Health and Safety Practices in Care Settings

This assignment delves into the importance of health and safety in care environments. It examines legal obligations, risk assessments, and strategies to minimize hazards, focusing on the well-being of both service users and staff. The document utilizes a range of academic sources, including research articles and textbooks, to provide a comprehensive understanding of best practices in this field.

Health and Safety
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................................3
TASK 1.................................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Review systems, policies and procedures for communicating information of health and social
care workplace ................................................................................................................................3
1.2 Assessment of responsibilities for managing health and safety in the North Staffordshire
combined NHS trust.........................................................................................................................4
1.3 Analysis of health and safety priorities of North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS
appropriate for surgical patients.......................................................................................................4
TASK 2 ................................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Use of risk assessment in care planning for individual and organizational decision making
about policies ans procedures..........................................................................................................5
2.2 Impact of health and safety policy on lifting and handling in health and social care practices
as well as on care users in South Birmingham Primary Care Trust.................................................6
2.3 Dilemmas of care workers encounter in carrying out health and safety policies and
procedures .......................................................................................................................................6
2.4 Analysis of effects of non-compliance with health and safety legislation in South
Birmingham Primary Care Trust workplace....................................................................................7
TASK 3 ................................................................................................................................................8
3.1 Methods of monitoring and reviewing health and safety practices at newly build hospital .....8
3.2 Analysis of effectiveness of health and safety policies and practices in newly build hospital in
promoting a positive health and safety culture ...............................................................................8
3.3 Evaluation of own contribution in placing health and safety needs of individual ....................9
CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................10
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INTRODUCTION
From last few years, demand of healthcare services has increased to a great extent. These
types of needs related to health and care services are generated from different services users, public
representative etc. In this respect, healthcare organizations are responding towards the increased
demand. Further, there are various reasons which create the need of health and safety management
system in health and social care workplace such as economic, legal, moral and ethical reasons
(What is Workplace Health and why is it important?, 2015). The following research is based on
ensuring health and safety at health and social care workplace. Along with this, it is also focused on
understanding its importance for which numerous case studies have taken into consideration.
Objectives which will cover during the entire study are related to implement health and safety
legislations, analysing the impact of health and safety requirements on service users as well as
practitioners and monitoring health care practices in order to ensure health and safety in the
organization (Acton, 2013).
TASK 1
1.1 Review systems, policies and procedures for communicating information of health and social
care workplace
As per the given case scenario, it has been found that new director of North Staffordshire
Combined Healthcare NHS wants to communicate health and safety information within the
workplace. In this regard, there is required to review systems, policies and procedures related to
communicate information (Fisher, 2005). Verbal is the first existing method for communicating
information at workplace. Here, new director can organize meeting in which he can verbally
communicate information related to health and safety so that every care worker may understand it.
On the other hand, it has been determined that written communication is also a method that can be
used by new director of North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS while communicating
information regarding health and safety (Birnbaum, 2012). Under this method, he can develop some
memo, posters, emails etc which contain all information about health and safety at workplace. This
will send to the staff members by emails, displaying on notice boards, distributing hard copies etc.
On the other hand, graphics is also an effective source of communication. With the help of this, new
director of North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS to show important information about
health and safety to the staff members (Cutler and Waine, 2003). Therefore, from the review of
existing systems, policies and procedures, it has found that present methods of communication are
effective and useful for new director of organization to share important information regarding health
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and safety at workplace.
1.2 Assessment of responsibilities for managing health and safety in the North Staffordshire
combined NHS trust
From the given case study, it has been clearly understand that from last few years, North
Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust has been facing issues related to poor services. For
this, organization has developed health and safety management system which helps in improving
services of care centre. In this context, new director of care organization has some responsibilities
for managing health and safety at workplace (Baker and Baker, 2009). Assessment of the
responsibilities of new director is as follows. Inspection of workplace: new director is responsible for inspecting workplace in order to
ensure that new health and safety system is working effectively or not. From the assessment,
it has determined that he has to regularly inspect working areas in order to ensure about
health and safety of employees and service users (Alakeson, 2013). Monitoring and evaluating: Under this responsibility, new director of North Staffordshire
Combined Healthcare NHS has continuously monitor and evaluate new health and safety
system at workplace. The result of his efforts is incidence rates are reducing by 16% over
past years. Employers: From the evaluation of responsibilities of new director of North Staffordshire
Combined Healthcare NHS, it has explored that he has given conducting risk assessment
process in every 3 months. Along with this, he is also responsible for discussing health and
safety issues with the board (Your employer's duty of care in practice. 2015). The result of
this is the incidents related to accidents at workplace has decreased.
