Health and Safety Report: Health and Safety in Care Home, East London

This report examines health and safety practices within a care home setting, focusing on various aspects such as employer responsibilities, employee roles, and the impact of health and safety policies. The report begins with an introduction to the significance of health and safety in ensuring the well-...Read More

68-HEALTH
AND SAFETY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
HEALTH AND SAFETY ...............................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Fact sheet ..............................................................................................................................3
1.2 Responsibilities of employer ................................................................................................4
1.3 Case studies ...........................................................................................................................6
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................7
2.1 Evaluation of principles of care planning .............................................................................7
2.2 Effect of health and safety policy .......................................................................................10
2.3 Dilemma definitions ...........................................................................................................11
2.4 Identification of legislation .................................................................................................12
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................12
3.1 Monitoring and review of Audit .........................................................................................12
3.2 Definition of culture ............................................................................................................13
3.3 Gibbs analysis .....................................................................................................................14
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................15
References .....................................................................................................................................16
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INTRODUCTION
Health and safety is significant for ensuring physical, mental and social well
being of staff members in the organization. It supports in mitigating the negative impact
of potential risk and conductive working environment can be developed in the entity
(Coghlan and Brannick, 2014). Present report describes about Methods of implementing
healthy and safety legislations is implemented in the health and social work place. In
addition to this impact of health and safety policy has been mentioned. Dilemmas that
occur in implementing health and safety policy have been described and methods of
monitoring health and safety practices have also been defined.
TASK 1
1.1 Fact sheet
It is assertive that staff members in the organization should be provided with proper
and appropriate information so that they can be made aware about various services
that are available for them. It is the responsibility and duty of employer to provide safe
and protective working environment (Andersen, Rice and Kominski, 2011). It will
mitigate the impact of risks that are associated with working environment in the care
home. Guidelines and policies formulated by government are followed and all the
safety and health related policies are complied. Health and safety regulation 1981 is
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an act formed by government which states that it is vital for the employer of a care
home to provide required equipment and facilities for ensuring safety and preventive
cares for employees working in the entity (Amaral, Jones and Karseth, 2013.).
Guidelines mentioned under the act are followed and employer of care home makes it
ensure that training to the staff members should be provided for making them aware
about the first aid arrangements.
In the care home, provisions are made for managing first aid box, equipment and
medical room. It supports in ensuring health and safety of the staff members and well
being of visitors, customers and other stakeholders can also be ensured by this.
Medical professionals have been appointed in the enterprise so that in case of any
emergency medical situations, quick first aid treatment can be rendered to staff
members (Petch, 2012). In addition to this, Health and safety act 2012 which
mentioned guidelines about giving safe and protective workplace to employees
without making any discrimination on the grounds of age, sex, gender, ethnicity and
religion with any worker.
Effective methods are used for informing staff members about various medical and
first aid services that are available for them in the care home. Circulars and written
documents are provided to them for making them aware about safety and health
related legislation that they need to follow (Earp, 2008). Health and safety information
can be provided to the staff members of care home by organizing training programs
and seminars in which they can be given with required information. Details about
location of equipment, facilities and key personnel involved in providing first aid can be
provided by sending E-mails and written notices.
1.2 Responsibilities of employer
Care home situated in East London is working for providing better preventive,
rehabilitative and curative services to people. It is critical that all prominent stakeholders
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of business should complete their responsibility for ensuring smooth functioning of the
organization. Major responsibilities of stakeholders is defined as:-
Employers: - It is the duty of employer in organization to protect and safeguard
well being of staff members. According to the guidelines mentioned in Health and
safety at work act 1974, it becomes the duty of employer to provide first aid and medical
care to staff members that are working in the entity (Renaud and Goucher, 2012).
Physical, mental and social well-being of employees need to be ensured and it is
required that employer should protect health, safety and welfare of employees that are
working in the enterprise.
Equality act 2010 also renders guidelines that it is the accountability of
employer to ensure safety of employees without making any discrimination on the
grounds of sex, age, religion and ethnic background. Providing first aid services,
equipment and medical facilities is the accountability of employer and it is needed that
all subordinates should be informed about various medical and first aid facilities that are
available for the employees (Sharma and Jeong, 2012). Employers need to consult with
workers and identify their requirements along with and informing them about various
first aid treatments that are available for them.
