Policies and procedures

• Legislation


  Laws passed by parliament, gives rights of service users, framework to work by
• Laws


  Tells you your rights and tells employers what is expected of them/responsibilities
• Policies


  Interprets the law, states how employers and employees should meet the requirements of a legislation. Document that explains what an organization will do in a situation based on the law
• Examples of policies


  • Health and Safety Policy
  • Anti-bullying policy
  • Equality and Diversity Policy
  • Medication Policy
  • Safeguarding Policy
  • Complaints policy
  • Whistle blowing policy
  • Confidentiality Policy
• Procedures


  Step by step instructions to carry out policies/ accomplishing a task
• Why is it important to follow policies and procedures?
• Reasons to follow policies and procedures

  • Ensures compliance with current legislation
  • Compliant with the latest regulations from regulators
  • Consistency - Continual adherence to agreed process based on best practice
  • Clarity - How staff carry out specific tasks
  • Education and Training - Support staff in understanding their responsibilities
  • Improvement - Developing and reviewing policies and procedures
  • Team Work - Involvement of multiple staff members
  • Assessment - Provides a framework for assessment
  • Improved Care - Standardisation of care and service delivery
  • Accountability - Provision of compliance in relation to standards and regulation
  • Safeguarding- children and adults are safe from adults and others who might pose a risk
  • Ensures safety of workers and others
• Safeguarding


  Means protecting an adult's and a child's right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. Working to ensure safe practice and in a way that upholds people's rights, and treats people with dignity and respect. Being alert to the potential for abuse to occur and vigilant when abuse may be taking place. Knowing who you need to report any concerns to.
• Adults Safeguarding


  The Care Act 2014 sets out a clear legal framework for how local authorities and other parts of the system should protect adults at risk of abuse or neglect. Safeguarding duties apply to an adult (this is someone 18 and over) who meets all the following: Has needs for care and support whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs, Is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect, As a result those care and support needs are unable to protect themselves from either the risk at or the experience of abuse or neglect.
• People who may require adult safeguarding

  • Learning disabilities
  • Physical disabilities
  • Sensory disabilities
  • Mental ill health
  • Dementia
  • Brain injuries
  • People who are frail due to their age
  • People who misuse drugs or alcohol
• Key principles of safeguarding

  • environment
  • Prevention
  • Protection
  • Proportionality
  • Partnership
  • Accountability
• Effective Safeguarding practice: The Care Act sets out that organizations should provide clear guidance to their staff in relation to: Identifying individuals at risk, Recognising abusive or Neglectful behavior, Working within agreed operational guidelines to maintain best practice
• Safeguarding Children


  The Children Act 1989 is the key piece of legislation that talks about safeguarding children. However there have been other pieces of legislation since, such as Children Act 2004 and The Children and Social Work Act 2017. The Department for Education publishes guidance the most recent is: "Working Together to Safeguard Children" DfE 2018. According to Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018, a child is defined as 'Anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday'. Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Safeguarding means: Protecting children from abuse and maltreatment, Preventing harm to children's health or development, Ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care, Taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.
• Food safety (1990) legislation

  Apply to high risk food. Cold food-below 8 degrees celsius. Hot food- 63 degrees Celsius. During service, cold food max 4 hrs at room temperature then discard or refrigerate, Hot food maximum 2 hrs at room temperature.
• Health and safety executives enforce food safety legislation
• Authorized Officers - Environmental Health Officers

  Provide Food Safety advice, Inspect food premises, Enforce legislation covering food, Investigate outbreaks of food-borne disease and possible offenses
• Powers of Authorized Officers

  • Powers of entry
  • Inspect food and premises
  • Power to seize and detain food
  • Serve notices
  • Power to close
  • Prosecute
• Food safety law


  • Safe Food
  • Free from contamination
  • Fit for human consumption
  • Hygiene of food premises, equipment and personnel
  • Hygienic practices (including temperature control)
  • Control of food poisoning
  • Composition, amount and labeling of food
• Purpose of inspection by Food standards Agency (FSA)


  • Ensure operation is capable of producing safe food
  • To identify foreseeable incidences of food poisoning
  • Assess effectiveness of hazard analysis, especially in relation to critical control points (identify the risks)
  • To check standards have been achieved (legal and industry guides)
  • Identify training needs of staff (competency)
  • To provide advice/make recommendations
  • To respond to a complaint
  • Revisit
  • To continually improve food hygiene standards
  • To ensure the business complies with the law
• Legal Requirements for Food Handlers

