How to work safely

Overview

Regardless of which organisation you work for and with, each will have an important set of policies and procedures which are designed to keep your service users/patients and yourself safe.  The following  are of note:

Safeguarding – there are statutory procedures written down to protect adults and children, which are commonly known as Safeguarding procedures.  These documents set out for

• what duties you have to your service user or patient if you believe that their safety may be at risk or are potentially in harm, or being neglected;
• How to report your concerns and in what format;

Infection prevention and control has always been important but as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic the wearing of protective clothing has become more essential.  There are guides to help you understand the correct techniques to use for “donning” or putting on protective clothing and for “doffing” or taking it off.

Moving and handling – assisting a patient or service user to move in a safe way which does not harm yourself or the person will be part of your induction or training provision.  You may be shown how to use pieces of equipment that can aid movement or the person themselves may also have equipment which they need to use.

Privacy and dignity – maintaining the privacy and dignity of a service user/patient and understanding when it may be compromised is important to understand.

For

• how and where you may interact with a person to ensure their confidentiality is maintained;
• what their preferences are, in how they are referred to by name, will help to build rapport and trust.
• helping them describe, in their own words and in their own time how they want to make choices which have been informed play a key role in making sure you deliver a person-centred approach to support, advice, care and treatment.

Basic Life Support – you will be provided with practical training by your employer regarding how to approach a casualty, how to undertake an initial assessment and what action to take next. You will be talk a number of techniques which you can use safely.

Why is this important

There are many guidelines (policies and procedures) which staff and service users will be advised of to ensure that staff work in a safe way.

Staff will be provided with a wide range of training on various topics, some of which are covered in this framework.  The training may be on line or practical due to the nature of the topic.   There are also a range of skills as part of the training which you will need to fulfil, which are separate to this framework.

Part of the Care Certificate which those working in health and social care may need to complete includes many aspects of caring for patients/service users and looking after yourself during your interactions. However, understanding why you have to undertake this training and its relevance to your day to day work are important.

Some of the tasks that you complete within your role may require you to also seek additional support and training, with the main emphasis being on not undertaking duties for which you are not trained or competent to undertake.

There is also an important role for staff to play in reporting of incidents, accidents and non-compliance with policies to ensure that the standards outlined in the various documents and information which is shared with you, is maintained.

Skills Review

Having completed this sub-topic I will understand the importance of these skills.

• I understand the principles behind the policies mentioned within this framework and how to report any concerns or seek further advice.