In the last section, we discussed dilemmas that might arise between your duty of care towards an individual, and their rights. It is important that you know what you should and should not do in these situations to support an individuals independence while still upholding your duty of care.
First of all, you should never take away an individual’s right to make decisions that they are legally capable of making. You should advise them and provide as much information about their choices and the possible consequences as you are capable of doing. The individual should be made fully aware of what could happen when they make their decision.
If they still choose to make a risky choice, then you can still aid them by doing a risk assessment. This could identify ways to reduce the risks involved with their decision so the individual can be supported in their choice. Your employer will provide guidance on risk assessments so you are able to uphold health and safety standards.
Regardless of what happens, you should consider an individual’s well-being as your top priority, but not take away their right to make a risky choice.