Those who are in care work in Southampton know it’s more important than ever to follow safety rules to protect everyone. Especially in the pandemic time, the care workers in Southampton are more careful and watchful when dealing with adults with learning disabilities.
We all know the sacrifices our Support Assistants have been making during the pandemic, and these strange and unusual times make it even more important to comply with health and safety legislation. These tips are self-evident but always worth repeating and reminding. Rinse and repeat are the keywords in health and safety. Those who are experienced care workers know these rules, so follow their lead.
1. Always use PPE say those in care work in Southampton
Even before the pandemic, protective equipment was a must in a care setting. There have always been bodily fluids, bulky equipment and so forth to deal with.
Your employer should make it clear what equipment should be used in which circumstances so make sure you only use what is appropriate. For example, you need good quality face masks to help prevent COVID-19 infections, sturdy gloves for use in the laundry in case there are any stray sharps. Make sure you are aware of any special instructions and check if you are not sure.
2. Report hazards immediately
Even in the best managed environments, things will go wrong. Someone will forget to do something or something will be left where it shouldn’t be or an item will get broken. If it is something that you can safely deal with yourself, for example, such as a broken glass, do so immediately, exercising appropriate care (i.e. use a dustpan and brush, not fingers). If you can’t deal with it, make sure that you report the hazard to the appropriate person straight away and get warning notices put up until it’s addressed. Remember that some of your service users may not be able to see well (or at all) and so let as many people as possible know too and keep vulnerable people out of the way.
3. Ensure regular maintenance schedules are followed
Any care facility will have infrastructure that requires maintenance. From automated fire door systems through to fire and service user call alarms and the electrical and water systems, preventative maintenance is essential in ensuring safety and continuity of service.
Kitchen equipment, together with CCTV and other monitoring systems will invariably require routine maintenance to ensure longevity and reliability. Any visits by service technicians must, of course, follow strict COVID-19 distancing and hygiene guidelines.
4. Exercise caution when lifting
Lifting is pretty much a given in care work in Southampton and elsewhere. Some of your service users may be partially mobile, some may be almost totally immobile. You need to know before you start. There will probably be a need to move some equipment too. Where you can, make use of mechanical aids to assist in lifting, and always follow correct manual handling techniques (bend from the knees, etc).
5. Work with a partner as far as possible
Even if you have mechanical aids, things can still go wrong, so it’s far better to work with a partner when you have lifting to do. It makes the task easier anyway and if there is a problem, one of you will be able to report the issue. Another benefit of working with a partner is that it can often halve the time it takes to do a job. Just make sure you communicate fully before lifting.
6. Challenging behaviour is a possibility
Of course it will vary from care home to care home, but there is a possibility that one of your service users may exhibit challenging behaviour. Sometimes it’s as a result of confusion, sometimes it’s a manifestation of a particular condition, it might be caused by medication or maybe even something else. Whatever the reason, it’s better to avoid it if possible.
If your service user is likely to display challenging behaviour that should have been made clear in their support plan and all support workers should be made aware. Make sure that you follow the details in the support plan fully and to the letter in order to reduce the risk.