Jenny has domiciliary care 3 times a week to help with cleaning, laundry and shopping. Although Jenny does as much as she can for herself she is unable to carry heavy shopping bags and do certain household duties since having the stroke.
When Jenny goes out she has a key to the main entrance as well as one to her own flat, however the domiciliary care lady does not have any keys. The door to the main entrance locks itself automatically when it closes.
The lighting outside the sheltered accommodation is very good but the surrounding area is very poor even though it is in a residential area where there are lots of bungalows.
The potential hazards
The accommodation is at the bottom of a slope so in the winter months when it is icy there is a risk of injury due to falls. The environment itself can be a hazard because of the poor lighting in the surrounding area.
Since Jenny has had her stroke she has suffered with short-term memory loss and so could be at risk of being locked out if she forgot her keys. She has also been left with a mild disability and weakness since the stroke and has had several episodes of illness, which can all be a risk factor.
The sheltered accommodation runs daily activities and so a good working practice needs to be maintained to prevent any accidents. This can be from things such as wires left out or other obstacles such as tables and chairs, the smallest of obstacle can cause accidents.
As some of the residents have varying degrees of sensory impairment it is important that notices are put up on the walls to warn all visitors of any possible danger to the residents. There should also be signs on the door asking visitors to make sure the door is fully closed before leaving, as this can be a risk of intruders entering. In each of the accommodations there are warning signs above the sink in both the bathroom and kitchen warning of hot water. In the cupboard under the sink there is a warning sign on how to store bleach and other potentially dangerous substances.
Setting 3
Shopping centre
The shopping centre is a large complex of over 300 shops. There is a cinema, an eating area, a bowling alley and a small indoor fairground.
The scenario
I am a volunteer at a local day centre that provides a variety of services to its service users such as some basic rehabilitation, visits from dentists, opticians and benefits advisors. The carers and volunteers also help the residents to do card making, painting, bingo etc. We also take the service users out on day trips.
Occasionally I accompany other volunteers and care workers on days out with the service users. The service users have varying disabilities and illness ranging from strokes to leg amputations. Almost all of the service users use wheelchairs and so when we go on day trips it is always 1 carer/volunteer per service user.
It depends on what time of year it is as to where we take the service users but I shall focus on the trip to a shopping centre where we took the service users to do some Christmas shopping.
The shopping centre was busy because of the time of year but the service users didn’t seem to mind even though it got a bit difficult at times to push the wheelchairs around as there was a large volume of people in there.
Considering the enormity of the shopping centre there are very few lifts, in fact there is only 2 in the main section, although some of the shops that are on 2 levels do have there own lift and the mobility shop is on the top floor.
The potential hazards
The fact that there are very few lifts can be a hazard itself from things like congestion around the lift area. This can lead to the possibility of aggressive or dangerous encounters from other members of the public. People tend to change personality at this time of year.
The shopping centre could also be at risk from bomb scares especially at that busy time of year when the suicide bombers main aim is to destroy as many lives as possible. If a bomb were to go off it would cause a huge amount of damage and destruction to the environment. The other possible risk of danger could be the damage that would be caused to goods in the shops because of people running about in a frenzied panic. People could have accidents such as falling caused by the panic.
What about all the people who use wheelchairs, walking sticks, mums and dads pushing prams? Is there a risk of the wheelchair users getting left behind or people using walking sticks being trampled on by the able bodied? These are all possible things that could happen.
Just a quirky image to enhance the scenario
Image 3
Setting 4
Domiciliary care (home care)
Domiciliary care companies offer a wide range of services to clients living in their own home or warden controlled flats. The services is for anyone who needs help to do various everyday tasks that will help him or her to stay independent and continue to live in their own home.
