Unit 2 Working in Health & Social Care

General Practitioner (GP)

a doctor who does not specialise in a specific branch of medicine but provides ongoing treatment and preventative care in the community for a variety of medical problems that may be experienced by individuals of all ages.

Preventative care

care and education that aims to ensure people remain healthy, and are aware of factors that can lead to illness and poor health. It includes screening and vaccination programmes.

Consultant

a senior doctor, normally based in a hospital, who provides specialist expert healthcare support in their area of expertise.

Nurse Practitioner

provides expert consultancy service to patients and their carers. They contribute to the management and development of the care provision. They also undertake research and contribute to the education and training of other members of staff.

Adult Nurse

works with adults of all ages, who may have a wide range of physical health conditions. They may be based in hospitals, clinics or GP practices, or work for specialist organisations such as the armed forces. Many work with people in their own homes. They will often plan individual care, carry out healthcare procedures and treatments and evaluate their effectiveness. They also work to promote good health by running clinics and health education programmes on topics such as giving up smoking or weight loss.

Mental Health Nurse

they specialise in mental health work in a range of settings. These may include psychiatric units in hospitals, community healthcare centres, day care settings, residential homes and prisons. Remember that most people who experience mental health problems are cared for in the community, not in hospitals

Children's Nurse

works with children with a very wide range of medical conditions. Works closely with the child's parents or carers. This is to ensure that, as far as possible, the care provided meets their social, cultural and family needs, as well as addressing their health issues. May work in hospitals but also support children at home.

Learning Disability Nurse

works mainly with individuals with learning disabilities living in the community rather than in hospitals. This may include supporting people in schools and workplaces, people living at home with their families and people who live in specialist residential settings. They aim to work with people with learning disabilities and their carers to maintain the person's physical and mental health, provide specialist healthcare and support them to live as fulfilling and independent a life as possible.

District Nurse

care for people of all ages, supporting them in their own homes or in residential homes. Work closely with family members and other carers. They assess the patient's needs and also the care and support needs of their 'informal' carers. Most commonly care for older people, people with disabilities and people recently discharged from hospital.

Neonatal Nurse

works with newborn babies, including babies who are born prematurely. They work in specialist hospital settings and in the community. Works very closely with the baby's parents and actively encourages them to take a practical role in their child's care.

Health Visitor

provides support for families in the early years of their children's life, normally from birth to the age of five. They offer support on health issues and minor illnesses, and advice on feeding and weaning. They carry out routine checks on the child's development and support parents in meeting the developmental needs of their children. They see the children and their carers in their homes, at clinics, at the GP practice and sometimes at a nursery or in other community settings.

Practice Nurse

works in GP practices/surgeries. In small practices there may be only one, but increasingly they are part of a larger team. Responsibilities vary according to the GP practice but will normally include taking blood samples, carrying out child immunisation programmes and administering vaccinations for people travelling abroad. Often provide health screening for men and women, and family planning advice, if they are qualified to do so.

School Nurse

are usually employed by the NHS but may be employed directly by a school. They provide a variety of services, including developmental checks, administering immunisation programmes and providing health education programmes.

Health Screening

the process of checking for the presence of disease in individuals who have no signs or symptoms of the illness. For example screening for the presence of cervical cancer for women or testicular cancer for men before they have any symptom of the disease.

Antenatal care

care provided for a mother and her baby before the birth of the baby.

Postnatal care

care provided for a mother and her baby after the birth of the baby.

Midwives

play a central role in supporting women through all stages of pregnancy, providing both antenatal and postnatal care. This includes helping families prepare for parenthood and delivering babies in the maternity departments of hospitals and in patients' homes. They may be based in hospital maternity units but an increasing number work in the community, providing support at local clinics in GP practices, in women's homes and at children's centres.

Healthcare assistants

sometimes known as nursing assistants or auxiliary nurses. They work under the guidance and with the support of qualified healthcare professionals. They may work in GP practices, hospitals, nursing homes and other community healthcare settings. Most commonly they work alongside qualified nurses, but they may also work with midwives in maternity services.

Duties of a Healthcare Assistant

taking and recording a patient's temperature and pulse
weighing patients, and recording the result
taking patients to the toilet
making beds
washing and dressing patients
serving meals and assisting with feeding when necessary

Social Workers

provide help and support for people of all ages through difficult times in their lives. They aim to ensure that the most vulnerable people are safeguarded from harm and to help people live independent lives. They support children, people with disabilities, people with mental health problems and the frail elderly.