 Employees: New director of North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS is responsible
for organizing different kinds of training related to health and safety to care workers of
organization. He is also formulated many types of health and safety related policies for the
staff members (Your responsibilities. 2015). This effort leads to decreased insurance of life
activities at workplace by 10%.
Therefore, from the assessment of above stated responsibilities, it has concluded that he
manages appropriately health and safety management system so that percentage of accidents and
illness has been reduced at workplace.
1.3 Analysis of health and safety priorities of North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS
appropriate for surgical patients
North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS has some health and safety priorities
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towards surgical patients. From the analysis, it has been found that there are some prime concerns
for the health and safety of service users. In this regard, first priority is related to arrange training
sessions for health care practitioners where the training will give on how maintained health and
safety of patients during surgery (Curtis, 2012). Second concern is related to cleaning and hygiene
of operation area so that chances of infections and other illness will be reduced and patient will be
safe and secure from the external attack of diseases. Third priority, is given for disposing of expire
medicines, bandage, cloths, injections etc in a proper manner. The reason of being this work at third
number as a priority is health care works will not use infection injections, cloths and expire
medicines during next surgery and it will reduce infection diseases (Askham, 2005). Another prime
concern of healthcare organization is assessment of risks so that number of hazards at workplace
with patients and care workers can be easily reduced. For this, management of North Staffordshire
Combined Healthcare NHS has followed various health and safety methods so that place of hospital
can be safe, secure and hazard free for social workers and service users.
TASK 2
2.1 Use of risk assessment in care planning for individual and organizational decision making about
policies and procedures
Risk assessment is a very important tool for devising effective care plans. Health and social
care workers play vital role in carrying out risk assessment for service users which help them in
developing an appropriate care plan for patients. Risk cannot be eliminated completely but can be
reduced or prevented by conducting a proper risk assessment in a health and social care setting. In
the given scenario, the 90 year old patient slipped from sling and got injured. If the risk assessment
was done properly in the above case then the accident would have been prevented. There are
various risk factors involved in a health and social care setting which can pose perils to health and
well-being of individuals (Clark, 2011). The risk assessment helps in gathering essential
information that helps management of South Birmingham Primary Care Trust in the given scenario
to develop sound organizational policies and practices related The management of the care
organization implement these policies and procedures to ensure health and safety of service users.
Trust conducts hazard evaluation process within workplace then it will beneficial for them With the
help of collected data, it will easy to categorize the types of risk and their impacts on services users
as well as care workers in more appropriate manner.
On the basis of risk assessment, different care plan will prepared as per the needs of patients
in terms of healthcare. For instance, risk assessment for handicap service users shows that they a
risk of falling hazards while walking without any support. This information has helped in
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formulated care plan for such type of patients for which care organization provides wheelchairs and
other supportive walking objects (Brand, 2012). Same information which was obtaining from
hazard evaluation will use management of South Birmingham Primary Care Trust for developing
different types of health and safety policies for patients so that they will prevent from uncertain
accidents and illness.
2.2 Impact of health and safety policy on lifting and handling in health and social care practices as
well as on care users in South Birmingham Primary Care Trust
As per the given case study, it has been found that to avoid hazards regarding lifting and
handling of patients, numerous health and safety policies are developed by South Birmingham
Primary Care Trust. But, formulated frameworks impact on health and social care practices as well
as services users (Buchanan and Carnwell, 2004). To understand the footprint of health and safety
policy, an example related to case study can be considered. Newly developed health and safety
framework will guide care workers to lift and handle old age patients at time of moving from bad to
other areas. They will also ensure that the equipment for lifting user should be suitable and
comfortable (Acton, 2013). In this context, social workers will ensure that there should not be any
chances of hazards while handling and lifting patients with the help of supportive equipment. This
type of effect shows that health and safety policies of South Birmingham Primary Care Trust has
positive impact on health care practices of care workers.
Outcome of health and safety frameworks of care organizations on services users is that they
will get better treatment along with security (Hanks and et.al., 2011). It will help in develop a trust
in patients on social workers that will be fruitful for South Birmingham Primary Care Trust in
future to build a good relationship with them. Different types of health and safety policies will
create awareness in services users about safety and security (Lloyd and Marjorie, 2010). Therefore,
from the above discussion, it has been clear that impacts of health and safety while handling and
lifting in health and social care practices and care users of South Birmingham Primary Care Trust
has positive.