Employees: - They are responsible for taking care of their own health and other
people around them. They need to provide support to employer by following policies,
rules and norms that are formed by the top management of organization. Staff members
are accountable for complying with safety and health related policies that are followed in
the organization (Warburton and Black, 2002). It will support in ensuring physical,
mental and social well-being of employees and it will also support for completing all the
desired functional activities of entity by mitigating the negative impact of various risks
and dangers that are associated with working environment (Zeshan and Mohamad,
2012).
Visitors: - Patients and other visitors need to follow all guidelines and instructions
that are given by the management of care home. All health and safety policies as well
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as instructions given to visitors are needed to be followed so that a safe and protective
environment can be developed in the care home (Coghlan and Brannick, 2014).
Contractors, customers and business partners: - They all are included under the
category of key stakeholders of business (Martin, 2010). They are responsible for
ensuring safety at workplace by complying with all the policies and norms that are
followed in the care home.
1.3 Case studies
According to the case study available at WWW.hse.gov.uk, it has been observed
that a hospital worker was involved in opening a door of a meeting room and suddenly
he slipped on the floor. The floor was cleaned with vinyl and it was wet due to which
staff member felt and got injured. This sudden incident caused injuries to the staff
member (Case studies . 2016). A health inspector was appointed for making inquiry for
the case. Some major concerns that were identified in the case includes -
 No suitable and proper measures were taken by management and cleaning staff
for preventing people to step on the wet floor.
 New cleaner was not properly trained for performing the cleaning work and due
that reason injuries were sustained by staff member.
 Floor cleaning was done at unsuitable time and no warnings were given to the
people related to risk and dangers for stepping onto the wet floor.
From the above case study, it can be concluded that it is vital that risk assessment
process will be conducted in the organization and potential risk areas and situations
should be identified. Areas of health and safety which requires priority need to be be
identified. It is required that strategies and policies should be formed for mitigating the
negative impact of risk (Zhou and Baptista Nunes, 2013). Appropriate security systems
should be installed in the enterprise for doing proper monitoring as well as use of door
locks, cameras and gate alarms can be taken. In addition to this, safe and conductive
environment can be maintained in the enterprise so that health. Temperature control
system, ventilation and building maintenance systems can be adopted. Safety and
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welfare of staff members can be ensured by taking these actions (Zeshan and
Mohamad, 2012). Safety aids can also be used in the entity including wheelchair,
walking aid and hoist. Care home can adopt all these measures for rendering safe and
protective environment for staff members, visitors and business partners.
TASK 2
2.1 Evaluation of principles of care planning
Care planning aid in providing better and effective services to people and
maintaining safe and conductive environment in the entity. It is crucial that principles of
care planning should be followed while doing risk assessment and making a systematic
care plan for the enterprise. It is vital to ensure that care planning should be
personalized and it should focuses on client's needs. It will help in delivering effective
and better care services to people in the care home. Care plan must promote
independence and concentrates on reducing inequality in the organization (Shrivastav,
Shrivastav and Biffi, 2013). Care plan made in organized and systematic way supports
for empowering stakeholders of entity such as employees, employers, customers,
visitors and business partners.
Care plan also supports for reducing inequalities at work place that occurs on the
grounds of sex, religion, age and financial status. Risk assessment process conducted
at care home situated in East London will support for identifying potential risk areas in
the entity and dangers and harms associated with that area can also be identified. Risk
assessment process helps ion identifying hazards in entity and measures that can be
taken for reducing the negative impact can also be assessed by conducting the
assessment process (Sharma and Jeong, 2012).
Moreover, effective strategies can be formed for mitigating and reducing the
negative impact of risk and it will help for managing safe and conductive environment in
the entity. It is vital that systematic procedures should be adopted for carrying out the
risk assessment procedure in the care home. Strategies and action plans should be
formed for reducing the negative impact of potential risk and it is necessary that risk
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assessment must be implemented (Earp, 2008). Risk assessment template that can be
used in the enterprise is as followed :-
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Organization name :- Care home East London
Date of risk assessment – 19/01/2017
What are
the
hazards
Who might
be harmed
and how
What are
you
already
doing
Do you
need to do
anything
else to
manage
the risk
Action by
who
Action by
when
Done
Slips and
trips
incidents
Employees
, visitors
and
patients
are the one
who might
be injured
while
stepping
on the floor
Proper
training
has been
given to
the house
keeping
staff of the
organizatio
n (Risk
assessmen
t . 2016).
Directions
and
instructions
are given
for doing
their
cleaning
and other
housekeep
ing chores
It is vital
that some
effective
measures
should be
taken for
providing
better
services to
people.