Social Workers - Adult Services

provide help and support for older people, adults with disabilities, people with mental health problems and people who have learning difficulties. They support people living independently and those in residential care. They work very closely with the service users' families and carers.

Social Workers - Children and young people's services

provide support for children and their families. They play a key role in ensuring that children are safe and protected from abuse. If children are at risk from harm, they take measures to ensure that the children are removed to a safe place. This may, in extreme circumstances, include removing them from their home and family. They also work in residential children's settings and manage fostering and adoption procedures. They provide support for young people leaving care and young people at risk of being in trouble with the law

Occupational therapists

work with people of all ages who are having difficulty in carrying out the practical routines of daily life, for example washing and bathing, housework, cooking or getting to the shops. These problems may be the result of a disability, physical or psychological illness, an accident or the frailty of older age. They will agree specific activities with an individual that will help them to overcome their barriers to living an independent life. They may work in people's homes, GP practices, residential and nursing homes, prisons, social services and other council departments and in hospitals.

Youth workers

work with young people between the ages of 11 and 25. They aim to support young people to reach their full potential and to become responsible members of society. They work in a range of settings, including youth centres, schools and colleges. They may be employed by the local council but are also employed by a range of religious and other voluntary organisations. They are not always based in a particular building, especially if they are working with young people on the streets.

Care assistants

provide practical help and support for people who have difficulties with daily activities. This may include supporting older people and their families, children and young people, people with physical or learning disabilities or people with mental health problems. They work in a wide range of settings, such as in clients' homes, at day care settings, in residential and nursing homes and in supported or sheltered housing complexes. Sometimes they will work with only one person, providing intensive support to enable them to manage everyday life.
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Duties of a Care Assistant

their exact duties will vary according to the needs of the clients, but could include:
helping with personal daily care, such as washing, dressing, using the toilet and feeding
general household tasks, including cleaning, doing laundry and shopping
paying bills and writing letters
liaising with other health and care professionals.

Supported housing

shelter, support and care provided for vulnerable people, to help them live as independently as possible in the community.

Care managers

they have a key leadership role within residential care settings. They manage the provision of residential care for: adults and young adults with learning difficulties, older people in residential care or nursing homes, people in supported housing, people receiving hospice care.
They are responsible for the routine running of the residential care setting, including appointing suitable staff and managing staff teams, managing the budget and ensuring that the quality of care meets the standards required by the sector. They manage and supervise the duties of the care assistants working in their setting.

Support workers

closely linked to the healthcare assistant role. These may work under the supervision of a range of health and care professionals, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists and social workers. e.g. once the social worker has identified what is needed, they may work closely with the family to help implement the plan. They may provide support with parenting skills, financial management or domestic skills.

Policies

detailed descriptions of the approach, and often the specific procedures that should be followed, in caring for clients

Procedures

written instructions that outline the expected and required routines that care staff must follow in specific situations, for example reporting accidents or administering medicines, in order to implement agreed policies.

Safeguarding

policies to ensure that children and vulnerable adults are protected from harm, abuse and neglect and that their health and wellbeing is promoted

Prescribing medication

traditionally this been the doctor's role. However, some nurses have undergone additional training and taken on the role of nurse prescriber. Some other healthcare practitioners, such as dentists, chiropodists and physiotherapists, may do this in certain circumstances.

Surgery

may play a significant part in supporting an individual's recovery from illness and other physical disorders. For example, cancerous tumours such as breast lumps may be removed if is diagnosed at an early stage. Older people may require joint replacement, such as hip or knee joints. A patient's recovery will continue after discharge from hospital.

Radiotherapy

treatment using high-energy radiation. Treatment is planned by skilled radiotherapists working alongside a team that includes radiographers and specially trained nurses. Although this is often used to treat cancer, it can be used to treat non-cancerous tumours or other conditions, such as diseases of the thyroid gland and some blood disorders. Patients may need support from their GP on completion of the treatment to ensure full healing. Common side effects of some forms include itchiness and peeling or blistering of the skin.

Organ transplant

involves either moving a body part or organ from one person's body to another's (known as an allograft) or from one part of a person's body to another location in their own body (known as an autograft). The purpose is to replace the patient's damaged or absent organ.

Self-help groups

groups formed by people who share a common issue that they wish to address. The members provide advice, support and care for each other. They often meet in settings provided by health and social care professionals e.g. GP surgeries

Specialist agencies

they support and promote the health and wellbeing of service users, especially those who have specific illnesses or disorders. Healthcare professionals can inform their service users about these services

Rehabilitation

the process of restoring a person to good health following surgery, an accident or other illness, including recovery from addiction.

