Unit name: Implement person-centred approaches in care settings
Learning outcome: 3. Be able to establish consent when providing care or support
Assessment criteria: 3.2 Establish consent for an activity or action
You should be able to demonstrate to your assessor that you are able to establish consent for an activity or action.
This could be as simple as asking an individual if they agree to you performing an everyday action and them agreeing.
Or this could be more complex – for example, if you request consent and the individual has questions about it, you should be transparent and answer honestly. You may also suggest alternatives that may be more preferential. Whatever the individual’s decision, you should always respect it.
If you feel that individual lacks the mental capacity to consent, you may need support and guidance from others, such as the individual’s family, their advocate, your manager or a medical professional.
If an individual is non-verbal, you should gain consent using the communication methods detailed in their care plan.
Verbal consent is okay for most day-to-day tasks, however bigger decisions (for example, to undergo surgery) will need written consent. The individual must also be given plenty of time to make a decision.
Sometimes, implied consent may be used. For example, with regards an individual that requires assistance with eating their meals, if you raise a spoonful of food to their mouth and they open their mouth to eat it, that is implied consent.