Understanding Specific Needs in Health and Social Care Essay Example
Understanding Specific Needs in Health and Social Care Essay Example

Understanding Specific Needs in Health and Social Care Essay Example

Available Only on StudyHippo
  • Pages: 9 (2406 words)
  • Published: October 23, 2016
  • Type: Essay
View Entire Sample
Text preview

In this essay I will analyse the concepts of health, disability, illness and behaviour in relation to users of health and social care services. I will take a look into how perceptions of specific needs have changed of time. I will also include the impact of legislation, social policy society and culture on the ways that services are made available to individuals with specific needs. This will include me analysing the needs of individuals with specific needs, explain the current system for supporting individuals with specific needs. I will also evaluate the services available in a chosen locality for individuals with specific needs.

According to The equality Act 2010 a disability is define as having a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability

...

to do normal daily activities. ( www. directgov. co. uk). There are many different types of disabilities so as a social care worker we would have to cater to that persons individual needs. A person’s disability can also affect other areas of a person’s life, like their health. Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity this. (http://www. ho. int) when we are not in good health it can lead to illness which is the Disease of body or mind; poor health; sickness (http://medical-dictionary. thefreedictionary. com).

Being in poor health can lead to challenging behaviours this is when culturally abnormal behaviour of such an intensity, frequency or duration that the physical safety of the person or others is likely to be placed in serious jeopardy, or behaviour whic

View entire sample
Join StudyHippo to see entire essay

is likely to seriously limit use of, or result in the person being denied access to, ordinary community facilities on their quality of life is evaluated too. http://www. challengingbehaviour. org. uk/) When these things occur there are certain things that we as social care workers need to do to help make an individual’s circumstances easier and to protect the people whom assist these individuals. When dealing with challenging behaviour we have to take into consideration many things When a person is diagnosed with disability they should be provided with the right services that meet their needs but not everyone is entitled to the same things.

To find out if an individual is eligible they would need to have an assessment done. Under the NHS Community care Act 1990 states it is a duty for local authorities to assess people for social care and support. This is to ensure that people who need community care services or other types of support get the services they are entitled to. Patients have their needs and circumstances assessed and the results determine whether or not care or social services will be provided. (www. legislation. gov. k) A Care manager, Social worker or another professional who is able to do the assessment would go in and conduct the assessment. When doing the assessment the professional will need to determine the level of risk a person is to themselves and to other people. If done is called a risk assessment. A risk assessment is a systematic method of looking at work activities, considering what could go wrong, and deciding on suitable control measures to prevent loss, damage or injury in

the workplace.

The Assessment should include the controls required to eliminate, reduce or minimise the risks. (http://www. healthyworkinglives. com). These risk assessment are done to help safe guard vulnerable people and the people whom work with them they are done to minimise all sorts of risks. These risk assessments are put in place so that they protect service user and professionals from harm. They used to analyse any risk that can occur to the service user while they are in their home, and social activities while out and about.

They also examine any assistance the service user may need while in their environment. for example if they need assistance with toileting, they can be provided with a commode. Or if they need assistance with getting in and out of bed if they are bed bound they can be given a hoist to use to assist them. These things are assessed by an occupational therapist who will examine the service user’s needs. We as social care workers need to safe guard vulnerable people.

When it comes to safe guarding there are laws that protect individual people under the Children’s Act 1989 it states It shall be the general duty of every local authority in addition to the other duties imposed on them by this Part to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need; and, so far as is consistent with that duty, to promote the upbringing of such children by their families - by providing a range and level of services appropriate to those children's needs. ( www. legislation. ov. uk). Safeguarding means protecting people’s health,

wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. It is fundamental to creating high-quality health and social care. (http://www. cqc. org. uk/public/what-are-standards/safeguarding-people) It’s important to have these things in place to ensure the safety of the individual and the professional who work with them. Risk assessments provide detail information as what things need to be put into place to assist individual’s needs.

This risk assessment this is to see what precautions you need to take and what you can do to prevent these things from happening in the first place. Workers and service users have the right to be protected in there working environment form harm caused failure to take reasonable control measures. Your employer has a legal duty to make sure that they assess all the risk in the workplace and the plan should be implemented. When a risk assessment has been conducted a care plan can be reviewed once this is done.

Having risk assessments in place makes it easier to make changes if their needs to be a change in a person care this is to ensure there are no mistakes and all aspects of a person care is covered and documented. For example if a person has been assigned a carer to help assist them in their care. A carer can come to a service user’s home and may not know what to do. If the service cannot talk all they need to do is take a look at the information in the risk assessment to see what the service can and cannot do.

When reviewing the care plan you would

need to meet the needs of the service user, for example from the assessment it has been noted they need a stair lift to get the service user up and down the stairs and you put in that stair lift it would meet the needs of the service user. Regular checks made by a carer or a family member will ensure the safety of the service users. Ensuring security of the service user you can do this by adding key safes to their houses only the people who know the code will have access to the hose this will also maximise the person wellbeing.

