Assignment on Health and Safety in HSC Workplace

Introduction

The motto of the Assignment Health Safety HSC Workplace is to provide best health facilities to its residents. A social care worker has to fulfil certain duties and responsibilities so that health and safety of the residents can be improved. All the policies and procedures are also made according to the legislation requirements. The management of the health and safety centre is responsible for continuous monitoring and reviewing of the system. It enables to keep everyone under a proper system. NHS Wales is taken as an example in this assignment where I worked as Social Care Worker. NHS Wales gives me an opportunity to serve the humanity.

Task 1

1.1 Review how systems, policies and procedures on health and safety might be developed to ensure they are in accordance with legislative requirements

Policies and procedures are the guidelines set by an organisation.  These policies are to be obliged by everyone including employer, employees, clients or any other visiting the care centre (Munn-Giddings, 2013). The important thing that to be noted here is that all the system must be in accordance with legislative requirements. No organisation can develop rules that do not fulfil the prerequisites of legislation at national level.

• It is considered to be very important on the part of the employers to consult policies and regulations with the employees so that good mutual relation can be maintained among the two. Communication at the health care centre can be done through training sessions, organisational culture, with the appropriate use of media and by keeping records. Any ignorance at any level can be a big hindrance for health centre.
• Training sessions at care centre must be conducted to intimate each and every one at the centre about policies. For instance, the employer could not discriminate against low level employees to attend the meeting. It is sometimes seen that generally training is given to employees with good designations and others are avoided.
• Organisational culture must also be maintained in which everyone can grow. Consider an example, sometimes in organisations, power culture is applied. But this practice will be wrong at health care centre as the person associated with resident knows the history of patient and can take better decisions than the operations management. Any decision taken at any level must also be within the limits of legislative requirements.
• Use of media can also be an effective measure to communicate health and safety information at the care centre. But it must be kept in mind that using this approach, all the legislature rules and regulations must be clearly observed. For example, no false information can be passed, the care centre cannot criticise against any particular worker group at the workplace.

Thus, in the end it can be said that while passing information regarding the health and safety, all the pros and cons must be cleared and appropriate techniques must be used for it. It is very necessary to abide by the legislative requirements.

1.2 Responsibilities for the management of health and safety at each level within organisation’s structure

I have been working with NHS Wales as Social Carer; I have seen that there are different levels of care centre. There are different designations at the care centre like employees (the staff), residents, clinical staff, visitors and other stakeholders. The management has to play different roles for each of these (Center, 2012). NHS Wales is also meant for providing best quality services to each of its stakeholder. These stakeholders can also be categorised into two categories- internal and external.
The responsibility of management of NHS Wales towards internal stakeholders is explained as below-

Towards employers:

NHS Wales is quite a big committee that is formed of different employers that are responsible for the well maintenance of different departments. The responsibility of NHS Wales towards these employers are-

• To provide them with training sessions so that their work can be enhanced
• To counsel them to improve their communication skills so that they may treat each and every one at the workplace with dignity (Zelnik, 2012)
• To arrange conferences and seminars for them to give them opportunity to make themselves aware off latest technology
• To arrange meetings for them so as to maintain healthy relations

Towards employees:

Employees are an important asset for the organisation. Therefore, it becomes necessary to fulfil their needs so that they may retain their interest at the workplace. Here given below are the responsibilities for employees-

• To engage them in different groups so that they may have a platform to share ideas and views
• To plan for policies and procedures according to convenience of employees
• To give them training to deal with residents and other visitors
• To trains them to improve their communication skills so that they may become able to understand the feelings of residents and help them to satisfy with their needs

In addition to this, there are responsibilities towards external agencies as well. Like-

Towards visitors:

• To help them to understand the regulations of NHS Wales
• To guide them to walk through NHS Wales

Towards suppliers and others:

• To maintain healthy relations with them so that they may not lose interest with NHS Wales
• To provide them with all opportunities to grow and develop

1.3 To analyse and to give priorities to specific aspects of health and safety to own work activities

As a Social Carer at NHS Wales, I have been assigned with many responsibilities and duties to help residents in all possible ways and to help NHS Wales to achieve its aims and goals. It becomes my responsibility to arrange all the work and to prioritise them according to the need of time (DeJov, 2010). Here given below are my responsibilities that I required to perform at my workplace-

