P2/M2 – Identify the main barriers to accessing health and social care services & Describe how the barriers to accessing health and social care may be overcome.
Financial
For certain people the cost of travelling to a health and social care service is a big barrier. A lot of people in Britain work intensive hours for a little salary and most of their wages go towards their family, food and home. As a result their there is not enough money for transport cost or for a visit to the clinic or a social service centre.
Geographical location
Some people may live in a village and more rural areas and may not be able to access certain services e.g. hospitals, dentists etc. The reasons they may not be able to access these services is because they cannot travel there, possible because they don’t have a car or buses don’t run at suitable times. The elderly may suffer even more if they cannot walk to certain services and their condition(s) could get increasingly worse. Some families may not be able to afford a car because of fuel prices for example. So this may prevent them from accessing the services because of the geographical location and the cost.
Disabled people with disabilities have impairments which affect their mobility such as vision, hearing or understanding. Disability comes from the environment – stopping them accessing the services they require. Almost every health and social care service now have wheelchair access, induction loops, large print for the visual impaired and access to information in Braille.
Old centres that were made many years ago may not be suitable adapted to meet these needs and financial costs may prevent this.
Ethnicity
Ethnicity is our ethnic origins e.g. where our ancestors were born. Ethnicity refers to the cultural factors of the racial group. Especially religion, food habits, dressing and life style occupations. Ethnicity may affect the colour of our skin and our appearance.
In some cultures and ethnic groups women are only allowed to be checked up by female doctors only and this can mean that if there were no females doctors available they would have to refuse to receive medical treatment and this could be a very high risk.
Culture
Culture is all about all the suitable practices for good manners and the ways in which they do it are important to a particular group e.g. in a health and social care setting individuals would not make eye contact with a professional such as a social worker as a sign of respect whereas other groups would class lack of eye contact as bad mannered.
It is vital that we identify the customs and values which are a fraction of culture and show respect even if we differ then again if we don’t not respect the culture and customs of the users of the service, we are not meeting their needs. Customs and value are a significant part of what makes us an individual and also places us in a certain group and provides us with a sense of identity.
P3. Explain the benefits of interagency partnerships & M2. Discuss the ways in which agencies work together to benefit individuals.
Inter – agency working
Individuals who are employed by different agencies may also work as a team to support and help put a person or a family. For example a social worker, and occupational therapist and a nurse can work as a team in partnership to help an individual who has physical disabilities such as not being able to walk. It is vital that these professionals keep it known that they have to share information with each other and co-operate vigantly to prevent mistakes form happening. Team work is very important and it’s very essential that these professionals included the user of the services in the entire decision making.
Voluntary and statutory sector liaison
Voluntary groups such as the NSPCC could work with statutory organisations such as children services to guide and keep safe a child who is at risk from harm. It is vital that these groups and organisations see themselves as professionals and put aside and professional bias and recognise each other as professionals who are working to achieve a goal.
Multi-disciplinary working
Individuals who are employed by the same service for example social services will work together to help put a person or a family. If there are various social issues in a family for example a probation officer, a counsellor and a social worker will come together and support a family. It is essential that that all these professionals see themselves as a team regardless n how they don’t usually work together other wise the partnership will fall and the individual will not get the support they need. All of these professionals should work together to plan and carry out the support needed, so that everything will come out as a success.
When Agencies work together it can be a positive experience when everyone works together achieving their set tasks and be eager to help out others in their team. This experience becomes negative where one or more associates do not achieve their tasks.
Purpose of teamwork
Teams are always a cool, calm and collected group of people, who ought to work together other wise the service will not be completed effectively. Example if you are working as a team and you view a problem to your own professional view it will shamble because you are working as a team and you need to remember to view these problems from several angels form all sides of the issue e.g. a individual has come with housing problems cause she can no longer use the upstairs of her house due to physical disabilities so she may need re-housing and this a where a housing officer would come in and sort that out. On the other hand because health and social care services are working together an occupational therapist would be linked to this situation to asses the house and to suggest the stairs should be dismantled; enabling her to remain in her neighbour hood among her friends and family.
Pooling of resources
When professionals work in partnership they would be able to share possessions which means that less money would be needed and saved leaving more to be used by other professionals.
A holistic approach
Professionals will talk about the need of the individual after they have done an assessment, even though some will find that they have the answer and aims they will still approach the situation in different ways. A holist approach is when you see something as a whole.
