Health and Safety in Health and Social Care: A Comprehensive Analysis

Contents
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................2
LO 1...................................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Systems, Policies And Procedures For Communicating Information........................................3
1.2 Responsibilities For Management Of Health And Safety In Relation To Organisational
Structures......................................................................................................................................3
1.3 Analysis Of Health And Safety Priorities Appropriate For A Specific Health And Social Care
Workplace.....................................................................................................................................4
LO 2...................................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Analyse how information from risk assessments informs care planning
and organisational decision making about policies and procedures.............................................5
2.2 Analyse the impact of one aspect of health and safety policy on Health and social care
practice and its customers.............................................................................................................5
2.3 Discuss how dilemmas are encountered in relation to implementing systems and policies for
health, safety and security may be addressed...............................................................................6
2.4 Analyse effect of non compliance with Health and safety legislation in health and social care
workplace......................................................................................................................................6
LO 3...................................................................................................................................................8
3.1 Explain how health and safety policies and practices are monitored and reviewed................8
3.2 Analyse the effectiveness of health and safety policies and practices in the workplace in
promoting positive healthy and safe culture.................................................................................8
3.3 Evaluate own contributions to placing the health and safety needs of individuals at
the centre of practice....................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................12
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INTRODUCTION
Practising safety in health and social care is very important in promoting dignity in care in
the healthcare and social services sector. When individuals are made to feel safe and cared
for there is a positive impact on the outcomes of all the procedures that are aimed for their
well being. That is the goal and care planning processes that are in line with the legislative
requirements provide guidance and education to institutions of health and social care to
ensure these health and safety standards. This assignment helps to understand the various
aspects of reinforcing the same at every level of the organisational structure.
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LO 1
1.1 Systems, Policies And Procedures For Communicating Information.
The health and safety standards are bound by legislative policies and are very descriptive
about the framework and requirements for provision of services to protect people. The
policies include not just the safety standards for the individuals using the services but also
those providing the services and people involved behind the scenes(Hughes, 2011). The
Health and Safety Executive (HSE). and Care Quality Commission are responsible for keeping
the providers in check and they also are entitled to take legal actions if the standards are
not met or not adhered to. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is the most legislative
act that was aimed to protect people from issues of health and safety at workplaces. Under
the act certain regulations regarding the health and safety are entailed that include
assessment of risk to health and safety of employees, clients and people in direct or passive
contact. The services and care homes are also bound by these regulations (2014). of the
Health and Social Care Act 2008 they include person-centred care approach, dignity and
respect for the individual, need for consent, safe care and treatment, safeguarding clients
from abuse or improper treatment, meeting nutritional and hydration needs, premises and
equipment, feedback and complaints action, requirements for the skills of the employees,
and their conduct to name a few. The CQC regulations also cover a wide range of quality
control standards to ensure only good quality services are given. That means the providers
must prevent the premises and equipment to be fit for use and must be available in
sufficient quantities in the time of need. Also the risk of infection or any risk or hazard must
be prevented and controlled. The staff must also be trained in assessing risks and carry out
necessary precautions to manage the situation. The First Aid Regulation 1981 ensures safety
of the individuals by training the staff of the use of first aid equipment ( O'Brien, 2009)..
Individuals are also protected from the neglect and improper treatment while receiving care
and treatment at the hands of the services providers which is considered to be deprivation
of Liberty under the terms of Mental Health Capacity 2005 and Human Rights 2017. All the
care organisations are mandated to document the procedures they follow and the policies
they apply to be able to track the process of monitoring the legislative requirements. The
review of the policies and procedures can be done by assessment of the care planning and
whether they are focused on the needs of clients. The risk assessment is the counter-
analysis of the delivery of the services and identifies the risks only to prevent them.
1.2 Responsibilities For Management Of Health And Safety In Relation To Organisational
Structures.
The Health and social care workplace is divided into different levels of organisations to ease
the functioning of the collaboration. As each stratum is dedicated to a particular function
that must be carried out and there is an efficient division of efforts based on skill set and
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resources. The responsibilities are shared in a likewise fashion and based on the
qualifications, competence, skills, experience and expertise to keep people safe (Black,
2011).. To achieve the requirements of the regulations the staff must be trained
appropriately along with support and supervision that is necessary for them to carry out
their roles. They should be encouraged to enhance their knowledge and skill set to enhance
the quality of service while keeping safety standards intact. The staff must have a systematic
approach to meet the needs of individuals and also keep them safe at all times. They must
also be adaptable to learn new skills and must be kept updated to the newer approaches.
The emergency protocol must be established and a contingency plan must be planted in the
training of the providers in cases of emergency. The staffs are responsible for establishing a
communication channel with the clients to customise the services according to their needs
and ensure optimum utilisation of the resources (Barry, 2012).. This helps in building the
foundations of trust and faith in the system by being open and transparent with the users.
The providers must be optimistic, enthusiastic and motivated to help patients in need and
must follow self-regulatory practices. This helps in better execution of assessments and
safety protocols.
1.3 Analysis Of Health And Safety Priorities Appropriate For A Specific Health And Social
Care Workplace.
The partnership between the Health and social care sector is successful in providing good
quality services to the people when they share the same values and follow a common goal
(Reeves, 2011). This helps focus their time and resources wisely making outcomes more
productive. As the two sectors share common goals for the progress of the partnership,
sharing health and safety priorities helps ensure the safety of its employees and clients. The
employees must be trained and qualified in delivering these services as a priority measure
to ensure health and safety measures are taken (Stirton, 2017). The care facility premises
must be clean and free from agents that can serve as focal points of the spread of infection.
This helps prevention of a potential biological hazard and compromise the Health of the
individuals. Thus all of the waste – human waste, sewer, bandages, unused medicines etc
must be thrown out following the methods of medical waste disposal system using colour
coded bags. The premises must also be protected from a fire hazard and a fire safety drill
along with first aid knowledge must be given to the employees to prepare them for
emergencies like these. There are potential risks inherent in the provision of Health and
Social care services that may arise during care and treatment but the service providers must
strive to combat these challenges. The needs for health and safety of the users must be put
at the heart of every procedure that runs in the care services and all notifications must be
produced to the CQC.
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