Use of
electronic
devices
can be
taken for
cleaning
and
housekeep
ing
purpose.
Housekeep
ing
manager
20/2017
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on proper
time and in
an
effective
way so that
other
people did
bot get
affected
due to it.
2.2 Effect of health and safety policy
Health and safety policies supports for protecting health, safety and welfare of
individual and it also aids in rendering safe and conductive working environment for
people. Health and safety policy related to manual handling of equipments and load. It
is vital for employer and staff members should play their responsibilities and comply
with the policies and norms that are running ion the organization.
Health and safety policy 1974 mentioned guidelines about handling of dangerous
substances and chemicals (Zeshan, and Mohamad, 2012). In the care home all these
guidelines are followed and staff members and employers properly complete the task of
manual handling. Legislations related to manual handling need to be followed properly
and it is also required that personnel working in the organization should comply with all
the norms and regulations that are followed in the care home. For example if a person
fails in following guidelines of manual handling than negative consequences are faced
due to it. It is critical that proper training should be provided to staff members and
employers so that they should be properly made aware about the guidelines and norms
that they need to follow while handling equipments and other devices (Moos, 2012). In
case of absence of not respecting the manual handling occur, then negative and risky
consequences might needs to be faced and injuries and other risks might be faced.
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2.3 Dilemma definitions
There are many dilemmas that are faced in implementing the Health and safety
policy and it is required that these dilemmas should be addressed properly. There are
many types of dilemmas that are faced while rendering preventive, curative and
rehabilitative services to people in care home that is situated at East London. Services
users have been provided with Right and authority for self determination, confidentiality,
respect and dignity (Martin, 2010). Sometimes situations are faced by service users in
which access to rights is limited.
For example Right to self determination describes about legal rights given to the
people for deciding about their own destiny and taking decisions related to their career
and future. Moreover, it is right assigned to people for governing themselves and
influencing their own future decisions (Renaud and Goucher, 2012). As per Human
Rights Act 1998 people have been granted rights for defending themselves in public
organizations and courts. It is vital that all individuals should be treated equally in fair
and transparent manner and no discrimination should be made with the employees.
The act gives rights for determining what we want to do in terms of religion,
orientation and career. Services users also have right to decide about kind of services
that they want to avail. In care home sometimes it is needed that medical and first aid
services should be given to patients even if it is against the choice of service users.
Sometimes critical situations and circumstances occurs where it becomes difficult for
following the right to self determination (Atwal and Jones, 2009). It creates dilemma and
it is vital that appropriate measures should be taken in the care home for meeting with
this kind of issues that are faced. For example a critical situation occurs when a women
gets abused by her son and she defends this and she denied for describing this incident
to anyone as it will create situation in which her son is supposed to go in jail ans she will
become suicidal. She is not describing much about the situation as she is not in
condition to trust anyone else. It shows and describes about situations of dilemma that
is being faced by service users and care providers.
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2.4 Identification of legislation
Non compliance is defined as situation in which failure occurs in complying with
rules and regulations that are formed by state. According to a case BUPA care home
situated in South Lanarkshire was legally fined for not following the guidelines that are
mentioned in Health and safety act 1974. It was a case of non compliance and court
has given punishment to offenders by imposing fines on them. In that particular case
risk assessment was not carried out and due to that client Mrs Elizabeth Stevenson, 88
was dead.
It was a clear case of non compliance and due to that many negative influence
were observed. Penalty was imposed on BUPA care home worth £57,000. Proper
instructions and directions were not provided to staff members and staff members were
not caring in moving patients from one place to another. In addition to that proper risk
assessment process was also not carried out due to which failure was observed and
sudden death of patient occurred. In this case breach of section 3 under the Health and
safety act 1974 occurred and it leads towards creating severe damages for the patient.
TASK 3
3.1 Monitoring and review of Audit
It is vital that monitoring and auditing process should be performed properly in
the organization so that risk can be reduced. It supports in identifying areas where there
is need for making improvements and need for taking prioritize actions. It is vital that
health and safety policies and their implantation should be followed properly so that
effective measures can be taken rectifying the gaps and improving the weak performing
areas (Andersen, Rice and Kominski, 2011). According to Health and safety at work
regulations it becomes responsibility of employer to make arrangements for rendering
safe and conductive working environment to employees. It is imperative to have proper
arrangements for planning, organising, controlling and monitoring the protective
measures that occur due to risk assessment procedures. Proper monitoring can be
done by adopting an effective procedure and it includes involvement of all the staff
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members and personnels that are working in the entity (Brunton, Chabner and
Knollmann, 2011).
