Policies

Policies

1. A policy is the way an organisation explains and can expect their employees to act in their day to day work.

2. Any reference to quality care means talk about policies and whats in them!

   • Safe working is concerned with the protection of public including workers & service users
   • There are 2 main groupsof laws that concern health & social care workers & childcare services
     • Laws that protect individuals @ work & in employment
       • There is legislation in place to ensure employees aren't taken advantage of by other employees, service users or employer.
       • Their position is protected and employees shouldn't be subjected to any form of abuse.
       • e.g Equality Act 2010
     • Laws that protect service users and vulnerable people
       • Equality Act also ensures service users are just as protected as employees
       • There is also PoVA, The Childrens Act act & Data Protection act

3. In order to implement laws effectively organisations need to have policies & procedures in place to raise awareness & explain what workers need to do in particular circumstances

   • Equal opps policy
     • Would all be put together under one Equality Policy
   • Bullying Policy
   • Harassment Policy
   • Confidentiality Policy
   • Child Protection Policy & The Protection of Vulnerable Adults Policy
   • Health and Safety Policy
   • All employees need trained regularly regarding policies and their content to ensure they understand them and that they're doing what it says
     • Policies will be beneficial to the service users @ care workers
       • The benefits of having policies to service users are....
         • 1. It ensures

4. Each Policy Should Have... (PIMET)

   • Policy Statement
     • Implementation Policy
       • Monitoring
         • Evaluation Details
           • Targets for Improving
             • Once improvements have been identified, an action plan has to be made to help make improvements noted. What's going to happen, who will be responsible for it, when will it be done by and what evidence will there be for it. Without an action plan nothing will change on it's own.
           • Policy outcomes have to be measured to ensure the policy is effective in what it's supposed to be doing. Need to see how good it currently is and if it could be improved. Decisions made on outcoe from monitoring
         • How the organisation checks and ensures that everything is being done as ststaed. This applies to every level of the organisation ensures that everyone is treated equally. Data checked upon number of males & females employed & no. of m&f service user e.t.c. Internal & external inspection of staff, record training & ask service users for their opinions.
       • This is how the policy is put into action on a daily basis, should state clearly who is doing what & identify training that's put in place & when trainin will occur. Policy should be understood by everyone @ organisation
     • This is an overview of what the policy contains. It should entail whom and what the policy covers, where it applies to and the purpose of it. It also needs to state the relevant legislation it's supporting & indicate clearly a named person for overseeing the policy @ the organisation.
   • In addition to this there should also be codes of practise or procedure in place which explains how the policy will be put into place by staff