• To maintain safety at all the levels for residents and others who visit NHS
• To make proper use of resources so that wastage can be reduced
• To handle all the issues related to sudden incidents like accidents, risk or any kind of defect.
• To abide by the rules and regulations of the organisation so that legislative laws may be obeyed
• To ensure that everyone may obey the rules and regulations as designed by NHS Wales
• To take inspections at different sections of the NHS Wales to ensure every resident is in comfort zone
• To arrange for all precautions to be taken at the time of any hazard or risk if happened (Moen, 2013)
• To maintain record of each and every activity of NHS Wales like number of visitors, case history of residents, duties of low level workers
• To train all the low level workers to deal with visitors and residents

The next step is to prioritise the above responsibilities so as to make a schedule and give best services to NHS Wales. The following strategy is used by me to set priorities for my work-

1. To prepare to-do list- All the work must be noted so that I can overview all the work and set priority against them.
2. Monitoring- Regular check of my work so that no essential activity could not be missed.
3. To divide the work- High priority must be set like- to maintain safety, to handle issues against risks, to inspect the workplace. Low priority to tasks such as- keeping record, maintaining rules, maintaining resources.
4. Allocating time against each activity.
5. To make and keep record of every output so that it may be used for future reference.

Task 2

2.1 How information from risk assessments made in a specific health and social care work environment

Care planning for individuals:

Care planning for individuals can be a very tough task as the needs and disability of every individual differs from another. Sometimes it becomes very difficult to leave an individual alone as it can involve any kind of risk (Protection, 2010).

Consider an example; in NHS Wales once ventilator treatment was given to a patient. But soon after the treatment, the condition of the patient got worse. This created tough environment. While arranging for care planning of the individuals, many kinds of risks are involved. The best way to deal with such kinds of situations is to tell about all the possible outcomes of the treatment to the patient so that no dilemma must be created afterwards. In addition to this, the following points must also be considered while informing about risk assessment-

1. To meet their needs
2. To make full surety of their safety
3. To provide them best facilities
4. To always create healthy environment (World Health Organisation, 2011)

Organisational decision making about policies and procedures:

Organisation’s decision affects everyone working there in one form or the other. Information must be very carefully passed from one person to another especially in health and social care environment.

The image above very well defined the way in which organisations’ decisions are undertaken. Any wrong information passed can cause big dilemma for the organisation. For instance, to implement policies and procedures and to pass information through it, the various decisions are classified into different parts. Then, results are obtained so as to check successful implementation of the policies. In the final step, the whole of the policies are accessed and further changes are done it.

Consider a situation in which if wrong information is passed through lab technicians of the department, it will put very bad impact on the residents. Therefore, policies and procedures are timely evaluated to bring improvement. Thus, it can be said that there can be many risks assessments in the working environment. But the need of the time is to update the whole system with latest techniques so that no wrong information could be passed.

2.2 Analyse the impact of one aspect of health and safety policy

There are many rules and regulations that are made by the UK government to ensure to give best quality services to the people of health and social care centre. The impact of this aspect of health and safety policy on practice and customers is described as below-

Overall health and social care practice:

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 has ensured safety at work. According to this act, there are some responsibilities of employers towards their employees. It is due to this act, faithfulness has been developed between employer and employees (Hughes, 2011). The employer also gives priority to provide every kind of safety practice to everyone that visits the social care centre like NHS Wales. According to this act, following duties are considered essential-

Employer’s duties towards employees

To provide all safety measures at the time of hazard, risk or in any other situation. Compensation has also to be paid in case of any risk involvement.

Employer’s duties towards others-

• To make arrangements for people visiting the centre
• To provide special facilities to residents with disabilities
• To allocate proper sign boards to help people
• To keep aid box always ready to help

The Home’s customers, both internal and external:

NHS Wales is a centre, where people from distant places come for the treatment. At such time, according to legislation it becomes very necessary to arrange for safety requirements for everyone. Highest priority is given to those patients that are not even able to fulfil their needs of their own. This policy has helped a lot to everyone both internal and external. Its impact is explained through following points-

• The visitors become very responsible towards the organisation’s laws and regulations.
• The goals can be easily achieved i.e. to give best treatment services to residents.
• Information can be easily passed from one person to another.
• Decision making process can be fasten and gives an opportunity to share ideas and views.
• Such policies help to define each rule and regulation to everyone so that they can be implemented in the right direction.

