The importance of Legislation Guidelines and Polices
Health and Safety at Work Act 1999
The legalisation of ‘no trailing wires’ service uses are able to work around the residential home within having the risk of tripping over wires from electrical equipment that’s around the home. As service users are doing physical activities such as dance as stereo is in use and there are wires that are used to plug in the stereo must not be trailing the guidelines protect services users, if there are trailing wires left out service users can trip over there wires and fall which would create an accident and an individual would be hurt. ‘No objects lying on the floor’ this legalisation ensures that no objects of any sort are left on the floor for service users to trip and fall over. With these guidelines services users are protected on a daily bases as they are to roam around the home without worrying about falling over. However if this is ignored service users could meet in an accident of falling over and causing an injury upon themselves. If there is a fire Service users are free to use them in order to escape from any fires within the home which why the legalisation of ‘Fire exits must never be blocked’ is in place. Large objects are moved around the room when service users are doing physical activities there therefore these guidelines protect service users. Large objects that need to be moved that involve more then on person to move and the object is in front of the fire exit if there was a fire individuals are not able to use the fire exit to get out. If the ‘No exits must never be blocked’ is ignored if there was a fire Services users would be stuck inside and wouldn’t be able to escape there for they could either die from smoke inhalation or become seriously harmed. The legalisation ‘disposable gloves and aprons need to be worn when toileting service users’ is to prevent spreading infections and diseases with the residential home. Service users are protected by this as workers would have to take them to the toilet and glove and aprons that are disposable should be worn in order to not spread diseases to others. If this is ignored Services users would have chance of catching diseases that have been spread.
The Food Standard Act 1999
‘All food should not be used past the use by date’ is in place to make sure that service users to eat fresh food in order to prevent illnesses. Service users are protected by this as when they doing any form of cookery activity they are to have fresh food that isn’t to cause tem any harm or any illnesses from the food. If this isn’t taken in to note services users could then get food poising which cause also affect the individuals with weaker immune systems and cause death. The legalisation ‘Any food that is taken out of the packaging needs to be labelled with the use by date’ this is in place to let other individuals know when the food is still in use. Service users can then become ill if they the legalisation is ignored.
The General Food Regulations 2004
The legalisation ‘Fridge and freezer temperature needs to be documented daily’ this in place so that food is kept at the right temperature and does not go spoilt. By following this it prevents and protects the service users from using spoilt food due to temperature change during cooking activities. If this procedure Is ignored service users can become ill due to food being spoilt because it’s not been stored at the right temperature in the fridge or freezer, bacteria will spread which will the cause service users to have food poisoning. ‘All food must be stored of the correct shelves’ this is to prevent cross contamination from occurring within foods. Raw food show be below cooked food in order to prevent cross contamination and service users would become ill when using the food. If this is not noted and is ignored food would have cross contaminated which would have cause the service users to become ill. The legalisation of ‘all food needs to probed’ this is in place to make sure that any cooked food that have been cooked are not raw therefore it needs to be temperature probed. If service users are tasting food they need to be sure that the food is completely cooked at that it is not raw which this legalisation protects all service users. If all food isn’t temperature probed and to service users was to taste the food they could burn themselves and leave them not wanting not do any food tasting or might even out them off the food. ‘Correct chopping boards have to be used when foods being prepared’ this prevents food from being cross contaminated when being prepared. The procedure protects service users during cookery activities if service users are preparing a raw meat and a cooked meat on the same chopping board food can the cross contaminate. Service users can become ill and get salmonella if this legalisation is ignored which could the spread and lead to death to some service users.
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
The legalisation ‘A hoist should be used to move service users’ is in place so that services users are moved with care and support. The legalisation protects service users they might need to be lifted from a chair in order to get up. This protects services users as service users may not feel like that are worth anything or may feel left out as they can’t move for the one place to where they want to go within the care home also if a care worker was to lift a service user it can cause an injury to their back. ‘Care workers need to follow manual handling training to move objects’ this prevents the carers from being injured and make sure that they are safe. This protects by preparing them on lifting heavy objects like boxes. If this guideline is not taken into note they could hurt their back when lifting object which could end up being a serious injury. The legalisation ‘any type of lift needs to be planned’ this is placed so that when care workers are going to lift anything they are all aware and prepared for the lift that is going to take place. This protect care workers are they are all safe and are aware of what is going on which would reduce the chances of anything going wrong. If lift for a service user isn’t dot properly the service user may feel like an easy item, uncared for or may thing that the care workers are not aware of what they are meant to be doing. ‘Two care workers should move a service user from sitting position’ this guideline ensure that service users are moved safe and care worker are able to support and move a service user without complications. This protects residents as they may need to get up to go to a certain activity so they have the support and comfort of have the help of two care workers to lift them. If this guideline is not taken into note and a worker attempt to move a service user they may cause a really bad injury on their back or pull a muscle. ‘The service user should always bear their weight when being supported by care workers’ this helps to make it easier for workers to lift them as they will not have as much pressure upon them. Service user will be able to have more help and support for workers when any support is required. If this not taken into consideration when carrying service users they would find it hard in moving them as they would be too heavy.
