the implications of duty of care. understanding the support available for addressing dilemmas that may arise. the knowledge to respond to complaints.
The implications of duty of care.
A duty of care is a legal obligation imposed on an individual requiring that they adhere to a standard of reasonable care while performing any acts that could foreseeable harm others. A definition from Wikipedia Examples how we do this in my setting.Within our setting we carry out daily checks to ensure that the environment inside and outside is safe before the morning session starts.We have daily cleaning rotas to ensure the session is clean and we are stopping the spread of infection. Ensuring that staff has been trained in first Aid and that we have the right equipment. To complete accident forms when an accident occurs and getting the parent/carer to sign to say there have been made aware.
Understanding the support available for addressing dilemmas that may arise.
Sometimes individuals may want to do something which could be a risk to their Health and safety. As a carer you have a duty of care to that person and you must do all that you can to keep them safe but you also have a duty to respect the individuals rights and choice, so you have a dilemma. It could be that the individual no longer wishes to use her walking frame, but her care plan states that she needs it to move from place to place and you are to ensure you encourage it’s use. In this scenario you could carry out a risk assessment to ensure that it is managed as safely as possible. You would need to explain the risks involved to the individual and make sure they understand. You could come to a compromise, to use a stick for a while instead, to see how they managed, then monitor the situation.
All this should be documented including any risk assessment carried out. If the individual still insists on walking unaided you should get them to sign to say