7 Principles of care

In this topic there are 7 Principles of Care, these are:

  1. Promoting effective communication and relationships. 
  2. Promoting anti-discriminatory practise (including policies and codes of practise).
  3. Maintaining confidentiality of information.
  4. Promoting and supporitngs individuals rights to dignity, independence,empowerment, choice and safety.
  5. Acknowledging individuals personal beliefs and indentity and respecting diversity.
  6. Protecting individuals from abuse
  7. Providing individualised care.
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1 - Promoting effective communication and relation

Quality care can be provided through effective communication also care workers need to develop relationships with the people they care for. Care workers need to know how to overcome barriers such as: 

  • Speaking different languages.
  • Hearing loss or limited vision.
  • Speech difficulties or learning difficulties.

Ways of overcoming barriers are: learning new languages, using an interpreter, lip reading, sign language and makaton, use of pictures and written communication.

Communication can be verbal which means speaking care workers need to use correct pace, tone, language should be appropriate and volume.

It can also be non verbal which means: using facial expressions, positive body language, gestures, eye-contact and proximity

To build relationships with individuals you need to give them time and encouragement, nod to show you are listening, allow silence and reflect back to check understanding. 

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2 - Promoting anti discriminatory practise

Practise means working in a way that does not discriminate.

Discrimination means that certain individuals are treated less favourably that others because of their characteristics they may have, examples are: people with learning difficulties, old people, physically disabled, mental health needs, women, minority ethnic groups or religous groups and people with different sexuality.

Ways care workers promote anti discriminatory practise are: sticking to codes of practise - Set rules about how to care and treat individuals (Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities, Confidentiality and Admissions), making policies and using them - Admissions policy, staff training, complaints Procedure so that patients can seek redress, follow Legislation such as Disability Discrimination Act.

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3 - Maintaining confidentiality of information

Confidentiality is keeping important information about others safe and not telling others unless it is needed to be told. 

3 ways which care workers can maintain confidentiality are:

  • Share information on a need to know basis. Not all members of staff will need to know personal facts about the person in their care.
  • If the person is in danger and discloses this to you have a 'duty of care' to report it but to respect confidentiality you must tell the person who disclosed the information before hand.
  • Handle personal details carefully, keep information in a locked cupboard, don't use full names in emails, talk in a private room where your conversations can not be overheard. 

The importance of care workers maintaining confidentiality is very crucial this is because it builds up trust, however breaking confidentiality would damage the trust.

Breaking confidentiality causes emotional harm and puts individuals at risk because if the information is in the wrong hands it can be used against them.

Maintaining confidentiality is a part of care workers codes of practise so therefore they could lose their job or be diciplined.

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4 - Rights to dignity, independence, empowerment,

Dignity - you would avoid making individuals feel embarrassed or ashamed for example close doors when people are getting changed or are on the toilet and being patient when feeding people. 

Independence - allowing individuals to do things for themselves.

Empowerment - letting individuals have control over their life for example letting them make their own desicions about how it is run and letting them cook for themselves.

Choice - allowing people to make their own choices such as what they eat, what they wear, what time they go to bed. 

Safety - making sure the equipment and surroundings are safe and the staff should have CRB Checks, ID badges and signing in and out sheets.

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5 - Acknowledging individuals beliefs and identity

The kind of personal beliefs individuals have are: type of meat they want to eat, vegan or vegetarian, religion and political view

Identity is the way people choose to dress and their preferred name.

Diversity is culture, what makes you different, skin Colour, language, sexuality, abilities and respecting diversity.

The way we can respect diversity are: meet the needs of each individual, allow individuals to be religious and find information out about the individual.

Carers find out about the personal beliefs and identity of people in their care by using the Admissions Policy.

Religion - allowing individuals to pray when it is neededand allowing them to eat foods which suit their religion.

Clothing - allowing them to wear clothes they feel comfortable in and not making them wear others. 

Lifestyle - allowing people to smoke and not saying they can not do something.

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6 - Protecting individuals from abuse.

There are many different types of abuse: physical abuse - punching and kicking, verbal abuse - calling names and saying nasty things, neglect - ignoring and not caring for individuals, emotional abuse - harrasing and embarrassing and financial abuse - taking money.

The people who are at risk of abuse are: people with disabilities, elderly and children.

The people who abuse are: carers and collegues and family.

Signs of abuse are: bruises, depression, stress and anxiety and Withdrawn.

Care workers can protect individuals from abuse by: having CRB checks, having experienced staff, observing patients, recording and reporting, preventing hazards, keeping accidents recordered and whistle blowing policy - telling people off. 

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7 - Providing individualised care.

  • Different ways of caring for people.
  • Each individual recieving care has their needs assessed.
  • The care worker will fill in a form which covers physical, intellectual, emotional and social needs. 
  • After the assessment a care plan will be made, for example physical needs might be a certain diet, help with getting dressed, mobility needs and pain relief, intellectual needs may be help understanding how to take medication, emotional needs may be support from the family and friends and socially needs may be mixing with others. 
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