Prevention of duplication
When you get different professionals working together, by seeing them working in partnership, they can reduce the time where the same support will be delivered. On the other hand a person may have been assed by various professionals separately, with no contact what so ever between any of them and therefore this could lead to the valuable resources going to waste and the service user’s time wasted.
D1. Asses the factors that could prevent these organisations working together
Empathy
Empathy is the power of understanding and imaginatively entering into another persons feeling. Within a health and social care organisation it is important that you respect and see things from their point of view. When there is lack of empathy it can prevent a partnership from being successful.
Discrimination
An organisation brings together a lot of people who may have nothing in common other than their job and this usually causes a few problems. Most professionals usually seem able to get along together and put aside any personal and cultural differences. However, sometimes professionals do not or will not get along with colleges at work and this leads over into incidents of unacceptable behaviour such as discriminatory treatment or harassment. Some times a company may have rules or systems that may also lead to discrimination can be evident but sometimes it can be more subtle.
The reality is that once discrimination or harassment becomes embedded in the workforce the adverse effects on the organisation and the harmony of the work environment, are likely to continue and perhaps become even more damaging if not dealt with swiftly.
Lack of Training
Lack of training could prevent organisations working together e.g. if you have never had training before and service user has come to ask you for help you cannot help them. Training helps you become well in work and if you don’t know what you’re doing in the work place this can have and effect on the organisation.
P4. Explain the skills required for two different job roles in health and social care
Skills required for a nurse
Nurses are professionals who deliver support to people who are in hospitals as well as in the community. Nurses are trained for about three to four years before they are fully qualified.
Roles of a nurse
A nurse has many responsibilities in the rehabilitation of a person who has needed hospital treatment.
Nurses’ work in most fields of medicine, these nurses do further training in their chosen speciality to gain qualification to work freely.
Nurses make diagnosis, order tests and investigations alongside doctors, and if necessary, refer patients to the appropriate consultant. Nurses also assist with bath, shower or shave, nurses may remove surgical stitches and will take physiological measurements. Nurses work in shifts usually seven and a half or eight hours split between morning afternoon and night.
Personal qualities of a nurse and skills required
A Nurse needs:
- To be patient at all times no matter what circumstances may arise
- To have good communication skills to have effective conversations with their patients
- To have the ability to work in a team
- To have good health and energy to carry them through the day
- To have initiative
- Excellent management time
Skills
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Excellent people skills
As a nurse you will be providing care for people of all ages and backgrounds. You should be able to put people at their ease, gain their confidence and deal sympathetically with their problems and fears.
Good communication and observation
Communication and observation are crucial to good nursing. You need to be a good at listening as well as talking and you have to be constantly alert to changes in patients' conditions and the implications in terms of care.
Ability to answer questions and offer advice
Nurses are the most frequent point of contact for patients, so you must be able to answer their questions, share your knowledge and skills with patients, their families and friends and make sure their needs are recognised by the rest of the care team.
Happy to work as part of a team
As a nurse you will be part of a multi-disciplinary team that includes doctors, physiotherapists, anaesthetists, pharmacists, dieticians’ and many more. You need to how all these different people work together.
Dealing with emotionally charged situations
Nursing can sometimes involve managing distress. You'll play a key part in helping patients and families come through their crises.
Skills required for a physiotherapist
A physiotherapist works in a hospital as well as the community. Their main job is to make it possible for people to become more mobile if they have lost their mobility for a variety of reason e.g. a major surgery.
Roles of a physiotherapist
Physiotherapists have specialist skills in the physical treatment and rehabilitation of people and offer a range of therapies including exercise, electrotherapy and manual therapy.
The role of the physiotherapist is to improve a person's mobility and independence. This could be through helping them recover from a chest infection, controlling their pain or helping them to mobilise after a stroke. This approach can prevent someone from being admitted to hospital, speed up their recovery if in hospital and promote an early discharge.
Physiotherapists can work independently or in larger teams specialising in different areas of health and medical care. They work in the National Health Service (NHS), in primary and secondary care and in specialist centres. They also work in the private and voluntary sector, in education and in private industry.
Physiotherapists may be accessed directly or following referral from a doctor or other health care professional.
Personal qualities of a physiotherapist and skill required