The scenario
Edith is an elderly frail lady who lives by herself in a bungalow. She has lived on her own for several years since the death of her husband. Edith has home care workers coming into her home four times a day to do various tasks. These tasks range from helping her to get washed and dressed in the morning to cleaning, shopping, housework, cooking and getting ready for bed in the evening etc. Edith has a commode in her bedroom that she uses through the night and also uses a Zimmer frame to get about the house through the day. However she is prone to falling and therefore prone to injuries. Most of the carers who attend on a regular basis have a key and there is also a key attached (by a piece of string) on the inside of the door for emergency entry this is because a carer once lost her key and was unable to gain entry for quite some time. There is very poor lighting to both the front and rear of the house and the pathways are uneven. Edith takes care of her own medication, which is delivered, to her door by the local chemist in a dosset box. There is a care plan in the home that all carers attending must fill in on each visit stating what care they have given and if any shopping is done all monies given must be accounted for with a receipt. Edith suffers from episodes of confusion and the episodes are occurring more frequently so there is a review of her care plan is organised for two weeks time.
The potential hazards
There are several potential hazards that could arise from this or similar situations. The first one being the use of electrical equipment such as irons, vacuums, kettles etc. Carers use these types of equipment on a daily basis. The care companies do provide circuit breakers but because of poor working practices they are rarely used. Although Edith has her medication delivered in a dosset box she is still at risk of overdosing because of her episodes of confusion.
Edith is also at risk from accidents or injury because of her frailness. Edith uses a Zimmer frame to get about when there are no carers and could therefore very easily fall or trip causing her harm or injury.
As a carer once lost their key there is also a chance of Edith being harmed by an intruder. Edith’s home is not the most security friendly and any unscrupulous person who had been watching carers come and go could have seen the occasional carer (none key holder) reach inside the letterbox and get the key to gain entry.
The carers themselves could be at risk from injury because of the poor lighting to the rear of the proper where the household waste bins are kept. There is also the chance that carers could be accused of theft because ultimately they work alone on each visit.
P2
Describe how key legislations in relation to health; safety and security influences health and social care delivery.
How British laws are made.
Great Britain makes its laws at Westminster in the Houses of Parliament.
The process is started by the issuing of a paper known as ‘Green Paper’, which is put forward for open discussion to the House. After this initial discussion another paper, which is known as a ‘White Paper’ is then put forward. The White Paper is a statement that the government, if it wishes to do so, can state what it thinks is a reasonable and acceptable requirement.
Once a Bill has been agreed, it then goes to the House of Commons to be read. This happens three times so The Queen can make amendments to the Bill. Once the Bill has been passed, it then goes for Royal Assent. The newly passed Act has the year at the end of the text of the title of the Act. The year at the end of the title of the Act is the year that it was enforced.
Below are some of the legislations that help’s to keep professional care work running smooth. All of them are essential Acts that should be adhered to in all health and social care settings. For example a nursing home, the equipment used to move people needs to safe. The food that is prepared has to be safe to eat, as the elderly and other vulnerable service users are more likely to have severe reactions to things such as food poisoning. Personal hygiene needs to be of a high standard to prevent cross contamination.
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in the United Kingdom. The governing body that are responsible for the enforcement of this act is the Health and Safety Executive.
The purpose of the Act is to ensure that every employer, as far as reasonably practicable, ensures the health and safety of its employees and anybody else who may be visiting that place of work. The Act also covers the protection of others who have a connection with the activities of the persons at work or place of work.
The basics of the Act are to ensure the health and safety of all employees by paying attention to and maintaining the safety of all equipment etc used and that it continues to be so. It also covers arrangements for ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, safety and absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances.
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 is a piece of legislation which seeks to minimise the very large incidence of injury and ill health at work caused by manual handling of loads at work.
It is well reported that manual handling causes the majority of accidents and injury at work. It is therefore the duty of every employer, including the self-employed, to try and ensure that the correct training is given to all staff on safe manual handling at work, as this is essential to good delivery of care and it was initially enforced through the promotion of awareness such as the ‘lighten the load’ campaign.
It is also the duty of the employee to risk assess any form of manual handling before it is undertaken and to use any equipment or directives provided. This act is solely concerned with the manual handling operation by itself and is not concerned with the type of object or substance being handled. If for instance the item being moved were a hazardous substance, this would be covered under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health 2002.
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 only covers employees and does not cover for instance an injury being caused to a person other than an employee by the manual handling.
In care/nursing homes it is vital that the correct training on moving and handling is given as incorrect moving and handling can either cause or worsen injuries.
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1992 (RIDDOR).