  • Keep yourself clean
  • Keep your workplace clean
  • Protect food from contamination or anything that could cause harm
  • Follow good personal hygiene practices
  • Wear appropriate protective clothing
  • Tell your employer if you are suffering from or are a carrier of a food-borne illness
• What food handlers must not do

  • Do anything that would expose food to contamination
  • Sell food that is unfit for human consumption
  • Sell food with an expired date mark
  • Work with food if they have symptoms of food poisoning
• Hygiene Improvement Notice


  Used to require food businesses to improve something sub-standard
• Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice

  Can apply to: Premises (prohibiting use of premises), Part of premises, Equipment, A food business operator
• Penalties for Non-Compliance


  • Prohibition from using part of business
  • Fines and legal costs
  • Prison sentence
  • Closure of business
  • Prohibition from running a food business
  • Criminal record
• Due diligence


  A business must be able to demonstrate that it has done everything within Its power to safeguard consumer health. Accurate records are useful in proving this. These may include: НАССР, Monitoring records - storage/ cooking/delivery, Pest control, Cleaning schedules
• What the law requires for premises

  • Be registered with the local Council
  • Be kept clean
  • Be maintained in good repair
  • Have a good design, layout and construction
  • Have adequate facilities for washing equipment and food
  • Have satisfactory lighting and ventilation
  • Have adequate hand washing facilities
• What the law requires for equipment

  • Be kept clean and in good condition
  • Be installed allowing cleaning in the surrounding area
• What the law requires for waste

  • Not accumulate
  • Be deposited in closable containers
  • Prevent pest access
• What the law requires for personnel

  • Have high standards of personal hygiene
  • Wear clean protective clothing
  • Report to the proprietor when suffering from illness or a condition that may contaminate food
  • Be supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activities
• Manual handling


  The movement of loads using physical force (lifting,lowering, supporting etc.)
• Employer's duty for manual handling

  • AVOID hazardous manual handling so far as is reasonably practicable
  • ASSESS hazardous manual handling that cannot be avoided
  • Take ACTION to reduce the risks so far as is reasonably practicable
• Reasonably practicable


  Refers to a balance between the risk a task presents and the cost (time, trouble, financial and inconvenience) of remedial action
• Duty of care


  Whatever a professional does or doesn't do it shouldn't put a service user at risk. Take reasonable care of themselves and other people affected by their acts or omissions. (Don't knowingly put yourself or others at risk)
• Causes of back pain from manual handling

  • Twisting, stooping, stretching
  • Heavy lifting
  • Carrying loads awkwardly
  • Repetitive tasks
  • Static posture eg. driving
  • Stress, fatigue
  • Being overweight or unfit
• Parts of the body that can be affected by manual handling

  • Lower back or lumbar region
  • Neck or cervical region
  • Arms, wrists and shoulders
  • Knees
  • Hands and fingers
  • Stomach muscles
• Back care advice


  • Maintain a good posture when lifting, carrying, sitting etc.
  • Know your limits when lifting, carrying etc. Keep fit.
  • Listen to your body - take breaks when needed (don't over do it).
• The spine's natural shape is an elongated 'S' shape. Bad posture when sitting, lifting, watching TV etc puts the shape of the spine into an elongated 'C' shape putting additional strain on muscles, nerves and other tissues.
• What a manual handling risk assessment should take account of

  • TASK: Does the task involve: Twisting, stooping, bending, holding loads away from the body, long carrying distances, large vertical movement, repetitive, strenuous pushing or pulling.
  • INDIVIDUAL(S) DOING THE TASK: Is it possible for one person to do the job or is help/equipment required. Does it put people with health problems at risk eg. should a pregnant worker be doing it? Does it call for specialist training?
  • LOAD: Is the load stable, bulky, can it be reduced eg. remove packages from a box, too big, awkward shape, difficult to grasp, awkwardly stacked or stored?
  • ENVIRONMENT: Are there constraints on posture? Variations in levels eg,stairs, slopes etc, poor lighting, Inclement weather, bumpy paths, slip hazards, doors etc, restricted movement due to personal protective clothing eg. gloves.
• Advice for safe manual handling

  • Think before handling a load - plan first.
  • Keep the load close to you.
  • Adopt a stable position - feet apart with one leg slightly forward.
  • Get a good hold of the load.
  • Posture - bend your knees when lifting, pushing etc.
  • Maintain the natural curves of your back.
  • Don't twist, stretch, stoop or bend your back,
  • Know your limits and ask for help when you need it,
  • Use equipment provided for you eg. trolleys.
• Health and Safety at Work etc Act (1974)


  This is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in Great Britain. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the governmental appointed body that is responsible for enforcing workplace health and safety legislation in the UK. States the employers and employees responsibilities.