Unit 4
Principles for Implementing Duty of Care in Health, Social Care or Children’s and Young People’s Settings

1. Understand how duty of care contributes to safe practice

1.1 Explain what it means to have a duty of care in own work role.
Ensuring accountability for e.g. exercising authority, managing the risk of all clients and situations, working safely, safeguarding children and young people, monitoring own behaviour and conduct through supervisions and appraisals, maintaining confidentiality, storing personal information appropriately, reporting concerns and allegations, making professional judgements, maintaining professional boundaries, avoiding favouritism, maintaining high standards of conduct outside the professional role.
1.2 Explain how duty of care contributes to the safeguarding or protection of individuals.
Duty of care contributes to the safeguarding or protection of individuals by protecting them from sexual, physical or emotional harm, allowing the respect and dignity, creating trust. It ensures safety in the environment, safe use of resources and equipment, prevents intimidation or humiliation. It also protects the workforce by ensuring against risk of allegations of misconduct or abuse, avoiding risk of accusations of malpractice.

2. Know how to address conflicts or dilemmas that may arise between and individual’s rights and the duty of care
2.1 Describe potential conflicts or dilemmas that may arise between the duty of care and an individual’s rights.
There are numerous conflicts or dilemmas that may arise between the duty of care and an individual’s rights, they are:
• Race
• Religion
• Attitudes/cultures
• Unsafe behaviours such as drug/alcohol abuse
• Self-harm
• Aggression and violence
• Bullying and intimidation
• Vandalism
• Respect for views and actions, safety and security
• Education
• Equality
2.2 Describe