Health, Safety and Wellbeing in Care Settings

This mandatory unit for the Level 2 Diploma in Care explores the employer’s and employees rights and responsibilities relating to health and safety.

Topics covered include risk assessments, accidents, sudden illness, infection management, moving and handling, hazardous substances, fire safety, security and stress. It is quite a long unit that covers a lot of material.

There are nine learning outcomes consisting of several assessment criteria:

1. Understand own responsibilities, and the responsibilities of others, relating to health and safety in the work setting
   1. Identify legislation relating to general health and safety in a care work setting
   2. Outline the main points of the health and safety policies and procedures agreed with the employer
   3. Outline the main health and safety responsibilities of: self, the employer or manager, others in the work setting
   4. Identify tasks relating to health and safety that should not be carried out without special training
   5. Explain how to access additional support and information relating to health and safety
2. Understand the use of risk assessments in relation to health and safety
   1. Explain why it is important to assess health and safety risks posed by the work setting, situations or by particular activities
   2. Explain how and when to report potential health and safety risks that have been identified
   3. Explain how risk assessment can help address dilemmas between rights and health and safety concerns
3. Understand procedures for responding to accidents and sudden illness
   1. Describe different types of accidents and sudden illnesses that may occur in own work setting
   2. Outline the procedures to be followed if an accident or sudden illness should occur
4. Be able to reduce the spread of infection
   1. Explain own roles and responsibilities as an employee and those of the employer in the prevention and control of infection
   2. Explain the causes and spread of infection in care settings
   3. Demonstrate the recommended method for hand washing
   4. Demonstrate the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and when to use it
   5. Demonstrate ways to ensure that own health and hygiene do not pose a risk to others at work
5. Be able to move and handle equipment and objects safely
   1. Identify legislation that relates to moving and handling
   2. Explain principles for moving and handling equipment and other objects safely
   3. Demonstrate how to move and handle equipment and objects safely
6. Know how to handle hazardous substances and materials
   1. Describe hazardous substances and materials that may be found in the work setting
   2. Explain safe practices for: storing hazardous substances, using hazardous substances
7. Understand how to promote fire safety in the work setting
   1. Describe practices that prevent fires from: starting, spreading
   2. Describe emergency procedures to be followed in the event of a fire in the work setting
   3. Explain the importance of maintaining clear evacuation routes at all times
8. Be able to implement security measures in the work setting
   1. Use agreed ways of working for checking the identity of anyone requesting access to: premises, information
   2. Implement measures to protect own security and the security of others in the work setting
   3. Explain the importance of ensuring that others are aware of own whereabouts
9. Know how to manage own stress
   1. Identify common signs and indicators of stress in self and others
   2. Identify circumstances and factors that tend to trigger stress in self and others
   3. Describe ways to manage stress and how to access sources of support