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Essay Unit 7 - Principles of Safe Practice in Health and Social Care
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I have got my work to a distinction which is an A. As well as this, the case study was about Merryvale.
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Maisie MinesUnit 7 Principles of safe practice in health and social care
Learning Aim, A: Examine how duty of care contributes to safe practice in health and social
care.
Learning Aim B: Understand how to recognise and respond to concerns about abuse and
neglect and social care settings.
Miss Miguel
202 – Maisie Mines – Miss Miguel – Unit 7 – LAA and LAB
Duty of care within health and social care is a legal obligation which allows service providers to be
able to protect the wellbeing of service users and prevent any harm towards the service users, this
also requires the service provider to uphold the rights of each individual and be able to promote the
interest of any service users suffering from abuse or neglect (Service, n.d.). The service provider
must also promote safe practice when working with individuals who are vulnerable, this allows the
service user to feel comfortable and allows the service user and provider to trust each other.
However, if the service user does not feel comfortable the service user is able to follow a procedure
which then enables them to be able to make complaints which will then allow improvement within
the service and empowers the service users then raising their self-esteem.
A legal obligation is a duty in which the law enforces to service providers to protect the wellbeing
and prevent harm from vulnerable individuals and should always be applied regardless of it being a
service user or provider. One legal obligation which health and social care service providers are
bound by is the Care Act 2014 (hft, n.d.). The Care Act is what strengthens the rights of each
vulnerable individuals within the care home, this then allows the service provider to promote
personalised care which fulfils their individual needs. The Care Act also provides strong advocates for
those who struggle to speak up for themselves, this allows the service provider to inform the service
user and their families to ensure they are aware of their care plan and their individual rights. The
Care Act 2014 has six main principles which include: empowerment, protection, prevention,
proportionality, partnership, and accountability (Burton, 2017 )
Empowerment encourages service users which are vulnerable to be able to make their own
decisions about their care which they are receiving, service providers should promote
empowerment to vulnerable adults effectively by assessing provisions such as: money, staff,
equipment’s, and any medication which is required. Service users can also have a say by the service
provider asking relevant questions which will allow them to be able to be honest and have an
opinion, the service provider will then consider their answers, and this will make the service user
feel as if they are involved and that what they say matters. However, if the service provider does not
allow the service user to have a say about their care, then this can make them feel belittled and have
a low self-esteem. Service providers should provide protection to the service users within the care
home, the service provider must give essential information to the service user about signs of abuse
and neglection which will enable them to be able to identify it for themselves and be able to protect
themselves if service providers cannot see it.
When it comes to prevention, the service providers must follow safeguarding guidelines to be able
to prevent any harm from happening to the vulnerable individuals which can then prevent long-term
harm from physical and mental abuse. Promoting safeguarding allows the service provider to
acknowledge signs of abuse and neglection which gives them the opportunity to confidently report
the issue. Proportionality is the service providers within the care home taking each of the vulnerable
service users into account when dealing with abuse, this is done by assessing each of their individual
needs. To allow safeguarding to be implemented the service users must make sure that the service
users own decisions are considered. Service providers should team up with local authorities, this
then forms a multi-disciplinary team and work together to prevent, detect, and report any signs of
Page | 1
, Maisie Mines
Unit 7 Principles of safe practice in health and social care
Learning Aim, A: Examine how duty of care contributes to safe practice in health and social
care.
Learning Aim B: Understand how to recognise and respond to concerns about abuse and
neglect and social care settings.
Miss Miguel
neglection and abuse towards any service users within the care home. Service providers must
promote accountability links perfectly with partnership, this is the service provider taking full
responsibility for themselves and the service users which are vulnerable. This requires the service
provider to keep service users up to date with any changes to their care, each vulnerable should be
able to contact each of the service providers working with them in case of an emergency.