The Control of Substances hazardous to Health Regulation 2002 (COSHH)
‘All cleaning products need to be stored in a locked cupboard’ service users with dementia could put the products into their mouth therefore this prevents them from doing it. This protects service users with dementia as they don’t know what they are doing and could end up putting or drinking the detergents or if service users was to pick up the cleaning product and get it on the skin it could cause irritation. If this is not noted it can cause the service user to have an reaction on the skin if cleaning products came in contact with skin or could even make a service users seriously ill if it’s been drunken. ‘All medication needs to be stored in a locked cupboard’ this stops service user getting in contact with others or their own medication. If service user go hold of medication that not their own they could take it which could harm them are take too much of their own medication then what is required. If this is not tae in to consideration service user could overdose themselves and become seriously ill. ‘All cleaning products and medication need to be stored in the manufactures containers’ this ensures that care worker know what’s in the bottle which should be on the label and that they can read on what they have to do with it and how much to give. ‘All cleaning products and medication need to be correctly labelled’ this is so that care workers know what the medication is and who it belongs to and to know what the cleaning product is meant to be used in a certain place. If there is an activity taking place and cleaning is involved individuals will know what cleaning product to use. Also if medication is labelled it give the care workers a good idea of who the medication belongs to and how many doses should be given to the service user. Service user can become sick if they are given the wrong medication. ‘All clinical waste needs to be disposed of in a sealed yellow plastic bag’ clinical waste and general everyday waste needs to be kept apart. This legalisation protects individuals normal everyday rubbish should be thrown in the bin and not in the yellow bin. If service user throw rubbish in a back that clinical waste and general rubbish is in together it can cause them to get infectious diseases and spread them around the residential home to other service users. ‘All clinical waste is stored in a separate locked bin outside’ All clinical waste is kept outside and not in the house. Clinical waste let in the house will cause a bad smell or can cause bacteria to spread around the home. If this is not taken into note the germs and bacteria coming from the clinical waste can cause service users to get the germs and become ill.
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR)
Any fracture that is not a broken finger or toe needs to be report to RIDDOR’ so that they are aware of what has happened to the service user. If a service user is taking part in a physical activity and falls then fractures a certain part of their body RIDDOR need to be informed so that they know what has happened and why it occurred. RIDDOR is not informed they will not be aware of what has happed to the service user. The legalisation ‘An incident form needs to be completed if there is any accident or near miss in the care home that involves any service user or care worker’ so that they are aware of anything that’s happened within the care home. This protects individuals as accident forms note that what has happened and what caused it to happen therefore it can be prevented from happening again. The legalisation ‘any death that is not through natural causes need to be reported to RIDDOR’ RIDDOR can then find out how it happened to the service user. This legalisation protects service users in case they die and by making and investigation and finding out what happened families are then able to find out what has happened. If this guideline is not followed through the death f a service user will be left unexplainable. ‘Any accident or injury at work that involves a person being admitted to hospital for more than 24 hours needs to be reported to RIDDOR’ so that RIDDOR are aware and that they know that it’s a serious reason to why an individual is in hospital and that they can get more staff. This ensures that service users are able to have the right staff to have around them to make sure that they get the care that they need. If this is not followed through service users are then limited on what they may want to do as there might not be enough staff. ‘Any infectious condition or disease such as tetanus, TB and legionnaires disease needs to be reported’ this is in place so that it Is spread around the residential home and that service users don’t get it from one another. When services users have physical contact with one another the disease doesn’t become contagious and they don’t catch anything from one another. If this is not taken into consideration services user can catch the disease and can become very ill from it.
Organisational Policies and Codes of Practise
‘All staff must follow defensible documentation practise reports when completing reports about service users’ this is in place so that note written about service users can be added to. If anything is written about service users other individuals cannot make things up or add to what has already been written this legalisation protects the service users. Untrue statements and things can be added to what has already been written if the procedure is not followed. The legalisation ‘care plans needs to be renewed every month’ is in place so that it is up to date about the changes of a service users. If a service user enjoys one thing and decides to change it for something else it would be noted in the care plan and used for future reference. If this is not noted then the care plan would not be up date with the service user needs and they wouldn’t be happy with the changes that haven’t been made and would feel as if they are not cared for. The legalisation ‘New staff need to complete 6 induction standards within 12 weeks of starting work’ this in place so that new worker are on the correct level. Service users are then aware that they can trust the care worker and know that they are there to know to attend their needs. If the guideline is not taken in to note service users may not feel as if are being care for properly. ‘All staff need to mandatory training’ this is in place to ensure that staff are qualified. Fully qualified staff are able to give the right care and support towards service user. If these guideline expectations are not met service users not get the best care that they need and staff could make mistakes. ‘6 staff supervisions need to be carried out every 12 months, one every two months’ so that people are aware that staff are doing their job properly. This protects service users so that they are aware that the job that the staff are doing is done properly. If this is not followed through this will affect the service users as staff might not be doing their job right.