The care farming Code of Practice

Quality Assurance via the Social Farms & Gardens' care farming Code of Practice

The care farming Code is suitable for a range of farm and garden sites delivering commissioned services for those with a defined need - including green care services such as care farming, Social &Therapeutic Horticulture (STH) and Animal Assisted Therapies (AAT)) snd is essentially a minimum standard - a clear set of guidelines - intended to meet the requirements of commissioners, referral agencies and service users. The Code of Practice is managed by Social Farms & Gardens and is a site-specific, self-assessment  application, regularly updated  to reflect any changes in commissioning, legislation and good practice, and we encourage all those providing care farming services to adopt the Code. The Code is organised into four sections: 

• About our care farm
• We run a responsible care farm 
• We care about the people we work with 
• Our site is a safe place to be 

A care farm's Code application is assessed by a panel of Code assessors and when passed, the care farm is awarded Code care farm status. The Code operates on a rolling three-year cycle, with an annual 'Continued compliance' to maintain Code status and every third year, the care farm submits the most current Code application form for re-assessment.

"Completing the Code of Practice highlighted a number of areas that we needed to tighten up on, but also identified the areas of care farming that we were doing really well! A worthwhile process and the badge has been used numerous times in funding bids!"

Densholme Care Farm, N. Yorks.

Introduction to the Code

For more details about what is in the Code, why it's so important, the Code process, and a chance to hear from care farmers themselves please click here. We recommend that care farmers and prospective care farmers access this before signing up for the Code process. This page is also useful for referral agencies  and other interested parties who would like to find out more about the Code 

"The Code of Practice made a useful contribution as we began creating a solid organisational infrastructure in order to expand and strengthen our social farming programme."

FarmAbility, Oxfordshire

How to apply for the Code

For details of how to apply for the care farming Code of Practice and what to do next - click here 

Find a Code care farm

If you would like to find a care farm near you that has the Code, or is working towards the Code then please follow the link to our searchable map here

If you still have further queries then please feel free to get in touch by emailing codeadmin@farmgarden.org.uk

"Care farming colleagues who have applied the Code of Practice to their work giveus added confidence that they are professional and represent care farming as a positive, quality service"

Magdalen Environmental Trust, Somerset