Describe how to respond to complaints

Responding to complaints is one of the organisational principle duties. It is also a legal framework for organisational operation. Complaints also inform us the requirement of service improvement, for the better service delivery in the future. The following steps can be taken in order to respond to a complaint:

• Request to complain formally in written format if it is deemed necessary
• Reply with acknowledgement of receipt of complaint
• Request to complainant to have a formal meeting in person
• Arrange a date for meeting at complainant’s convenience
• Discuss the complete issue with complainant including how he or she felt and how it affected her. Discussion should be included what complainant wants or what outcome she expects to be happy with. Any proof or evidence can be collected on that day if complainant would like to add.
• Reply to the complainant with a specific time frame within her complaint will be dealt with or the outcome will be known
• Investigate the issue according to internal policies and procedures
• Find out the suitable outcome  and inform the complainant within time frame
• Send the decision letter to the complainant which must have appeal procedure explained against your decision

By Md Foisal Miah Talukdar

How the duty of care contributes to safeguarding individuals

Duty of care helps to maintain standard of care, in line with principles, policies and procedures and codes of practice. It informs us to work according to policies and procedures, codes of practice and national care standard, which is safeguarding individuals, enabling their choices and managing risks. Hence, we are legally obliged to safeguard individual from any kind of harm or abuse as part of duty of care.

It prevents us from delivering care practice that has negative impact on individual’s safety, health and wellbeing. It also restricts to perform any tasks we are not competent to do safely. By knowing duty of care, we will be able to recognise the obligation for action to take in order to protect individual from harm and abuse.

We have a duty of care to report any safeguarding or health and safety issue immediately to appropriate authority (such as Manager, Team Leader). If we do not report or take any action then we would cause harm to service users, ourselves and other team members.

By Md Foisal Miah Talukdar

Describe practices that ensure security when storing and accessing information

To ensure security of storing and accessing information, authorised personnel must have to follow organisational policies and procedures, where guidelines have been prescribed on how to store and access information securely. However, few standards are being described here in below –

Storing Information: There are two types of storing system exist in health and social care settings. They are manual information storing and electronic information storing. The both methods need to ensure security before storing information. Manual storing uses a heavy metal cabinet to store information. To provide security, metal cabinet always have to be locked. Location of this cabinet should be in an isolated place or out of public areas. File cabinet should not be left open.

Storing information electronically means keeping information in electronic device such as computer, cloud server, portable hard disk (memory disk) and memory card or drive. Any electronic device is used to store information must be protected by strong password. If cloud server is being used to store information, then personnel must have to ensure communication between cloud server and work pc is encrypted. Work computer should not be left unlocked in public areas. To avoid accidental data loss we should keep all data backed up in another device or location, in case of system failure.

Accessing Information: It is a best practice to keep all data archived and labelled in order to avoid accidental opening of other person’s file. It is also a best practice, only to bring one file out of the cabinet at a time while working, rather than stacking all of the files together on desk. Leave the file cabinet locked after each time of use. Shred any unwanted paper where any personal or sensitive information is written. Only use work computer to access file electronically. Make sure there is someone waiting there for the document, you sending over an email or fax.

However, mistake occurs unfortunately. In such an unfortunate event, we must contact organisational information security officer and report it.

By Md Foisal Miah Talukdar

Identify legislation and codes of practice that relate to handling information in social care settings

The Data Protection Act 1998

The Health and Social Care Act 2008

The Human Rights Act 1998

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Codes of Practice:

• Data protection act states that data may only be used for the specific purposes for which it was collected
• Health and social care service provider must not disclose any information about any individual without their consent
• Data shall be accurate and kept up to date where necessary
• Health and social care service  providers only to disclose information about people in the interests of improving patient  care or in the wider public interest, to monitor  communicable diseases and for medical research
• Sensitive information must be processed and stored safely and securely. Personal data must not get lost and damaged or destructed and it must not processed and disclosed without authorisation
• Health and social care service providers must respect right to private and family life of any individual by protecting their personal and sensitive information                           

By Md Foisal Miah Talukdar

Compare inclusive practice with practice which excludes an individual

Inclusive Practices	Practices that Exclude Individuals
Providing customised food menu service, by respecting every individual’s religious or cultural requirements.	Providing food menu service according to the majorities requirements.
Providing entrance, equipment and water closet (W/C) facilities to the people with disability or special needs.	Not to consider, having those facilities in the premises, as very few people will have necessity to access it.
Providing interpreter, translation and advocate services for the people with language differences.	Authorities neither recognise these needs and nor provide any services to accommodate these needs for the people with language differences.
Job advertisement and application form has been designed to encourage applicant from any age group, gender, culture and disability.	Job advertisement and application has been designed to encourage only specific group of people, without being followed ‘positive action’ rules which is ‘genuine occupational qualification’.
Equal pay and training facilities has been provided for all employees	Those practices haven’t been implied for few just because they are migrant workers and don’t speak much in English.

By Md Foisal Miah Talukdar

Explain the possible consequences of not actively complying with legislation and codes of practice relating to diversity, equality, inclusion and discrimination in adult social care settings

The most possible consequences of not actively complying equality, diversity, inclusions and discrimination legislations are to be investigated by Care Quality Commission (CQC) and shut down the business operations.

Let’s explore more. Before we consider involvement of CQC, there are more possible consequences for a company will experience from other partners. Equality, diversity, inclusion and discrimination are not just only a piece of legislation, but also codes of ethics for a business. Codes of ethics are the moral value or belief of a business. It means that what is a business’ viewpoint or stand on those beliefs about equal pay, rights, respecting ethnic values, disability and anti-discrimination practices. And these codes of ethics are vital to partner with other businesses such as local authority, suppliers, National Health Service (NHS), General Practitioner (GP) and agencies. These partners may not start or continue to partnership with a business, for not having same codes of ethics. So a business cannot be operational until complying with legislation and codes of ethics relating to diversity, equality, inclusion and discrimination. 

By Md Foisal Miah Talukdar

Explain what is meant by Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Discrimination

Identify Three Ways of Challenging Discrimination And How Each Will Promote Changes

 Explain how to raise awareness of diversity, equality and inclusion 

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By Md Foisal Miah Talukdar