Rehabilitation programme

the purpose is to enable a person to recover from an accident or serious illness and to live, as far as possible, an independent and fulfilling life. These are particularly important after someone has a heart attack or a stroke, or following an accident that has significantly reduced their mobility or their reaction speed. These may also be a central part of treatment for people who have a mental illness. The specifics will vary according to the person's physical and psychological needs and their home and family circumstances, including the level of support from their family, friends and carers. This may include support from physiotherapists, occupational therapists, counsellors or psychotherapists .

Psychotherapy

a type of therapy used to treat emotional and mental health conditions, usually by talking to a trained therapist one-to-one or in a group.

Complementary therapies

a wide range of treatments designed to treat the whole person rather than the symptoms of their disease. For example, acupuncture, aromatherapy and reflexology.

Conventional medical treatment

also called orthodox treatment. A system of treating an individual's symptoms and diseases by using drugs, radiation, or surgery administered by medical doctors and other healthcare professionals (such as nurses, pharmacists, and therapists).

Assistive technology

some people with chronic conditions may need highly sophisticated equipment in their home to manage an independent life. For example, people with chronic bronchitis, emphysema or a coronary heart condition may need oxygen cylinders at home and people with kidney failure may need dialysis equipment. Other examples include adapted computer keyboards and, where necessary, screens to support people with a range of physical conditions, including epilepsy, arthritis and visual impairments

Assistive Technology and other resources that support educational achievement

any tool or strategy used to help people with disabilities complete their studies successfully and reach their potential. These are available to support people with disabilities and other illnesses to meet their educational potential. They include: adapted computers to meet the needs of visually impaired and blind people, availability of signers and other communicators for hearing-impaired and profoundly deaf people, ensuring wheelchair access to all learning spaces, additional time in examinations for learners who are dyslexic, enlarged text for people with poor vision.

Equipment to increase mobility

these allow people to be more physically active and more independent in carrying out daily routines. They include: walking sticks, walking frames, including tripods and tetrapods, wheelchairs, manual or electric, adapted shopping trolleys, stairlifts, adapted cars, or other motorised transport.

Appliances that support daily living activities

individuals may need a range of other appliances to support daily living activities and to promote their independence. These could include: special cutlery with thick, light handles that are easy to hold for people with arthritis, feeding cups or angled straws for drinks, egg cups and plates with suctioned bottoms, special gadgets to help people who can only use one hand to take the lids off jars and tins, and others to help with peeling potatoes and buttering bread, kettles on tipping stands and adapted plugs to help with using electrical appliances, special dining chairs and armchairs adapted to meet individual needs, bathing aids such as walk-in baths and showers, bath and shower seats, raised toilet seats for service users who find it difficult to sit down and stand up again

Domiciliary care

care provided in the service user's own home. This may include district nurses, home care workers and health visitors. Providing personal care - including washing, toileting and feeding.

Halal

an Arabic term meaning permissible or allowed. Used in the context of preparing food according to Islamic law set down in the Quran, for example how animals are killed and meat prepared for consumption.

Kosher

means suitable. Used in the context of food preparation and consumption according to Jewish dietary laws. Covers permitted and forbidden foods, for example not cooking or eating milk and meat products together.

Gluten

a protein found in wheat and some other grains. When people with coeliac disease eat this they experience an immune response that attacks their small intestine causing symptoms such as abdominal bloating, pain and diarrhoea.

Informal care

care and support provided by relatives and friends, normally unpaid and in addition to the care provided by professional health and care providers.

Care planning

this includes:
assessing the individual healthcare needs of their service users
agreeing a care plan that promotes the service user's health and wellbeing
evaluating the effectiveness of the care implemented.

Vegetarian

someone who does not eat fish, meat or meat-based products - this could include jelly and some medications

Vegan

someone who does not eat meat or any animal-related products, including eggs, cheese, cow's or goat's milk

Common allergic reactions

nuts, strawberries, dairy products and shell fish

Code of practice

standards of behaviour and professional practice required of health and care practitioners, set and monitored by professional bodies such as the GMC, NMC or the HCPC.

Anti-discriminatory practice

care practice that ensures that individual and different needs of clients and patients are met regardless of their race, ethnicity, age, disability, sex or sexual orientation, and that prejudices and unfair discrimination are challenged.

Prejudice

preconceived opinions or fixed attitudes about a social group that are not based on reason or evidence. These attitudes may lead to active discrimination.

