Unit 7 - Principles of safe practice in health and social care PDF

Preview

Summary

Coursework...

Description

Unit 7 Principles of safe practice in health and social care Key words:         

Duty Requirements Legislation Regulation Rights Assignment brief Duty of care Legal obligation Framework

ASSIGNMENT 1  

Learning Aim A = examine how a duty of care contributes safe practice in health and social care settings. Learning Aim B = understand how to recognise and respond to concerns about abuse and neglect in health and social care settings.

ASSIGNMENT 2  

Learning Aim C = investigate the influence of health and safety legislation and policies in health and social care settings. Learning Aim D = explore procedures and responsibilities to maintain health and safety and respond to accident and emergencies in health and social care settings.

Why are safe practices important in health and social care? Safe practices are important in health and social care because it keeps people safe and healthy, and avoids accidents. For example, if a nurse left surgical equipment lying around then a child or other individual could pick it up and cause themselves harm. Another example could be, if you didn’t lock the chemical cupboard at a day centre for people with learning difficulties, they could burn themselves on bleach or cause an accident to themselves.

Duty of Care A moral or legal obligation to ensure the safety or well-being of others. It protects wellbeing and prevents harm.     

Code of conduct Protecting Risk vs rights Beneficence Safe practice

Staff in health and social care settings have a legal obligation to always act in the best interests of the service user’s beneficence. Staff should always know their competency limits and not take on any task they cannot perform safely. Staff should protect individuals from abuse or neglect by reporting any incidents they are aware or suspect safeguarding.

A.1 Duty of care is a legal obligation to protect wellbeing and prevent harm      

Ensuring safe practice is ensuring that policies and procedures are followed for the benefit of the service user, the organisation and the employee. Policies and procedures prevent risk and provide a guideline on how to respond to hazards. Staff in health and social care settings follow a code of conduct. This is a framework on how to behave in an appropriate way, to maintain the quality of care and wellbeing of service users. Part of the code of conduct is professional boundaries. Staff must not be emotionally involved with service users. When these standards are not met, service users can be at risk.

TURN INTO A PARAGRAPH

Duty of care is a legal obligation to protect wellbeing and prevent the harm of others. Duty of care ensures that policies and procedures are followed for the benefit of the service user, the organisation and employee. For example, the lone working policy is a set of rules used by organisations stating about working alone and the risks the employee may face. An example of this could be, for a professional working with drug, alcohol or substance abuse individuals, they could potentially face verbal or physical abuse. Sometimes, the patient might be more of a risk to themselves, and the staff member could be unable to raise the alarm if they are alone. Policies and procedures prevent risks, like the one I just mentioned, and provide a guide on how to respond to hazards in the health and social care setting. Staff in health and social care settings must follow a code of conduct set out by the organisation manager. The code of conduct is a set or rules, responsibilities and proper practices for an individual. Part of this code of conduct is professional boundaries. Staff must not be emotionally involved with the service user; this is for their own safety and for the safety of

their patient and to keep them from risks. They must follow the set of guidelines during their work in a health and social care setting or another setting. It is also a framework on how on how to behave in an appropriate way, to maintain the quality of care and wellbeing of the service users.

Acting in a person’s best interests    

When working in any setting, you may get concerned about the choices that some service users may make… examples? You might think your choice would be better. Interests could lead you acting in a way that you think is in their best interests from preventing them from doing what they want. However, you can only do this if you have their consent, or evidence that the person lacks capacity to make that particular decision – Mental Capacity Act 2005

TURN INTO A PARAGRAPH

Acting in a person’s best interests is following the Mental Capacity Act 2005, where the professional acts in a way or makes decisions on behalf of an individual lacking the capacity to make a proper decision for themselves. This can be for financial, health and social benefits for the user. For a professional working in any setting, they may get concerned about the choices a service user makes. For example, the service user hasn’t had enough information to decide between two drastic options for their own treatment and are considered to have a mental health issue, then they may need more encouragement to go for the less risky option to decrease the chance of death and further injury. However, a professional may think their choice would be better. You should give an unbiased view but suggest the service user to take time to make their own decision about the care route they believe is better. By having a strong view and influencing their decision by acting in a way that you think is in their best interest, you may be preventing the service user from doing what they want. This is not giving them their rights and can put the professional in a difficult situation if something later on is brought up. You can only do this if you have their consent or evidence that the person lacks the capacity to make that particular decision, to prevent court action, suspension or further action and by following the rules in the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Independent research task

Research how each profession uses/follows a duty of care in their day. IDEAS:       

Promote individual’s wellbeing Support their needs Integrate and treat equally and fairly Promote diversity Assess needs Make informal decisions Manage risks and rights

USE A PARAMEDIC AS AN EXAMPLE

Key Word Duty of Care Legal Obligation Duty Requirements Legislation Regulation Rights Framework Assignment Brief Neglect Wellbeing Practice Code of conduct Risks interests Accountability Ombudsman Complaint Process Redress

Meaning A moral or legal obligation to ensure the safety or well-being of others. A moral or legal duty to perform or to not perform an action. A task or action one is required to perform as part of one’s job. A thing that is needed, wanted, or is compulsory. Laws, considered collectively. A rule or directive made and maintained by an authority. A moral or legal entitlement to have or do something. A basic structure underlying a system, concept, or text. A detailed form defining an individual’s role for the duration of a project.