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1992 (RIDDOR), place a legal duty on Employers, self-employed people, people in control of premises, to report work-related deaths, major injuries or over-three-day injuries, work related diseases, and dangerous occurrences (near miss accidents) as quickly as possible..
The basics of RIDDOR is to make it a legal requirement to report the above mentioned types of accidents and near misses to the Health and Safety Executive and local authorities with a view to identyfying both where and how risks arise and also to investigate serious incidents. Advice and help can then be given with a view to the reduction of injury and ill health in the workplace.
This Legislation is vital in hospitals and care/nursing homes where there is a lot of vulnerable service users. illness such as diareah can be an underlying ymptom of something very dangerous such as Ecolie or salmenella.
Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995.
This legislation applies to all businesses where food is prepared for the consumption of others. The regulations cover hygiene requirements for businesses, including personal hygiene of all employees. The regulations states that all staff should practice a high level of personal hygiene, and anybody who has a disease, which might be spread through food, must not be allowed into a food handling area.
The regulations set out guidelines on things such as design and construction of the premises, which should ideally be easy to clean and keep clear of pests and vermin. It is also necessary for the business to provide adequate hand washing and toilet facilities, along with a hygienic method of drying the hands. The washbasins should have hot and cold water and should be separate from sinks, which are used to wash food.
The premises should be ventilated either naturally or mechanically. The toilet areas should be ventilated and not lead of from food preparation areas.
The premises should also have good lighting either natural or artificial. There should be adequate drainage facilities and staff changing areas should be provided where necessary.
The food preparation area should have surfaces that are easy to both clean and disinfect. Ceilings should be constructed out of such a material that it does not attract dirt or shed any particles. Windows should be fitted with an insect proof screen. Doors should have surfaces that are easy to both clean and disinfect. Adequate provision should be provided to clean tools and utensils and appropriate facilities should also be provided to wash food.
These regulations also apply to moveable or temporary premises. There are regulations regarding the safe transportation of food and containers used for storing food should be marked and only be used for that purpose.
Waste should no be kept in food preparation areas if at all possible as it poses a contamination risk to food. The containers used for waste should be closable and also there should be provisions in place for the collection/removal of the waste.
Another important area covered is the storage of foodstuffs, which covers things such as not keeping cooked meat in the same place as raw meat etc to avoid contamination.
Again this is an essential Legislation to have in place in hospitals and care/nursing homes where there is a lot of vulnerable service users.
Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA)
The Data Protection Act 1998 is a piece of legislation, which determines how data and personal information is handled and protected. The Data Protection Act does not however cover domestic use and would not stop somebody from keeping an address book etc. The governing body for the Data Protection Act is the Office of Information Commissioner.
The key principles of the Act are that individuals have the right of access to personal information held about them, there are exceptions to this right, for instance in relation to data held for the detection and prevention of crime. Data must not be disclosed to other parties without the consent of the person that the data is about. Again, an exception to this would be in the prevention or detection of crime. The Act also states that information may only be held for as long as is necessary but who knows how long this is? Also information gathered on an individual must only be used for the purpose for which it was collected. The Act also states that data should not be transmitted outside of the European economic area without first being protected for example by the use of a contract to protect the transmission of the data. All entities that have an interest in the collection of personal information or data must register with the office of information commissioner. And lastly, all entities that collect personal information must ensure its security by installing a firewall etc on the computer that the information is stored. Companies should also provide adequate staff training to ensure the principles of act are adhered to.
In hospitals, doctors surgeries, care/nursing homes and schools where personal details are kept on file the information needs to be stored safely and in a secure place. Medical records will have private information contained in them and even school records have personal and private information stored on file.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
This piece of legislation is an extension of the previously mentioned Health and Safety at Work Act. Its main additions to the first act are the Management of Health and Safety at Work (Amendment) Regulations 1994, the Health and Safety (Young Persons) Regulations 1997 and the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997.
The Management Regulations also contain amendments to the following, the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, the Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (First Aid) Regulations 1989, the Mines Miscellaneous Health and Safety Provisions Regulations 1995; and the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)
See Appendix 1, 2 and 3
Bibliography
Image 1, 2 & 3 taken from Google images
Images in COSHH presentation taken from Google images
