
- What is the cost, who funds it, and can we get financial advice?
Asking these keeps care transparent and safe.
Red Flags and When to Act?
Unpredictable medication errors, unexplained wounds worsening, repeated missed visits, nurses who can’t explain the care plan, poor communication with the GP, or family members feeling shut out of decisions. If something feels wrong, raise it with the provider, the GP, or — if needed — the regulator (CQC in England) and safeguarding teams.
Practical Tips for Coordinating Care at Home
- Keep a single care notebook: record visits, medicines given, wound changes, and any phone calls.
- Ask for short, written care plans that family members can follow.
- Schedule regular multi-disciplinary reviews with the GP, nurse, and therapists.
- Get training on specific tasks (e.g., PEG feeds) so the family can assist safely if required.
- Keep emergency contacts visible and ensure medication names and doses are easy to find.
Social nursing care gives people clinical support where they live, helping them stay at home or in a homely setting for as long as possible. For families, understanding what it is, how it’s arranged, and what to ask makes all the difference. If you’re starting this journey, begin by talking to your GP or local social services, ask for a clear assessment, and hold the care team to standards: registered nurses, clear care plans, and respectful communication. That’s how social nursing care helps people stay safe, comfortable, and connected to the life they know.
The Outstanding Society is your reliable partner for providing social nursing care in London and Wales. We are also part of the Social Care Nursing Advisory Councils (SCNACs) in 7 regional councils, which will ensure a stronger collaboration between other sector colleagues from the workforce.