Vulnerable Accessibility Individual Rights Capacity Dignity Statutory Unwise decision Autonomy Significance Evaluate Equity Independence Dependent Promote

P1 – Session 2 The implications of Duty of Care Practice: The impact of a first aid policy on students at Callywith is to keep students healthy and safe. This empowers students and allows them to feel comfortable. The impact of a health and safety policy on students at Callywith is to ensure students feel supported and cared for. The impact of staff upholding your rights at Callywith is to allow students to express themselves creating diversity and equality to have the freedom to do what is allowed, while still holding respect for the staff. The impact of staff preventing harm to you at Callywith is to keep students safe and secure while in college.

To improve my answers, I need to use:    

Practical safety Feelings/emotions Laws Relationships

DOING CASE STUDY 1

Legal Obligation to protect well-being and prevent harm All care staff should act in the best interests of the service user and others who may be affected… Who could this be?    

Never act or fail to act in a way that causes harm Know your limits and your competence/training level Your codes of conduct describe how to ensure professional boundaries are set and followed. Professional detachment means you can care or deliver your service objectively.

TURN INTO A PARAGRAPH Upholding rights and promoting interests of individuals experiencing abuse or neglect      

Service users have to put their trust in you as a professional You sometimes have to act as an advocate If they are scared, isolated or vulnerable then they may not be able to ask for what they need. All service users are unique in their needs, abilities and personality. Some service users lack the capacity to protect themselves or to even understand the implications and consequences of their choices or yours. You must uphold all individual rights.

TURN INTO PARAGRAPH Professionals must uphold the rights and promote the interests of individuals experiencing abuse or neglect to allow them to feel free from the pain and make their own choices about the life they want to live. As a professional working with individuals facing neglect and/or abuse, they should have a calming and friendly nature about them to make the service user feel safe and secure. This can allow them to trust you with their problems and help them on their way to recovery. If the service user is scared, isolated or vulnerable then they may not be able to ask for what they need. This may mean they put their trust in you to act as an advocate, in order to get their point across and live their life as they wish. All service users facing abuse and neglect have unique needs, abilities and personalities; and some lack the capacity to protect themselves or to understand the consequences of their choices or your own. This means that they may not understand that they have their own rights and choices they are allowed to make. Professionals working with these people have to uphold their individual rights as the service users can’t do it for themselves.

Protecting health, safety and wellbeing

     

In the workplace, you are in a position of trust You must understand that there can be an imbalance of power between staff and the service users. You must ensure that this is balanced, and the distribution of power is equal, so no one is exploited. You should be able to explain to both managers and service users how your actions were safe, fair, considered and proportionate or warranted. You must take care of yourself You must consider the impact of your actions or failings on others and ensure you take care of them.

TURN INTO A PARAGRAPH Protecting health, safety and wellbeing in the workplace is putting you in a position of trust where you must be responsible and acknowledge the imbalance of power between staff and the service user. For example, service users may feel obliged to follow the advice of the professional as they have more knowledge, qualifications and experience than them. To balance this, the professionals need to spread the knowledge about their condition or wellbeing, to equal the distribution of power and avoid serviced users being exploited. Professionals should be able to explain to both managers and service users how your actions towards others were safe, fair, considered and done with proportionate equality. However, professionals need to take care of themselves while still providing the best care for others. When caring for others you need to make sure you consider the impact of your actions or failings on others and ensure you take care of them as best as you can; this is to minimise further injuries and harm to other service users.

Ensuring safe practice     

  

No matter your setting, whether residential home or service user’s home, you should put in place and follow your organisations safety practices. This benefits you, the organisation, the service user and anyone else. Not following these can lead to painful or irreversible accidents, injury or worse case death. Incidents must be investigated, and this can be very costly in terms of money, time and emotional well-being. All environments present safety issues but particularly a service user’s home. You must make extra considerations of obstacles/hazards and safety plan out a task before carrying it out e.g. hoisting. It is a care quality commission (CQC) requirement that you have training on health and safety before practice. Training is essential in maintaining safe practice. A culture of safe practice should be embedded (made part of) any setting.

 

Part of every job in HSC is ‘reflective practice’, you evaluate how you did your job regularly. This should happen to with regards to health and safety…. Examples? It is a combined and team effort, so constructive criticism is essential.