2.3 Dilemmas of care workers encounter in carrying out health and safety policies and procedures
There are several dilemmas that arise in health and social care setting in UK. It has been
observed that individuals from different cultural backgrounds come together in a care setting. They
have their own beliefs and attitudes which give rise to ethical dilemmas. These dilemmas are very
common and significantly affect the quality of care services. For example if a mental patient wants
to go out on the terrace then in that case a care worker in order to ensure his safety would not allow
him to express his will. However in HSC setting the rights of individuals are considered important
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and all care professionals are required to respect the rights of service users. Thus this causes ethical
dilemmas among care givers. These dilemmas discourage care workers in implementing health and
safety policies and procedures for the benefits of patients (Rushton, 2005). According to the given
case study, it has determined that South Birmingham Primary Care Trust was finding guilty in the
accident of 90 old age patient who was slipped from sling while transferring from a commode to a
bed. Reason which was determined after investigation was related to the ineffective equipment used
for lifting and handling patients (Sheldon, 2011). Therefore, to avoid this type of accidents, care
organization need to implement health and safety policies as well as procedures at workplace.
In this context, at the time of implementing frameworks, care workers will face several
dilemmas which can be understood by considering given case study. A patient who is 95 year old
and not capable to sit alone without the support of care workers (Acton, 2013). Care organization is
defined under health and safety policies that social workers have to use slings and hoists while
handling and lifting users. But, the patient is not comfortable with support equipment and he has
fear that he will fall if he uses sling and hoists for moving. Therefore, he refuses to use support
equipment for the movement purpose. This situation has created dilemmas for care workers such as
either they have to listen patient’s issues and work according to it or just follow organization
policies and neglecting problems of users (Alakeson, 2013). Therefore, such type of dilemmas will
occur with care workers of South Birmingham Primary Care Trust while implementing new health
and safety policies at workplace.
2.4 Analysis of effects of non-compliance with health and safety legislation in South Birmingham
Primary Care Trust workplace
In general term, non-compliance means fail to respond according with given command. In
the respect of health and safety legislation, non-compliance can be defined as when a health care
organization does not follow rules, guidelines, regulations etc which has already set by government
(Tributor, 2014). As per the given case scenario, it has been clear that South Birmingham Primary
Care Trust failed in its duty to ensure safety of services users and was found guilty for breaching
section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work act 1974 which is a serious issue related to non-
compliance in terms of health and safety legislation.
From the analysis of case study, it has determined that there are various effects of non-
compliance which are directly faced by patients of South Birmingham Primary Care Trust. The care
organization has failed to carry out effective risk assessment to ensure the safety of service users.
The care workers of the trust had no idea about the type and size of slings which are used for
handling and lifting patients (Baker and Baker, 2009). At the time of moving user, they do not
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considered health and safety legislation. This leads to non-compliance which had a fatal
consequence as a 90 year old age patient slipped from large sling and was dead at the same time.
Another effect of breaching act is related to increase the risk of hazards with patients,
delivering of poor quality care treatments to service users, decreased organization performance,
increase in customer dissatisfaction, increase in employee turnover, increase in number of accidents
within the workplace with services users and care workers, create a negative image in patients mind
etc (Askham, 2005). Hence, from the above research, it can be concluded that the effects of non-
compliance with health and safety legislations in South Birmingham Primary Care Trust workplace
has negative which affect both care workers and patients of organization.
TASK 3
3.1 Methods of monitoring and reviewing health and safety practices at newly build hospital
As per the given case study, it has determined that nurses of newly build hospital have faced
difficulties that carpets made the mobile patient hoist for too hard to move (Fisher, 2005). Due to
this, they are stopped to use hoists because carpets have created a risk of hazards for the users.
When a patient occupies in the hoist, the wheels sank into carpets which make it difficult to move.
In this respect, it is important to assess existing methods of monitoring and reviewing health and
safety practices of newly build hospital. This approach will use in determining new ways to resolve
the issues of nurses at the time of using hoist (Clark, 2011). There are some methods for reviewing
and monitoring health and safety practices of care organization which are as follows.
Audit of risks: Under this method, newly build hospital will make audit of risk on the basis of
received reports. It is a kind of risk assessment process in which management of new hospital
determines possible risks that can happen while moving hoist on carpets. On the basis of this
process, organization will easily segregate risks on the basis of their impacts on patients (Health
and Safety Audits. 2015). Therefore, with the help of audit of risks, management of newly build
hospital can monitor and review existing health and safety practices.
Review of practices: With the help of following method, newly build hospital can monitor and
review health and safety practices. By reviewing different frameworks, management will determine
loopholes in their existing practices and know the effectiveness of the same at workplace (Cutler
and Waine, 2003). Therefore, gathered information will help in taking actions to make corrections
in current health and safety practices as well as to resolve work based problems.