Top management and people sitting in the board should ensure that periodic and
timely audit of risk control measures that are followed in the entity should be carried out.
Effectiveness of management structures and implementation of health and safety policy
needs to be carried out. Data and information related to work place health and safety
needs to be collected and on the basis of that decisions should be taken. Review of
reports and documents can be done on regular basis so that weak performing areas
and gaps can be identified (Sharma and Jeong, 2012). Monitoring can be done by
carrying out spot checks. In addition to that audits can be conducted on monthly basis
and reviewing of management reports can also be done. Safety inspections can also be
carried out by preparing a checklist and on the basis of that decisions can be taken.
3.2 Definition of culture
Health and safety policies and procedures that are used in the enterprise are
effective in managing safe and conductive work environment and due to that it becomes
possible for rendering effective curative and preventive services to patients. Moreover,
Culture of an organization is defined as system which includes shared assumptions,
values and beliefs that aids in governing behaviour and attitude of people in the
organization (French, 2010). Health and safety policy of an organization is also an
attempt which helps in providing safety and security to individuals at work place. Culture
is all about behaviour of people towards other individuals.
Moreover, positive culture in organization supports for enhancing moral and
motivational level of staff members towards performing a job in effective way. If
appropriate health and safety policies would be thee in enterprise than risk associated
with working environment will reduce and due to that fewer harms and dangers will be
sustained by people (Coghlan and Brannick, 2014). Moreover, if working environment
will not be healthy than many harms and risk will be faced by people and due to that
their moral and motivational level will decrease. It will give negative impacts on the
coordination, mutual understanding and behaviour of people in the entity and it will also
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give negative impact on the overall organizational culture. Health and safety policies
and procedures that have been used at Care home situated at East London has
supported in developing safe culture (Bruno, 2010). Physical, mental and well-being of
individuals in ensured under this and it becomes possible for managing the operational
activities of entity in effective way.
3.3 Gibbs analysis
Working as a manager In care home some effective measures have been taken
by me which supported in managing health and safety in the organization. Gibbs
reflective cycle will be used for describing my own contribution and it is as followed :-
(SOURCE- Petch, 2012)
Description :- It was required that health and safety policies should be properly
implemented in the care home. I was needing to conduct risk assessment for identifying
weak performing areas and on the basis of that develop a care plan. I have adopted
some vary effective measures which helped me in ensuring health and safety in the
organization. I tried my best possible efforts for ensuring that all the legal guidelines
given by government should be followed properly and non compliance of legal
guidelines should be totally avoided. I distributed circulars and notices among staff
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Illustration 1: Gibbs reflective cycle

members about making them aware about various health and safety policies that are
needed to be followed in the enterprise. I organized training sessions for workers to
make them aware about diverse range of medical facilities, first aid kits and other
services that are available for them. In addition to that I have suggested for using
different Bins, papers, plastics and bags for maintaining proper hygiene in the
organization.
Feelings :- I was feeling that if health and safety related policies will not be implemented
properly than due to that it will create risk and dangerous situation for personnel in care
home.
Evaluation :- I have taken some effective measures for completing my responsibilities
as a manager in care home and I was successful in providing safe and better
environment to the stakeholders.
Conclusion :- Actions taken by me supported in delivering positive experience for
everyone including staff members, employers, visitors and other stakeholders.
Action :- I can make effective care plan in future for providing better and effective care
services to staff members in the future.
CONCLUSION
Summing up the present report it can be concluded that it is vital to properly
implement health and safety policy in the enterprise. Monitoring of health and safety
policy can be done by conducting audits on monthly basis. In addition to this use of
checklist can also be taken for doing proper monitoring of health and safety policy in the
entity. Health and safety policies implemented in systematic and organized way
supports for ensuring better and conductive working environment in the enterprise and it
also supports for developing effective organizational culture. It is vital that health and
safety policies that have been formulated by government should be followed properly
otherwise it will be considered as non compliance of norms. In addition to this proper
directions and instructions can be given to all the concerned people for completing their
duties and responsibilities in effective way and it will support for reducing negative
impacts of potential risk.
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Online
Case studies . 2016. [Online]. Available through:
<http://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/casestudies.htm>. [Accessed on 20th January 2016].
Risk assessment . 2016. [Online]. Available through:
<http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/casestudies/>. [Accessed on 20th January 2016].
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