L03 Task 3

L03.
UNDERSTAND WORKING PRACTICE AND STRATEGISED TP MINIMISE ABUSE IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE CONTEXTS.

TASK 3.

SAFE WORKING PRACTICES

3.1
Explain existing working practices such as communication skills and others and how strategies are designed to minimise abuse in health and social care contexts.

Communication is way of getting many messages across using different types of methods like giving and receiving messages between three or more partners/people. Messages or information can be conveyed by ICT (information communication technology), emails, text messaging, telephones, mobile phones, feedback, face to face and video calling. Written, verbal and non-verbal communication can also be used to share information through professionals.
Communication is very important in health and social care settings, because service users’ needs have to be met constantly, so messages should be clear, correct and understandable. When talking to service users they have to be able to understand what we are saying to them. Communication can be between staff, parents, young adults and children. Different types of communication can be used to pass on information in the organisation and
confidentially must be maintained. All those who have dealings with children and young adults should have training and awareness at initial stage. Training should be an ongoing basis to update staff on new legislations. All new staff should also have training in Safeguarding and its policies and procedures.
The Children Act of 1984 and amended in 2004.
The child’s wishes should be taken into consideration. (Gillick principle-Fraser Competence, 1985). The death of Victoria Climbie in 200 led to public inquiry which addressed a lot of failure to uphold the protection of vulnerable children as a result of Lord Laming Inquiry (2003). There were major changes in Child Protection Policies. The Every Child Matters (EMC), was launched in 2003 by the government, it has become one of the far reaching policy to be released in the last years. These covers children and young adults up to the age of 19 – 24 for those with disabilities. The Framework of the Children Act, 2004 are: Duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children. The welfare of children is the paramount consideration.
Parents never lose parental responsibility of their children, unless they are adopted. (Adoption and Children Act, 2002). Children with multi-agency partnership should be happy, be safe, enjoy and achieve, also achieve economic well-being. Interagency must understand and respect each other’s roles and responsibilities to facilitate effective coordinated work. With all the changes that were made, the professionals working with children are still failing to safeguard children they are supposed to protect. This has again led to another inquiry by Lord Bichard, (2004), when the school handyman, Ian Huntley murdered Jessica Chapman and her friend Holly Wells in their school, more recommendation and changes to Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act, 2006. The Vetting and Barring Scheme would have help to check if he was suitable to work with children and vulnerable adults.
Safeguarding is about protecting vulnerable children and young adults from harm and abuse. The statutory inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie (2003), highlighted a lack of priority given to safeguarding. Ensuring that children grow up in an environment which provides safe and effective care to give them the best chance of entering adulthood successfully. Protecting children from maltreatment, preventing impairment of children’s health or development. (Working Together 2006 updated 2010).
The statutory guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children (2006), also created the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), the officer’s role is to manage any allegation of abuse against any adult who work with children. This could have helped or saved Hamza Khan from harm and death. The Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) was set up to ensure that agencies and professionals promote the welfare of children in their care, The LSCB failed Hamza Khan and other children in their area. (Tilmouth and Quallington,2012).a
Hamza Khan’s death is an example of failure in Children Act 2006, when even the Act was not use to stop the abuses and neglect he suffered in the hands of his mother, Amanda Hutton. The Munro Review of Child Protection, which sets out reform proposals to enable professionals to make the best judgements to help children, young people and families (2010).

3.2
Evaluate the effectiveness of working practices and strategies such as working in partnership with users of health and social care services and others are used to minimise abuse in health and social care contexts.
A law has to be passed by an authority, such as Parliament. Vulnerable service users have benefited from additional legislations and policies which apply to them specifically. There are current legislations, organisational practices and policies affecting partnership working in health and social care are: Equality Act 2010, Disability Discrimination Act 2005, Children Act 1989 amended in 2004, Disclosure and Barring Service formerly Vetting and Barring Scheme (2006).
The Equality Act, 2010 this replaced the Anti-Discrimination Law.
It requires public bodies to address and eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimization. Advance equality of opportunity between people who do share it. To foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it. According to the Children Act 1989, bullying should be addressed as a Child Protection issues. Schools are required to comply with the new Equality Act 2010. (DFES.2011). Staff or parents in all care settings dealing with children, may also check to see if the children are showing signs of bullying like torn uniforms, losing their dinner money or changes in mood, all these may be signs of abuse and being bullied. (Working Together to Safeguarding Children,
2006).
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This service is to screen people who want to work with children or vulnerable adults, for their suitability to work with the vulnerable groups. It also decides if it an appropriate person is placed or removed from the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA). And Protection of Children Act, (POCA) lists. Although these systems has been a great help for employers. This did not help Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells from Ian Huntley who murdered the school girls in their school compound. More need to be done to safeguarding children and young adults. It is also part of the Protection of Freedom Act, 2012 (NSPCC, 2011.)