Thus, it can be said that policies and procedures help to give a proper defined form to the organisation and help to conduct the activities in safe and sound manner.

2.3 Dealing with dilemmas encounter in relation to implement systems and policies for health, safety and security

As a care worker in NHS Wales, I have faced many situations that create dilemma and has put the care centre in tough conditions. These dilemmas are not created intentionally but they can disturb the whole system and upset the management too (Glasby, 2012). These are explained as below-

• Availability of emergency services: Consider a situation in which many customers at a time demand for emergency services. At that time, it becomes very difficult to provide all the services to everyone and to set priority against them. It also becomes very tough to handle all the patients at that time.
• Religion related conflict: Many people from different religions and beliefs come for the treatment. But some of them are too strong for their religion that they refused to take any blood transfusion like treatment. For instance, once in NHS Wales, I have witnessed the emergency case of a lady who had met with a serious accident. But she was a strong believer of her religion. Doctors suggested her to undergo a blood transfusion due to bad injury in her head. But she refused to do so as according to her religion, it was not allowed. This kind of situation put everyone in dilemma. Blood transfusion was very necessary for her as she could even die without it. At such time, it is the duty of the care worker to softly and calmly deal with patient and make her understand about pros and cons of the situation.
• Negligence of laws and regulations: If any local body does not regulate itself according to the national legislative conditions, it becomes difficult to handle issues. For example, if an employee of NHS Wales does not follow certain rules, the others would also try to do the same thing. At such time, the management has to take strict rules to put everyone into right practice.
• Thus, it is seen that every workplace has witnessed some sort of dilemmas that disturbed the system. But correcting them and resolving them gives a new experience from which an organisation could learn.

2.4 Effect of non-compliance with aspects of health and safety legislation

Dementia is a disease in which a person is mentally disturbed and cannot fulfil all his work of his own. There is a brain injury in this disease due to which all the functions of brain do not work properly. The person becomes very dull, his personality changes and may accompany learning disabilities. Very special care has to be given to the individuals suffering from dementia. They cannot be left alone as they may put themselves in a critical condition.

It can be very harmful if proper care is not given to such individuals or if there is any lack in responsibility towards them. Thus, non-compliance with aspects of health and safety legislation can be quite non-desirous (Erasmus, 2010).
Consider an example in which a dementia patient is being caring services in the health and social care centre. But if that patient is not given proper moral support, it would be very difficult to recover from the disease. Thus moral support is very essential to raise the confidence level of such patients. Non-compliance of moral support may also degrade the status of dementia patients.
Physical support for such patients can also be reduced if proper care is not given to them. As earlier explained, dementia patients cannot work on their own. They require special attention. In the critical conditions, they even can harm themselves too. Person centred approach suits best for them. But in the absence of such approaches and interventions, results can be unfruitful.
One more thing that must be taken care of about dementia patients is that all the medications and treatment must be given with undersigned of the guardian. It is very necessary to comply with all legislation rules and other formalities so that everything goes in sound manner.
Thus, in the end it can be said that everything in the health and social care centre must comply with rules and regulations otherwise, it becomes very difficult to handle the situation.

Task 3

3.1 How health and safety policies and practices are monitored and reviewed

Policies and practices are very important for an organisation to carry the tasks effectively. When the organisation has to deal with health and safety of the people, like that of NHS Wales, the importance of policies and practices increases. In such environment the management has to continuously monitor and review the policies so that everything must undergo with legislation and for the benefit of staff and residents. Monitoring involves keeping a check on the system to ensure no violation of rules and regulations is done by anyone in the health and social care centre (Kang, 2010).

