a3 - specific responsibilities of people who work in health and social care settings Flashcards
promoting anti-discriminatory practice - implementing codes of practice and policies that identify and challenge discrimination in specific health and social care settings
- anti-discriminatory practice is core value and principle that guides professionals
- based on legal requirements from equality act 2010
- underpins policies and practices of care settings, and in all codes of practice
- aims to ensure that care needs of service users are met regardless of differences in race, ethnicity, age, disability or sexual orientation, and that prejudices of staff or others are challenged
- all citizens in GB have legal protection through courts
- human rights act applies to all parts of UK, guarantees rights to people cared for by public authorities to be treated equally and with fairness, dignity and respect
promoting anti-discriminatory practice - adapting health and social care provision for different types of service users
- anti-discriminatory practice involves promoting equal opportunities for all and challenging discrimination
requires health and social care workers to -
- address own prejudices and adapt behaviour to ensure that clients’ needs are met no matter what
- understand and meet needs of all service users
- celebrate contributions that wide and diverse range of people can bring to the setting and society
- actively challenge all discrimination against clients and patients
- ensure that setting is a welcoming and accessible environment for all
- compensate for negative effects of discrimination in society
empowering individuals
- empowerment means ensuring that service users take part in discussions and decisions about their personal care and treatment
- helps to ensure that meeting individual needs is at the centre of service provision
empowering individuals - promoting individualised care
- enables service users to understand choices they can make about their care, to contribute to decision-making and take control of their lives
- in health and care settings there is a tendency for professionals to take over and for the service user to ‘just do as they are told’, leading to service users losing confidence and becoming over-reliant on their carers
- practitioners are usually required to gain clients’ consent before carrying out any treatment, procedure or making arrangements for care
- if service users are empowered, they are fully involved in discussion and planning of their care
- it ensures individualised care, with the service user at the heart of the service
empowering individuals - promoting and supporting individuals’ rights to dignity and independence
- empowering service users means they are more likely to be treated as individuals
- needs and practices will be known and respectfully considered
- provides a context in which their rights to dignity and independence are promoted, contributing to boosting self-esteem
empowering individuals - providing active support consistent with the beliefs, cultures and preferences of service users
- health and care provision in a multi-cultural society must address specific needs of people from diverse backgrounds
- diversity can be fun and should be celebrated through sharing festivities and enjoying a range of food and music
challenges from diversity for care providers -
- if service users speak little or no English, information should be presented in a range of languages, translators should be available, and support may be given to access english lessons
- may need to provide a wide range of food for people with different religious requirements
- religious observances need to be considered, such as prayer rooms etc.
- carers must be aware of individual differences and ensure that needs are respected and not ignored
- if service users are empowered they will contribute to planning of care and policies and procedures of health and care settings
empowering individuals - supporting individuals who need health and social care services to express their needs and preferences
- not all service users have personal skills or confidence to participate fully in care
people may need specific support -
- translators or interpreters
- signers
- advocates
- family and friends
- translators and interpreters are concerned with communicating meaning from on language to another
- essential for those who’s first language is not english, also helpful for those who communicate via BSL or Makaton
- sometimes people need someone else to speak for them in meetings, complete forms or write letters for them
- advocates may speak for client and express their views
- aim to gain trust of service users and find ways of communicating with them to represent views to carers
- family and friends often play a key role in ensuring that needs are understood and met
empowering individuals - promoting the rights, choices and wellbeing of individuals who use health and care services and balancing their rights with those of other service users and staff
may be conflicts between -
- equally valid preferences of one service user and another, such as choice of music in a common room
- client’s right to choice and protecting their personal safety, such as an individual with dementia wishing to live alone but this would not be safe
- different rights that service users have, such as right to confidentiality and right to protection from harm
- respect for cultural or religious values of service user and promoting their health and wellbeing, such as the fact that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in blood transfusions but may need one
empowering individuals - dealing with conflict in health and social care settings
- challenging behaviour is defined as any behaviour that puts the service user or anybody else at risk, or that affects their quality of life
- may include rudeness, aggression or self-harm
- professional carers and staff should be trained to deal with conflict
- can occur in any setting and may develop between service users and their doctors or nurses, between care workers and their clients, and between service users themselves or with informal carers
- for domiciliary carers and those who work alone, there should be a lone workers policy in place
ensuring safety in health and social care settings - risk assessments
employers must -
- ensure that organisation has robust health and safety policy and that there is someone with official responsibility for health and safety
- undertake a risk assessment to identify risks and hazards at work place, take action to reduce likeliness of harm or injury
employees must -
- take reasonable care of own safety and that of others
- cooperate with employer to carry out health and safety procedures
- not intentionally damage health and safety equipment
- when carrying out risk assessments, employers examine all procedures and activities that take place and assess level of risk involved
- responsibility for carrying out risk assessment is delegated to a senior member of staff or supervisor
- when assessing level of risk, tables are normally used
ensuring safety in health and social care settings - safeguarding and protecting individuals from abuse
- if someone shares info that raises concerns about personal safety, should follow safeguarding policies
- should listen carefully and avoid asking questions
- will have to explain to individual that information must be shared with someone more senior
- all settings have designated safeguarding officers who will take over responsibility and ask staff for a written report
ensuring safety in health and social care settings - protecting service users, staff and volunteers from infection
- all staff and volunteers should ensure they maintain a clean and hygienic working environment and minimise likelihood of passing on infection
procedures may include -
- washing hands before and after work, before eating, after using the toilet or coughing or sneezing, after carrying out any bodily care
- safe handling and disposal of sharp articles such as needles and syringes to avoid needle-stick injuries and ensure that infection is not passed on in this way
- keeping all soiled linen in designated laundry bags or the bin and keeping it separate from other linen at all times
- cleaning all equipment in line with agreed procedures
ensuring safety in health and social care settings - control and disposal of substances harmful to health
- hazardous waste must be disposed of properly, including disposing of soiled dressings, nappies, syringes, protective clothing etc.
- different disposal requirements for different types of substance and equipment
- COSHH Regulations provide guidance for safe disposal
ensuring safety in health and social care settings - reporting and recording accidents and incidents
- particular illnesses, disease and accidents that must be reported
- called notable deaths, injuries or diseases, covered by RIDDOR
- less serious illnesses and accidents must also be reported, for example if someone slips over on wet floor
- accident forms are used to record details, required by laws and are checked during inspections
ensuring safety in health and social care settings - provision of first-aid facilities
- provision of first-aid is governed by Health and Safety Regulations, provision should be ‘adequate and appropriate’
all incidents should be recorded, details should include -
- name of casualty
- nature of incident / injury
- date, time and location of incident
- record of treatment given
