Unit 7 - Principles of Safe Practice in Health and Social Care
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This report will investigate the influence that health and safety legislations and policies
have on health and social care settings. It will also explore the procedures and
responsibilities in place which are used to maintain health and safety in health and
social care settings, as well as how they are used to respond to accidents and
emergencies.
P6. Compare the Influences of Different Health and Safety Laws or Policies on
Health and Social Care Practice in a Selected Setting
The health and safety at work act 1974 (HASAWA) is a piece of legislation which
workplaces in the United Kingdom are required to follow. It makes sure that employees
are provided with a safe working environment by their employers. It aims to reduce the
risk that employees may face within their workplace. 1 The purpose of the care act 2014
is to ensure professionals use a person centred approach when caring for service
users. It ensures the service user is supported whilst being cared for. The care act 2014
and HASAWA are both similar in the sense that they protect service users. Both acts
ensure that staff must be trained correctly so that the service user's safety is not at risk.
The main difference between the care act 2014 and HASAWA is that the care act 2014
focuses on protecting adults who are at risk of abuse and neglect, whereas the aim of
HASAWA is to reduce the risk that employers, visitors and volunteers may face within
the workplace.
The care act 2014 has the main aim of safeguarding vulnerable adults who are at risk of
abuse and neglect. It does not focus on children and young people. The care act sets
out a legal framework which sets out how local authorities and other care providers
should protect vulnerable adults.2 The care act places local authorities in charge of
leading a multi-agency safeguarding team for the local area. This team is in charge of
actively trying to prevent abuse and intervening to stop it from happening. Local
authorities must also make enquiries when they suspect a vulnerable adult may be
experiencing abuse or neglect. They then establish a safeguarding board which
consists of professionals from different professions such as the police, NHS
professionals and social workers. The professionals use multi-agency working to
prevent abuse and neglect and quickly intervene if it is happening to a vulnerable adult.
The care act also puts local authorities in charge of providing the vulnerable adult with
an independent advocate so they are able to have an input. HASAWA is a legislation
which requires workplaces to provide its employees with the correct training and ensure
that all staff follow health and safety procedures which are in place. HASAWA also
requires workplaces to provide a safe working environment where all procedures and
operations are carried out safely. This helps to keep vulnerable adults, young people
and children safe and safeguard them as according to HASAWA staff must be correctly
trained. This means that employees will be able to prevent abuse and neglect that
vulnerable adults, young people and children may face within the health and social care
1 (Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 – legislation explained, 2022)
2 (The Care Act: Safeguarding adults, 2022)
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setting as they will be correctly trained and will be equipped to spot signs of abuse and
neglect.
It is important that all healthcare settings meet the regulations of HASAWA and the care
act. The care act requires employers to recruit staff who are competent and qualified
correctly to be able to meet the individual needs of service users and to be able to care
for them to a high standard. The care act ensures that members of staff are trained
correctly for them to be able to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively and to
ensure that all service users are cared for properly. The Care Act 2014 provides access
to information, guidance, and advocacy. It also implies that local governments have
additional safeguarding responsibilities, including the obligation to investigate
complaints of abuse or neglect. This is set in place to assist individuals in need and
provide them with the option to obtain support. The Care Act protects individuals by
requiring practitioners in health and social care settings to provide the highest quality of
care. The primary goal of the care act is to protect service users and staff members
from undue damage. The Care Act of 2014 establishes a clear legal framework for local
governments and other sections of the system to safeguard persons at risk of abuse or
neglect. This may result in a multi-agency response. The primary goal of the care act is
to protect vulnerable individuals and staff members from undue damage. The Care Act
of 2014 establishes a clear legal framework for local governments and other sections of
the system to safeguard persons at risk of abuse or neglect. This can result in a multi-
agency safeguarding system that aims to avoid abuse and neglect while also
intervening rapidly when it occurs.