For instance, in NHS Wales, audit of risks is done by the management so that every visitor, resident, employee may be given an environment of safety. Every risk has to be carefully assessed and viewed so that it must not happen again in the future. It is the primary duty of management of NHS Wales to care for the residents.
Another example that could be taken is learning from experience. Many instances have occurred in NHS Wales from which it has learnt a lot and has rectified the errors. Learning from experience is a very good method of monitoring and reviewing as past errors must not be repeated in the future.
Updating current policies and procedures is yet another method of reviewing and monitoring. In NHS Wales, after every 15 days, the current policies and procedures are reviewed and suggestions are asked from the employees so that best services could be delivered. It also helps to form healthy environment. If with mutual consent, employees want to make amendments in the policies, procedures are updated in order to ensure safety of the residents.
Thus, in the end it can be said that monitoring and reviewing helps to check the entire system and to check if everything is going in the right direction. It also helps to manipulate the policies to check they are in accordance with health and safety of the residents, which is the prime motto of NHS Wales.

3.2 To analyse and give priorities to specific aspects of health and safety appropriate to own work activities

As with my own experience in NHS Wales as a care worker, I have always given priority to the protection and safeguard of residents. It has happened many times that residents feel very comfortable with their care takers, so it becomes duty of the care takers to provide them safety at all possible levels (Boivin, 2014).
Consider an example; I have been given responsibility to take care of a resident who was suffering from some serious disease. I have seen that residents become very close to the care taker and share all their views and thoughts. In such conditions, it becomes responsibility of the care taker to protect all the data and personal information of the residents. Thus, I have also given highest priority to conserve the personal information of residents.
The next priority to which I give is to team formation. Consider a situation, in which a specific task is given to an individual with certain time limit. But if the same task is given to a team of 4-5 members, effective results can be obtained. The task will be divided among members, like one member can plan for task, other can accumulate required resources, and rest of the members could implement and evaluate it. Thus, second highest priority is given to team management.
The next priority is given to maintain the records and case history of each and every resident that are under my care. It sometimes happens that NHS Wales has to refer the cases to another health and social care centre. For this purpose the record of every patient is required otherwise it would become difficult to continue the treatment.
The training sessions, conferences, seminars are also given priority according to their urgency level and need of the time. Thus, it can be said that it becomes very easy to carry out the tasks if priority is set against all the activities and it also helps to maintain the goodwill of the workplace. Goals and ambitions can also be easily accomplished.

3.3 Evaluate own contributions to placing the health and safety needs of individuals at the centre of practice

It is of no doubt to say that at health and social care centre, the prime responsibility of the care workers is to satisfy the residents with all their needs and requirements. The motto of the health and social care centre is to provide residents the best possible services so that they may overcome from their disease and live healthier life (Weiss, 2012).

At the very first step of giving treatment to the residents, it is necessary to answer the following questions-

• What does the patient want?
• What are his needs and requirements?
• How his needs can be fulfilled?
• What activities must be arranged for him for speedy recovery?

At NHS Wales, I have been indulged in the following activities to satisfy the individuals with health and safety needs-

• Safety of individuals: There are many kinds of individuals at the health and social care centre with different needs. Some individuals suffer from physical disability that they cannot even walk properly. At that time, I have to be with them so that they may be prevented from all kinds of dangers and harms.
• Managing a team: Many times at NHS Wales, I have organised team for managing daily tasks like bathing, assisting them in their work, laundry and other related activities. A team can perform well if guided by an experienced leader. It also becomes easy to take decision collectively (Reeves, 2011).
• Recreational activities: It is very necessary for the individuals to engage them in different recreational activities like doing art and craft, making sceneries, solving quiz and puzzles that divert their mind and creates positive atmosphere.
• Getting in-touch with other professionals of same field: It sometimes becomes very difficult to manage the individuals with different needs. For its best possible solution, I always remain in touch with health and safety professional bodies, so that I can learn different techniques to handle patients and to understand their needs.

Thus, all the above mentioned points helped me a lot to satisfy the individuals with specific needs and to provide them with an environment of peace and calm.

Figure Health and Social Care centre

Conclusion

The legislation, policies and procedures of a health and social care centre are to be maintained very carefully as any kind of risk can be a big factor. The social care workers are required to abide by these rules and regulations for the smooth functioning of the social care centre. Monitoring and reviewing here plays an important role to check if everything goes in a calm manner. The management is responsible for the smooth implementation of policies and procedures. Everyone be the visitor, resident, employee or the management are affected by the policies and regulations. Continuous monitoring helps to maintain the system of health and social care centre.

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