When a risk assessment is done it could also pin point what things within the work place may need updating, for example if it was shown in the risk assessment that the fire door was open and in their polices it states it is meant to be closed. There should be a review in measures for it to continue to be closed. While working with service users the government has put many techniques in place to protect vulnerable people these measure include a Disclosure and barring check. This involves a person being checked through the police national computer, protection of vulnerable adults list, and the protection f vulnerable children list. And criminal backgrounds check. This is to ensure you are who you say you are, and to ensure you are able to work with vulnerable people. A care plan is an agreement between you and your health professional (and/or social services) to help you manage your health day-to-day. It can be a written document or something recorded in your patient

notes. (http://www. nhs. uk). Many individuals are able to work with professionals in order to have their care cater to their specific needs.

Specific needs are the individual requirements of a person with a disadvantaged background or a mental, emotional, or physical disability or a high risk of developing one. (www. directgov. co. uk). This is done in order to provide the right type of care to an individual, as the times are changing the health and social care sector are changing the way they assist individuals with their care. In previous years individuals weren’t not as involved with their care as they are now. Services were often limited, and individuals had no input into what would go into their care plan.

Services were often service lead and not needs lead as they are today. Families and professionals often made decisions on the person’s behalf without asking them. The social care sectors are now making improvements to this with the help of government legislation. These new safeguarding technics and policies and procedures are also help vulnerable individuals from abuse. Abuse is the violation of an individual's human and civil rights by any other person or persons. It can vary from the seemingly trivial act of not treating someone with dignity and respect - to extreme punishment, cruelty or torture.

There are several different types of abuse; physical which Physical injuries can occur where there is no satisfactory explanation, definite knowledge, or a reasonable suspicion that injury was inflicted with intent, caused through lack of care by the person having custody, charge or care of that person. Emotional abuse can include intimidation, humiliation,

shouting, swearing, emotional blackmail and denial of basic human rights. Using racist language, preventing someone from enjoying activities or meeting friends. Neglect is when a person can suffer because their physical or psychological needs are being neglected by a carer.

This could include failure to keep someone warm, clean and well-nourished or neglecting to give prescribed medication. Financial abuse can take the form of fraud, theft or using of the vulnerable adults property without their permission. This could involve large sums of money or just small amounts from a pension or allowance each week. Sexual abuse is the involvement of vulnerable adults in sexual activities, which they do not fully comprehend, to which they are unable to give consent, either verbally or by their behaviour, to which they object or which may cause them harm.

Institutional abuse is different from other categories because it is about who abuses and how that abuse comes to pass, rather than about types of harm. Abuse occurs in a relationship, family, service or institution and it can be perpetrated by an individual or more collectively, by a regime. Most care is built around the service user as person centred care is often used. Person centre therapy was created by a Psychologist known as Carl Rogers in the 1950s. It is also known as Client centred therapy. This sort of therapy is based around the person and they have complete control over the therapy.

The counsellor is not direct; there are no questions, assessments, or opinions. The counsellor has to provide a non-judgemental and safe environment for the client to be in. The counsellor must have geniuses

towards the client often known as congruence; they must also provide unconditional positive regard which is a deep caring for the client. The counsellor must also be empathetic which entails feeling what the client is feeling and have a deep understanding for the client’s feelings. With this approach, it put the service user at the centre of the care.

All the decisions and activities are based around the service user; this is to make sure that they are involved in all aspects of their care. And for the care to focus on the specific needs and wishes of the service user. This enables the service user with help from professionals, service providers, family and friends to plan their own lives and make them feel more empowered and independent. The person centre approach is a good approach to use in health and social care practice. As it allows the service user to make informed choices over their own care. It allows them to speak up for themselves and provide self-advocacy.

For those service users who cannot speak advocates can help speak on their behalf with family and friends to create a care plan that is needs led, not service led. We as social care workers also have a duty of care that we need to adhere to under the Codes of Practice for Social care Workers, these codes are set out to show the level of conduct that is expect of us and to inform service users and the public the level of conduct that is expected. As social care workers we promote and protect the rights of service users and carers. We must

uphold public trust and confidence in social care services.

We must strive and establish trust and confidence in service users and carers. We must promote the independence of service user while trying to protect them from harm. We must respect the rights of service users while we must ensure they are not a danger to themselves and other people. We must accountable for the quality of our work and make sure we know it is our responsibility to update our skills. (http://www. hpc-uk. org/). Codes of practice for Social Care Employers must ensure they know their responsibility of regulating their employees. The purposes of these regulations are to protect the rights of the service users and carers.

As a social care employer they must ensure that all employees are suitable to enter the workforce and that they understand their role and responsibility. Employers must have in place policies and procedures that are in accordance with GSCC . Employers must provide training and development opportunities to all employees to help develop and improve their skills and knowledge. Employers must put in place policies and procedures that deal with discrimination and dangerous behaviour. . (http://www. hpc-uk. org/). these things are done to help protect the service users and social care workers.

Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New