TURN INTO A PARAGRAPH

Ensuring safe practice is to keep professionals and service users safe in the work setting. Professionals in any setting should put in place and follow your organisations safety practices. This is done to benefit you, the organisation, the service user and anyone else involved in the organisation as it keeps people safe in the workplace. Not following these safe practices can lead to painful or irreversible accidents, injury or worse case death. Any incidents that happen must be investigated, this can be very costly in money, time and emotional wellbeing. An individual’s home for example, consists of many safety issues so you must take extra consideration for obstacles and hazards, needing safety plans before carrying out a task e.g. hoisting and unknow dangers that you have no control over. You must have training on health and safety before practice to meet the requirements of the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This is essential to maintain safe practice and all of the policies and procedures should be embedded into the setting, ensuring the best quality care. Part of every job in a health and social care setting is reflective practice. This is where you evaluate how you do your job regularly and should happen with regards to health and safety. For example, using a compression bandage to stop the flow of blood instead of using a conventional bandage. This would be a combined and team effort, so constructive criticism is essential.

Codes of conduct    

A framework with which to work. Like a guide or structure of all the key working practices and procedures based on duty of care. It sets the key standards for your profession and should be followed. It also lets service users; others and you know what to expect from that profession.

TURN INTO A PARAGRAPH

Codes of conduct is a set of rules outlining the norms, rules and responsibilities of proper practice for an individual. The Code of Conduct sets the standard of conduct expected of healthcare support workers and adult social care workers. It outlines the behaviour and attitudes that you should expect to experience from those workers signed up to the code. This code involves a framework with which to work, this is a basic structure underlying a system, concept, or text for individuals to follow in any setting. This framework includes all the key working practices and procedures based on the duty of care professionals have to follow. Codes of conduct lets service users; others and you know what to expect from that

profession and the behaviour you should witness from the professionals involved. For example, a healthcare assistant should follow the set codes of conduct outlined by the organisation manager and perform behaviour that is expected when following the policies and procedures.

Balancing individual rights with risks      

Society is very complex; we are all different. This means that individual’s rights and risks can be interpreted differently. (think about euthanasia, abortion … Brexit) Sometimes, the choice we can make impacts on others positively or negatively. Example? People who work in HSC may, through their work, have power over service user e.g. their independence. This can create conflicts, not just with the SU and staff but with family, friends and support networks. Service users have the right to reject any treatment or care. Perhaps it is important to consider the SU as an individual before thinking about duty of care.

TURN INTO A PARAGRAPH Balancing individual’s rights with choices can be difficult. Society is very complex; everyone is different from each other causing a huge diversity of personalities. This means that individual’s rights and risks can be interpreted differently. Everyone has different views on topics, for example, euthanasia or abortion. Sometimes the choices we make impacts others negatively or positively, causing conflict between individuals. An example of this could be, arguments between relatives over treatment or the services provided by health and social care settings. People who work in Health and Social care may, through their work, have power over service users e.g. their independence or knowledge of their condition/disease. This imbalance of power can cause conflicts, not just for the service user and staff, but with the family, friends and support workers. The negativity caused when there are arguments between people can have a negative effect on the patient’s mental health or surrounding relatives. Service users have the right to reject any treatment or care if they feel pressured, stressed or worried about the outcome. This means that professionals need to consider the service user as an individual before thinking about their duty of care towards them, balancing their rights with the risks it may cause.

The Implications of duty of care Issue

Example:

Review

Redo

John is 89 and has had a recent hip replacement. John needs physiotherapy to help him walk but the nearest place is too far for john. The hospital has refused john help with transport. He cannot access the hospital. Plan – staff should uphold the rights of the service user and provide transport. NHS Mid-Staffordshire trust as an example of issue – review – redo Francis Report Care certificate

Independent research task Duty of Care is a moral or legal obligation to ensure the safety and well-being of others. Paramedics for example, follow this duty of care to ensure that their patients are kept safe and their needs are supported. Staff in health and social care settings have a legal obligation to always act in the best interests of the service user as an act of kindness and mercy. A paramedic has a duty of care to help anyone regardless of their background or what they may have done, they should have an unbiased view when entering an emergency situation in order to fairly and equally treat whoever is involved in the incident. Staff should always know their competency limits and not take on any task they cannot perform safely. This is for their own safety and for the safety of the service users. For example, a paramedic should attempt lifting to the policy and to their own fitness levels for an overweight person. If they believe this individual is too heavy for their own personal limits, then they should call for a second team to help assist them. A health and social care professional need to manage the risks they take in order to keep both themselves and the service users safe. Staff should protect individuals from abuse or neglect by reporting any incidents they are aware or suspect need safeguarding. A professional will be able to tell if a service user is facing neglect or abuse because...