By requiring employees to observe HASAWA, individuals are kept safe because the
regulation is followed, preventing harm to health and safety. Following general tasks
keeps individuals safe as it ensures that employees maintain safe equipment,
machinery, and work processes. HASAWA guarantees that employees and service
users are safe by requiring them to obey the Act's requirements.
Both the care act and HASAWA require employers to run DBS checks when employing
members of staff to work within health and social care settings. DBS checks are a form
of background investigation. Disclosure and barring checks help to effectively safeguard
vulnerable individuals. Employers for health and social care settings are required under
both the care act and HASAWA to undertake criminal background checks on
individuals they are looking to hire as a measure of safeguarding requirements. assist
employers in making the best staff hiring decisions and prohibits inappropriate people
from working with vulnerable groups such as elderly people, patients and children. DBS
checks help to avoid this from happening. A DBS check is a background investigation
that looks at arrest records and other information to determine that the person is
suitable to deal with vulnerable people.
HASAWA (1974) requires employers to guarantee, as far as is practically feasible, the
health and safety of all workers and anybody else impacted by the health and social
care settings. Health and social care professionals have a responsibility not to
endanger themselves or others. Professionals are obliged to be trained on any
equipment that may be used within the setting to ensure the safety of all individuals
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within the workplace. As a health and social care professional it is vital that all
equipment is utilised correctly, whether it is a hoist, disinfectant spray, or a thermometer
to ensure that food is prepared to the right temperature. All professionals are
responsible for their own behaviour once they have been instructed. Therefore, any
device that is used should be used according to training and the instructions. Following
this and HASAWA ensures the safety of all individuals within the health and social care
setting. For example, in ward 3B, if Lizzy was to require a hoist to be able to move her
around, only staff who have been trained on how to use a hoist would be able to carry
this out. This prevents any accidents or injuries from occurring and keeps both staff and
the service user (Lizzy) safe. This highlights the importance of health and social care
settings following HASAWA.
The Food Hygiene Regulations 2006 require all "food enterprises" to ensure that their
operations are carried out in a sanitary manner. It is an offence under the regulation to
supply food that is hazardous to ingest and damaging to human health. Food hygiene
standards guarantee that employees who work with food do so in a sanitary manner. It
is critical to implement this law in order to avoid and limit the danger of contaminated
food or an unsafe food supply that may be hazardous to human health. The food
hygiene standards of 2006 protect people by ensuring that food is properly prepared
and sanitary throughout the process. This restriction permits service consumers to relax
and not be concerned about food poisoning. For example, in ward 3B, kitchen
personnel for the setting must adhere to food hygiene regulations in order to protect
service from any hazards posed by poor food cleanliness.
COSHH is a law that compels employers to regulate hazardous chemicals, which
includes nanomaterials. To safeguard the health and well-being of personnel as well as
service users in any context, dangerous chemicals must be controlled. COSHH
guarantees that all hazardous substances are securely locked up out of reach of service
users. It is critical that only personnel with appropriate training handle hazardous
compounds and have access to the closed room/cupboard in which the substances are
stored. Controlling dangerous substances to health keeps individuals safe as it
minimises harm and keeps these chemicals locked up and out of reach of vulnerable
service users. For instance, bleach or any other dangerous material must be kept
locked up in any health and social care environment to keep service users and
employees safe or to prevent hazards.
The policy on protection from accidents, injury, and illness has an impact on the health
and social care environment because it guarantees that safeguards are in place to
prevent damage. Locks on chemical or drug closets, for example, to protect service
users from injuring themselves. This policy is in place to safeguard persons and to
make employees, patients, and visitors feel safe and comfortable. Any accident, injury,
or disease must be reported in order to protect people from future damage.
We can lessen the chance of service users experiencing abuse and neglect by adhering
to regulations and procedures. The Care Act of 2014 governs all policies and
processes. The Care Act of 2014 specifies how service providers and local authorities
should safeguard individuals from being neglected or mistreated. Adults must be
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