Learning from experience: It is the most common way of monitoring and reviewing existing
health and safety practices. By using this method, management of newly build hospital can
understand the effectiveness of present health and safety applications. Previous experience will help
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in analysing whether current health and safety actions reduced the accidents and incidents with
users or not (Hanks and et.al., 2011). Hence, by learning from experience, newly hospital will able
to monitor and review health and safety practices in an effective manner.
3.2 Analysis of effectiveness of health and safety policies and practices in newly build hospital in
promoting a positive health and safety culture
In the given scenario, it can be analysed that existing health and safety policies as well as
practices of newly build hospital helps in promoting a positive health and safety culture at its
workplace. For example, present health and safety of policy regarding use of hoist for patients
helps in reducing the number of falls. This is an effective practice to ensure the safety of patients
while lifting. This not only helps in reducing the cases of accidents and injuries while treatment but
also helps in building good relations with service users (Lloyd and Marjorie, 2010).
In addition to this, it can be analysed that effectiveness of health and safety policies and
practices in newly build hospital can be understood by another example. By discussing with
different teams of care workers, effects of present frameworks can be determined. In addition to
this, it will influence social workers to adopt good health and safety practices at workplace. This
will create positive environment and promote an effective health and safety culture at workplace
(Curtis, 2012). Therefore, with the help of such initiatives, it can be analysed that health and safety
policies as well as practices in newly build policies are effective in promoting a positive health and
safety culture.
3.3 Evaluation of own contribution in placing health and safety needs of individual
As a senior care worker of newly build hospital, it is my responsibility to ensure that proper
treatment is given to all the patients as per their health and safety needs. In this context, I have to
give contribution in identifying the needs of patients. For the evaluation of my efforts, I have to first
assess my responsibilities where I have to know that I am capable or not to complete my duties in a
right manner. It helps in knowing about my weaknesses which affect my work.
Beside this, to implement health and safety needs of every single user, my contribution in
this is giving training to the care workers. It will assist them to deliver effective care services to the
patients. For the evaluation of my contribution, I will observe the working of social care workers to
determine the effects of training. If, results are positive then, it will show that I have fulfilled my
duties in a right manner. On the other hand, by interacting with patients, staff members and top
management, I will able to evaluate my own efforts. The discussion with every person, I will know
my positive and negative points. Therefore, with the help of different methods, I can evaluate my
contribution in placing health and safety needs of individuals.
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CONCLUSION
From the above research, it has been found that most of care centre’s senior management
members are committed towards safety, welfare and health of both employees and services users.
The result of this is it promotes prevention of working areas from illness and accidents. There are
different methods of communication available for sharing information about health and safety at
workplace. Along with this, risk assessment process has helped improved and developed health and
safety practices in care organizations. With the use of many kinds of methods for monitoring and
reviewing the health and safety policies and practices at workplace.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Acton, A. Q., 2013. Issues in Social, Ethnic, and Cultural Research. ScholarlyEditions.
Alakeson, A., 2013. The individual as service integrator: Experience from the personal health
budget pilot in the English NHS. Journal of Integrated Care. 21(4). pp.188 – 197.
Askham, J., 2005. The role of professional education in promoting the dignity of older people.
Quality in Ageing and Older Adults. 6(2). pp.10–16.
Baker, R. W. and Baker, J. J., 2009. Health Care Finance. Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Birnbaum, D., 2012. A different kind of public healthcare system. Clinical Governance: An
International Journal. 17 (3). pp.248 – 252.
Brand, D., 2012. Social and health care integration: (1) The individual dimension. Journal of
Integrated Care. 20(6). pp. 371–378.
Buchanan, J. and Carnwell, R., 2004. Effective Practice in Health and Social Care. McGraw-Hill
International.
Clark, M., 2011. Mental health care clusters and payment by results: considerations for social
inclusion and recovery. Mental Health and Social Inclusion. 15(2). pp.71–77.
Curtis, L. A., 2012. Unit costs of health and social care 2012. Personal Social Services Research
Unit.
Cutler, T. and Waine, B., 2003. Advancing accountability? The social services “star ratings. Public
Money and Management. 23 (2). pp 125–8.
Fisher, A., 2005. Health and Social Care. Oxford: Henemann.
Hanks, G. and et.al., 2011. Oxford textbook of palliative medicine. FAMILY MEDICINE. 43(2).
pp.131.
Lloyd and Marjorie., 2010. A Practical Guide To Care Planning In Health And Social Care.
McGraw-Hill International.
Mary, L., 2011. Social Aspects Of Health, Illness And Healthcare. McGraw-Hill International.
Rushton, A., 2005. Formative assessment: a key to deep learning. Medical Teacher. 26(6). pp. 509-
513.
Sheldon, B., 2011. Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy: research and practice in health and social care.
Routledge.
Online
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