When duty of care is being implemented within health and social care, these responsibilities belong
to everyone within the care home. The service provider must be responsible for each of the service
users and themselves, the service provider must make sure the care home is safe to be living in and
is safe to use. This avoids bacteria from building up and creating diseases prevent the service users
from becoming ill, service providers must also keep up with their training. This allows the service
providers to be able to keep up to date with any legislations which have changed.
Legal obligation to protect wellbeing and prevent harm
Legal obligations are laws which should always be bounded regardless of the situation, it is a legal
obligation to protect the wellbeing and prevent harm of service users. Service providers must ensure
that they follow the legal obligations to prevent them from harming the service user’s emotional
health, mental health, physical health, and their economic wellbeing. Service providers must
promote a healthy environment for the service users, this is done by putting effort into preventing
accidents and illnesses from occurring. Service providers must do several things to fulfil the legal
obligation to protect the wellbeing and prevent harm by; assessing the building to ensure it is safe,
this is done by making sure that the areas are clean and that there are no hazards around to cause
harm to any service providers or users (Reuters, 2022). Doing risk assessments and ensuring the
service providers have the correct training to be able to support the service users, this is done by
assessing any risks and investigating them to be able to improve the health and safety of the care
they are giving. following the health and safety policy, this is done by supplying a clear policy for the
serve providers to follow to ensure the care home is clean and is not putting anyone at risk of illness
or disease. Promoting the service user's welfare, this is promoted by having cleaning facilities,
drinkable water, hazard free and has enough natural lighting and this then allows high self-esteem
and upholds the service users and providers dignity.
Every service provider has standards of conduct to follow, these include professional boundaries.
Boundaries are sets of rules between the service provider and user must follow, this allows a
positive bond to be developed and an important level of trust. Professional boundaries are set by
the government, this means that it is a legal requirement to follow them. For example,
confidentiality. This is the service provider not sharing any information about the service users with
others without consent. There are also some personal boundaries too, this includes not worrying
about your client once your shift has ended and you have gone home. As a service provider, your
concerns towards the service user should be kept regardless as to where you are if it is at home or
the care home. Service providers can breach the boundaries by showing any confidential
information, physical or verbal abuse, not documenting valuable information and keeping it between
the service providers. In the case of Merryvale, the staff must ensure before taking action to solve
the problem that they act and make sure that whatever they are trying to resolve is not against the
legislation which protects each service user.
Page | 2
, Maisie Mines
Unit 7 Principles of safe practice in health and social care
Learning Aim, A: Examine how duty of care contributes to safe practice in health and social
care.
Learning Aim B: Understand how to recognise and respond to concerns about abuse and
neglect and social care settings.
Miss Miguel
However, within Merryvale residence there seems to be a lack of duty of care as the legal obligation
is not being g upheld as discrimination is taking place within the care residence. Within the
Merryvale residence there is as same sex couple, and the service providers are refusing to allow the
same sex couple into a double bedroom even though it is a right for them to be able to be given one.
One of the individuals have developed bruising on their body which has led the other partner to
become emotionally distressed as they are then unable to monitor how they are forming the
bruises, discriminating against service users goes against the legal obligation to prevent harm and
protect the wellbeing of vulnerable individuals. The service users also wish to not make a complaint
as they feel as if the bruises will get worse or the service providers have not made the services users
aware as to of how they can make complaints and ensure that no matter the individuals' differences
which should be respected are aware that they can make formal complaints as well as not be
discriminated against.
Upholding the rights and promoting the interest of individuals experiencing abuse or neglect
Upholding the rights and promoting the interest of individuals experiencing abuse or neglection
involves the service providers informing the service users of their individual rights, service providers
may be asked to act as an advocate for service users so that they are protected and to ensure that
they are being treated fairly. The basic rights of individuals include care which meets and prevents
harm of vulnerable individuals, treated equally without fear of discrimination, service users being
involved in decisions about themselves which allows the service provider to inform them about their
care and be able choose their treatment. Service users also have the right to have their concerns
listened to and are acted upon, service users must live in a safe environment that promotes health
and wellbeing. Service users must be aware of things which they are allowed to say and do, this is
because the service users can then have confidence to be able to complain about issues which do
not seem right to them. Each service users' rights should be respected, especially if the service user
is unable to communicate. This can be done by giving them an advocate, if the individual is able to
write then they can write down their decisions about their care which the advocate will then discuss
with the service provider and this then allows the service provider to take their opinions into
account and be able to get the care and treatment they want.
