Importance of Risk Analysis & Management in Safeguarding Service Users | Infection Prevention and Co

1.Understand the role of policies and systems to protect the health, safety, welfare, equality and dignity of service users, staff and volunteers

2.Be able to produce clear, concise, accurate and objective documentation 

3.Be aware of and comply with local/national documentation standards including, for example, terminology, signature requirements 

4.Be able to recognise important risk factors and implement risk management strategies; be able to make reasoned decisions and/or provide guidance to others to initiate, continue, modify or cease interventions, techniques or courses of action and record decisions and concerns.

5.Be able to carry out and document a risk analysis and implement effective risk management controls and strategies; be able to clearly communicate any identified risk, adverse events or near misses in line with current legislation/guidelines. 

6.Be able to establish safe environments for practice which minimises risks to service users, those treating them and others, including the use of infection prevention and control strategies.

Part 1

With reference to standards and guidelines on safety, health and welfare at work, critically discuss the importance of risk analysis and effective risk management controls and strategies to safeguard service users from harm (1000 words + 10%)

Part 1 focuses on safety, health and welfare at work.  Students are expected to briefly discuss the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and how it impacts employers and employees.  

Some areas that student may discuss include, but are not limited to:

Brief outline of the Act : Duties of employers/employees

Risk assessment.
Risk management protocols
Control measures
Workplace hazards and link them to safeguarding services users. 

a. Apply to social care settings or your placement in terms of measures that are in place or measures that you might introduced based on this knowledge to promote a safer environment for service users.  So it can be examples from practice or it can be examples of ways you would promote based on this knowledge.

b. By critically discussing you are perhaps outlining what should be done in terms of risk assessment and risk management but drawing on media or other sources where safety, health and welfare at work practices did not safeguard service users.  

Part 2: 

Write a policy for staff on infection prevention and control in order to safeguard service users from risk – (500 words + 10%)
Students should refer to the standards on infection prevention and control.  Students should follow a template for the policy and may use the template outlined in class and at tutorials – see below for guidelines.  A stand-alone template is also on moodle.

Template

1. Introduction and purpose of the policy

What is the policy about.- short description that explains reason for this policy.  Why is there a need for this policy.  What will be used when writing this policy for example the 8 themes under the National Standards for Infection Prevention and Control in Community Services.

2. Policy
Write out the full details and speci?cs of the policy. The language should be speci?c and vary by the appropriate levels of leadership. Policies should be easy to understand, consistent, and practical.  The language used should be for example ‘Staff must’ or ‘Staff should’ or “Staff have to”.  This is normally done in bulleted points

3. Applicability
If necessary, list out all departments, divisions, facilities and/or programmes to which this policy applies. 

4. Definitions
Important to define terms as you go, especially for words and phrases with multiple meanings.