Care Value Base

a set of values that includes the commitment to:
promote anti-discriminatory practice to ensure that care services meet the needs of all people regardless of their religion, culture, ethnic background, disability or other personal differences
empower individuals, enabling them to take control of their lives and the decisions that relate to their treatment and care
ensure the safety of staff, and of the people for whom they care
maintain confidentiality and privacy
promote good communication between carers, and between carers and their clients.
These principles of good practice are the , established by the Care Sector Consortium in 1992. They are found in the code of practice of all health and care professions.

General Medical Council (GMC)

sets and monitors standards of behaviour for doctors

Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC)

sets and monitors standards of behaviour for nurses and midwives

Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

sets and monitors standards of behaviour for social workers and for a range of other health professions, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, paramedics and speech therapists.

Equality Act 2010

prevents discrimination on the grounds of protected characteristics

Human Rights Act 1998

guarantees rights to people cared for by public authorities to be treated equally, with fairness, respect and dignity

Empowering individuals

this means ensuring that service users take a full part in discussions and decisions about their personal care and treatment and that, where possible and appropriate, they are included in discussion of overall policy and provision at the care setting. It enables service users to understand the choices that they can make about their care, to contribute to the decision-making and to take control of their lives.

Translators

are concerned with communicating meaning from one language to another. They can help many people where English is not their first language, but also includes communication between people using sign language and those using spoken English, for example translating British Sign Language or Makaton to spoken English.

Signers

play a key role in ensuring that people with hearing impairments can fully participate in meetings and communicate their preferences and care needs.

Individualised care

care provision tailored to meet the particular and specific needs of each service user.

Self-esteem

a person's sense of self-respect; the confidence a person has in their own worth and value.

Multi-cultural society

a population made up of people from a variety of different ethnic backgrounds and cultural traditions.

Advocate

a person who speaks for someone else and represents their views and preferences.

Conflict

examples of where this may occur include:
the equally valid preferences of one service user and that of another
the client's right to choice and protecting their personal safety
the different rights that service users have
the respect for the cultural or religious values of a service user and promoting their health and wellbeing

Challenging behaviour

this could be defined as any behaviour that puts the service user or anybody else in the setting at risk, or significantly affects their quality of life.

Lone workers' policy

guidance and procedures aimed at ensuring that people working on their own are safe. This is particularly important when providing domiciliary care. These are in place principally to protect the carer from harm but will also provide additional protection for service users.

Skills required when dealing with conflict

Never resort to aggressive behaviour
Stay calm
Listen carefully
Try to see both sides of the argument or issue

Risk assessment

identifying and evaluating the possible consequences of hazards and the level of risk that the hazard will cause harm.

Risk

the likelihood, high or low, that a person will be harmed by a hazard.

Hazards

anything that could potentially cause harm, such as climbing stairs, wet floor surfaces, trailing electricity cables, the disposal of waste or bathing a service user.

The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974)

governs the requirements of employers and employees to ensure that they maintain a safe working environment for all.
Employers must:
ensure that the organisation has a robust health and safety policy and that there is someone with official responsibility for health and safety at the setting
undertake a risk assessment to identify the risks and hazards at the workplace, and take action to reduce the likeliness of harm or injury
provide up-to-date information on health and safety issues
provide health and safety equipment to carry out all procedures and treatments
provide health and safety training
keep a record of all accidents and incidents.

Employees must:
take reasonable care of their own safety and that of others in the workplace, including service users, colleagues and visitors
cooperate with their employer to carry out the agreed and required health and safety procedures of the workplace
not intentionally damage health and safety equipment at the setting, for example hoists and lifts.

Infection control procedures

are likely to include:

Washing your hands before you start work and before you leave work, before eating, after using the toilet and after coughing or sneezing and before and after you carry out any personal care, particularly if this involves contact with body fluids, clinical waste or dirty linen.
Using alcohol hand rubs to ensure that hands are clean and provide further protection from contamination.
Safe handling and disposal of sharp articles such as needles and syringes to avoid needle-stick injuries and to ensure that no infection is passed on through viruses carried in the blood or bacteria.
Keeping all soiled linen in the designated laundry bags, or bin, and not leaving it on the floor. Soiled linen should always be washed in a designated laundry room. When handling soiled laundry a protective apron and gloves should be worn. Hands must be thoroughly washed after handling soiled linen. Separate trolleys should be used for soiled and clean laundry to avoid cross-contamination and the spread of disease.
Wearing protective disposable gloves and aprons when you have contact with body fluids, or when you are caring for someone with open wounds, rashes or pressure ulcers, for example.
Cleaning all equipment according to the agreed procedures of your setting.
Wearing protective clothing for any activities that involve close personal care or contact with body fluids.

Clinical waste

waste contaminated by blood, urine, saliva or other body fluids, which could be infectious.