In some cases, abuse and neglection can be inflicted by the service providers themselves. Service
users tend to act in diverse ways for example if a service provider is trying to aid the service user get
dressed, the service user may become nervous or quail. This may show that they are being abused,
this can then enable the service provider to be able to ask questions which can then lead to an
investigation. Another way which a service user can be able to show if a service user is being abused
is by random bruises, if the service provider is helping them with washing and notice bruising on
their skin, they may not ask questions the first time but if they see it again it will lead to an
investigation as to of how the individual is getting the bruises. Service providers can then meet their
needs by allowing the service user to reach the right people, if the service user is suffering from
physical abuse this can then allow them to have an appointment with their GP to be able to assess if
they are physically healthy and well. If the service user is also unaware that they are being abused or
neglected, their social worker can then inform them and acknowledge what is happening to them
which will empower them to be able to make complaints.
Page | 3
, Maisie Mines
Unit 7 Principles of safe practice in health and social care
Learning Aim, A: Examine how duty of care contributes to safe practice in health and social
care.
Learning Aim B: Understand how to recognise and respond to concerns about abuse and
neglect and social care settings.
Miss Miguel
However, in the case of Merryvale residence the service users are not upholding the rights of the
service users within the residence. This is because the service users are facing abuse and neglection
within the care home, one of the women within the care home have bruising on their body which
have appeared out of nowhere. The service providers must ensure they are always monitoring the
service users and keeping records of any improvements, it is a legal obligation that all service
providers ensure that they always report all incidents, this is because if the service providers do not
report and document the accidents this can then allow no changes to have been implemented and
allow the service users to be at risk of harm. The positive effect this would then have on the service
user as they will feel safe within the hands of the service providers, this then allows the service user
to want to receive care and treatment from the service providers and don’t tend to refuse any care
given.
Protecting health, safety, and wellbeing
Protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of service users is a legal obligation. This requires the
service providers to ensure that their actions were safe, fair, and considered towards the service
user. When protecting the health, safety, and wellbeing of vulnerable individual within the care
residence the service providers must act in a particular manner. One way which the service providers
must act is safely, this will mean that the service provider must make sure that the care home does
not have anything hazardous which can cause harm to the individuals which can be things such as
wires on the floor which can cause harm to service users and providers. All the service providers
must treat each vulnerable service user fairly, this would require the service provider to make sure
that everyone has the same opportunity as everyone else this will then enable the service user to
feel included and not discriminated against.
However, in the case of Merryvale residence the service providers are not protecting the health,
safety and wellbeing of the service users within the care home as the service providers are
neglecting the service users and undertaking jobs which means they have less time to even treat the
service users when needed. The environment is unclean as they recently lost their cleaner, this then
means the staff are splitting the domestic duties between themselves and the managers in charge.
However, because the staff are understaffed it means that the service users are being neglected and
being put at risk with their health because there are spilled liquids and foods left around which
attracts fly's and bins are overflowing as well. As the staff cannot keep up with the demand of work
this then can cause infections to spread as the flies can lay eggs in food which the service users are
consuming, and this can tarnish their health.
Ensuring safe practice
Ensuring safe practice within a care residence links directly to duty of care, this is because the
service providers must ensure that they are able to work in a safe environment. Incident numbers
also reduce, and this then means that staff and service users are not at risk. This improves staff
numbers, if staff are not in because of accidents this reduces the amount of care which the service
users receive. When ensuring safe practice within a care residence it links directly to the care quality
commission, just as the care act 2014 this is a legal obligation which each service provider must
follow. Ensuring safe practice involves the service providers to understand and have knowledge
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