Summary of it all

• Types of health care settings

  • GP surgery / doctors
  • Health centre
  • Hospital
  • Nursing home
  • Optician
  • Walk in centre
  • Pharmacist / chemist
• Types of social care settings

  • Community centre
  • Day centre
  • Food bank
  • Homeless shelter
  • Residential and retirement home
  • Social services department
  • Support groups
• The rights of service users

  • Choice
  • Confidentiality
  • Consultation
  • Equal and fair treatment
  • Protection from abuse and harm
• Choice


  Everyone has the right to make their own choices about their own life and care
• Examples of choice


  • Discuss all options available
  • Encourage questions about the different options available
  • Can refer to type of treatment, who treats them, where they are treated etc
• Confidentiality


  Everyone has the right to have their personal information kept private
• Examples of confidentiality


  • Information is protected and kept private unless there is a safeguarding concern
• Consultation

  Everyone has the right to information that is clear and can be understood
• Examples of consultation


  • Use of clear language
  • Fully explain difficult ideas
  • Be approachable so service users don't feel intimidated and feel able to ask questions
• Equal and fair treatment


  Everyone has the right to having their different needs met
• Examples of equal and fair treatment

  • Everyone is treated the same where possible
  • No discrimination is shown
• Protection from abuse and harm


  Everyone has the right to feel safe and protected from hurt
• Examples of protection from abuse and harm


  • Service users feel secure
  • They don't feel vulnerable or at risk
• Empowerment


  Allowing service users to ask questions and give them control of their care
• Examples of empowerment


  • Giving service users the opportunity and allowing them to take responsibility for decisions about their care
• Benefits of empowerment


  • Encourages independence and being self-reliant
  • Feeling in control of their lives
  • Gives service users choice, control and independence
• High self-esteem


  Allowing service users to feel valued and respected
• Examples of high self-esteem


  • Service providers enabling service users to feel good about themselves
• Benefits of high self-esteem

  • Feeling valued
  • Feeling respected
  • Positive mental health
• Service users' needs are met

  Recognising that every service user is unique
• Examples of meeting service users' needs

  • Checking what needs a service user has and then trying to ensure these are met, e.g., treatment, care, etc
• Benefits of meeting service users' needs

  • Appropriate care or treatment such as mobility aids provided, or dietary requirements met
  • Results in good/improving physical or mental health
• Trust


  Ensuring the service user feels safe and comfortable
• Examples of trust


  • Service users will feel confident about the care they have from service providers
  • They'll feel service providers have their best interests at heart
• Benefits of trust


  • Reassured that service providers will not harm them
  • Confident that service providers have service users best interests in mind
  • Confident in the care they receive
• How Beth can support the rights of choice, consultation and equal and fair treatment

  1. Choice: Discuss all options available. Encourage questions about the different options available. Can refer to type of treatment, who treats them, where they are treated etc

  2. Consultation: Use of clear language, fully explain difficult ideas, be approachable so service users don't feel intimidated and feel able to ask questions

  3. Equal and fair treatment: Everyone is treated the same where possible. No discrimination is shown
• Good practice when maintaining confidentiality in a residential care home


  • Ensuring staff have training about the care home's confidentiality policy
  • Never share any information that a resident has asked you to keep secret
  • Only providing one member of staff with the password to access the resident's electronic records
  • Staff only share information on a need-to-know basis
• Partnership


  Service users and service providers working together
• Examples of partnership


  • Surgeon discusses surgery options with a patient and their family
• Respect


  To value a service users' opinion and rights
• Examples of respect


  • Service provider not being patronising towards a service user and not using language that belittles them
• Independence


  To let service users so as much for themselves as they can
• Examples of independence


  • Encouraging a patient to walk or feed themselves
• Choice


  Allowing service users to make their own decisions
• Examples of choice


  • Doctor discusses different medication and treatment options with a patient
• Privacy


  Respecting a service users' personal space and information
• Examples of privacy


  • Service providers not sharing private medical information with those who do not need to know
• Rights


  To help a service user know what they are entitled to
• Examples of rights


  • Ensure that legislation is met, e.g., Equality Act 2010
• Individuality


  Encouraging service users to be their own individual person