1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 3.3 and 3.4
The Role of the Health and Social Care Worker
Understanding Relationships
Working relationships = are business relationships/rapports built around the work employment role i.e. following policies and procedures of the employer and agreeing to good work practices, these relationships can have a positive effect leading to success within the job role or they can have a negative effect causing a service breakdown.
Personal relationships = is informal and based on emotions. It is a relationship formed in choice with no set policies and procedures to follow. These relationships can be with friends, family, lovers and social groups.
Working with service users in my job role as a carer is covered by a professional duty of care. My role is to guide and support the service user to live as independently as possible and to maintain a professional working boundary. Performing such required tasks while following the policies and procedures set by my employer. This is an entirely different relationship than what I chose to have with friends and family which is based on emotions with no boundaries.
There are many different working relationships/partnerships that can found in the health and social care setting, here are some:
Care assistant – service user = professional duty of care
Care assistant – other care assistants/colleagues = working relationships
Care assistants – other health care agencies (doctors, nurses, social workers) = working relationships
Care assistants – family member/friends of service user = professional relationship
Staff – management = employee/employer relationship = in contract agreements to follow working practices, policies and procedures
The term ‘agreed ways of working’ relates to the way an employee/carer must work and the rules that they must adhere to. As an employee/carer you should work in a way that is clearly set out in the job description, this will then mean that carers know what areas of care they would be responsible for and those that should be reported to a higher member of staff etc. The ‘agreed ways of working’ have been set out in accordance with the policies and procedures of the care organisation, for example, the health and safety policies and procedures or the safeguarding of vulnerable adults. The employee/carer should be informed about any updates that will be put in place in the policies and procedures. The policies and procedures should be regularly updated, documented in hard form i.e. on paper, kept in a file and easily accessible to all staff. Informal supervisions, for example, observations, will enable the employer to identify the employee’s strengths and weaknesses; proving if they are working to the ‘agreed ways’.
Working in partnership with others is essential in order to give the best possible support and care for a services user. Working in partnership involves information sharing, conflict resolution, communication, agreed objectives, decision making etc. In order to work well in partnership there has to be a good level of communication; care plans