CLIENTS IN A SOCIAL CARE SETTING SHOULD HAVE RIGHTS WITHOUT RESPONSIBILITIES" - DO YOU AGREE?

One of the client's rights I have chosen to identify is the client right to privacy. Factors, which could be used to promote the right, are that the client has a key to his/her own room, the client can make or receive private phone calls and the client receives their mail unopened. Factors, which could inhibit this right, are staff or other people who live in the house entering the client's room without knocking or, for example, if a client is a wheelchair user and there is no showering facility and only a bath, this could inhibit the clients right to privacy. Client's responsibilities relating to this right would be that the client respects the privacy rights of the other individual that live or work in the house. It could also be said that if the client has a key to his or her own room the safekeeping of the key would be the client's responsibility.

Another right of the client I've chosen to identify is the clients right to confidentiality. One example that could promote this right would be for staff to familiarise themselves with the organisations confidentiality policy document and ensure that the clients are made aware of the contents, supporting them to understand the importance of confidentiality to themselves and others. Another way to promote the rights is to store any confidential material or documents in a secure place, e.g. a locked box or filing cabinet. Factors, which could inhibit client's privacy rights, is the unnecessary disclosure of information regarding the clients, without the consent of the clients. Another inhibiting factor would be if confidential documents were not stored correctly and left lying around. Responsibility would lie with the client to maintain their confidentiality by discussing matters private to him or herself in an appropriate setting and with an appropriate person. It would also be the client's responsibility to respect other people's rights to privacy who live or work in the house.

Organisational restraints can sometimes impact on client rights. Restraints such as costs i.e. not employing enough staff or not providing on-going staff training can at times restrict clients rights. In my working experience within the social care settings, often the organisational recruitment methods can impact on client's rights. For example, if staff are being recruited from a medical background they may often work from a medical model framework and may have very little experience of working in a social care setting. This may often lead to staff having a different value basis than is required to work in a social care setting. Organisations are now recognising the need to work in partnership with clients; ensuring clients are consulted in all aspects of their care. Organisations also have various policy documents that promote and protect client's rights and responsibilities, and, also the use of client complaints procedures and independent client advocates ensure that client rights are being upheld at all times. Only when all organisations statutory, voluntary and private begin working in a client centred manner; that is, making the service fit the people and not the other way round, we can say that clients are having all individual rights and the responsibilities that go with these rights they are entitled too.

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