Hazardous waste

waste containing substances that can cause serious harm to people or equipment, including soiled dressings and items contaminated with bodily fluids, explosives, flammable materials and substances that poison or destroy human tissue.

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations (2002)

guidance approved by the Health and Safety Executive for the safe disposal of hazardous waste. The policies and procedures used in your care setting will be based on this guidance.

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) (2013)

guidance about particular illnesses, diseases and serious accidents that health and care providers must officially report. These are called 'notifiable deaths, injuries or diseases'. Notifiable illnesses include diphtheria, food poisoning, rubella (German measles), tuberculosis (TB) and notifiable incidents occurring at work include broken bones, serious burns and death.

Accident Reports

these need to be completed regardless of whether or not there is an injury. Providers of health and care services use an form to report the details of all accidents and incidents, which are then recorded in an accident book. These reports are required by law and are checked when care settings are inspected.

Provision of first aid

in health and care settings, this is governed by the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations (1981). It should be 'adequate and appropriate'. What is deemed as adequate and appropriate will vary from setting to setting. For example, all newly qualified early-years practitioners will be required to complete paediatric first-aid training.

Complaints procedures

all care organisations must have these procedures and these are also checked when the setting is inspected. They vary in different organisations but will follow a very similar format. If a service user, a member of staff or a volunteer complains, they have a right to: have their complaint dealt with swiftly and efficiently, have a proper and careful investigation of their concerns, know the outcomes of those investigations, have a judicial review of the facts, if they think the action or the decision is unlawful, receive compensation if they have been harmed either physically or psychologically as a result of the situation about which they are complaining.

The Data Protection Act 1998

sets out the rules governing the processing and use of personal information in health and social care settings and in many other organisations, including credit agencies, clubs and many other organisations that hold information about their members. The act covers information stored electronically on computers, mobile phones and on social media sites. It also covers most paper-based personal information. It is against the law to have photographs of service users without their permission.

Storing information

confidential information should be stored in locked filing cabinets, in a locked room. Information held electronically should be protected by a secure password

Accessing information

members of staff in the organisation who are allowed access to this information should be clearly identified. Staff should never have access to personal information that they do not need to know. Where information is stored electronically, only the relevant staff should have personal access passwords.

Sharing information

information should only be shared with other professionals who have a need and a right to know it.

Workers responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 1998

all employees and volunteers in organisations have a responsibility to ensure that the confidentiality of service users' information is protected. They also have a duty to actively promote respect for confidentiality throughout the setting. If they spot weaknesses in the procedures, for example the location of offices where personal care is discussed, they should feel confident to suggest improvements in the systems and arrangements. This is necessary to ensure the safety and security of service users and to respect their right to the confidentiality of personal information.

Confidentiality, safeguarding and legal disclosure

all personal records must be kept safely and securely and used only for the purpose that they are intended for. They must not be available to people who do not have a valid professional need to know the details. If a child or vulnerable adult discloses to any member of staff or volunteer that they are at personal risk or that they are the subject of abuse, the setting's safeguarding policies should be followed. In this situation, you will have to explain to the service user that their disclosure will be shared with a senior member of staff who will then support them. The safeguarding officer at the setting will then take over responsibility for dealing with the concerns.

Whistleblowing

a situation in which an employee reports poor or dangerous practice at their workplace to the press or to another organisation outside of their work setting, for example the GMC, NMC or HCPC, in order to bring about change for the better.

Accountability to professional organisations

the standards of professional practice expected of professionals working in health and care settings are regulated and monitored by a range of professional bodies, including the General Medical Council (GMC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC). The specific regulations vary according to profession. However, each professional organisation monitors the:
level and content of the initial education and training of members of their profession
ongoing professional development and the requirement to keep up to date, and to complete further training
standards of professional practice in their everyday work
standards of personal conduct, both at work and in leisure time.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

each of the professional bodies requires its members to complete regular CPD in order to remain on the register. This may include, for example:
training on the use of new procedures or new treatments
training on the use of new equipment
providing evidence that a registered person reviews and learns from their own practice.
These revalidation requirements will always include evidence that members have current and up-to date understanding of safeguarding regulations.

Multi-disciplinary team

a team in which health and care workers from different professional backgrounds and with different work roles, plan, implement and monitor an individual's care.

Holistic approach

an approach to care that addresses the individual's physical, social, emotional and spiritual health, so addressing the needs of the whole person.

Line manager

a person responsible for managing the work of an individual or of a team in an organisation, usually the position they hold will be at least one level above the person/people they manage.