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Bathrooms and Other Facilities in Care Homes — Safe Working Practices (England) Policy

Policy Statement

The home is committed to providing person-centred support in all activities of daily living in which it has agreed to provide some element of support. By person-centred support we mean meeting needs in line with a person’s wishes, preferences, and agreements or in terms of their best interests in the cases of people who are unable to take their own decisions in such matters.

The home will also encourage and enable people to carry out as much of their own personal care as they seek and can manage. In the carrying out of any personal care activities, the home will expect the people who use its services to be treated with respect and their sense of dignity and needs for privacy always maintained.

The policy is written to meet the requirements of Regulation 12: Safe Care and Treatment and Regulation 15: Premises and Equipment of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

Role of Risk Assessments

The support needs of people for bathing, washing and showering in their own or in shared facilities will be recorded on their care plans together with assessments of risk to them in those situations. The risk assessments should cover:

• the physical and emotional risks to people who use the services from having to be supported in situations where they would prefer to carry out the activities in private and independently and in which loss of dignity could occur through having to be helped with moving and transferring manually or with hoists and other moving and transferring aids
• any likely hazards present in the environment or bathing, etc process, for example, from slips, trips and falls, difficulties in moving and transferring, allergens from toiletries and deodorants, spillages, incontinence and personal hygiene difficulties, humidity, room and water temperatures, etc.

All risks to the person will be recorded on their care plan with the appropriate risk control measures.

Staff Procedures

For each person being supported for bathing, washing and similar purposes, care staff are expected to be person-centred, by treating the person with respect and maintaining his or her dignity, and to observe health and safety rules by, for example, checking:

• with the person receiving care that they agree to the arrangements being made and the level and kind of support being provided
• that the bathroom or facility being used is free from hazards that might cause an accident and injury from slipping, tripping or falling with attention paid to floors, walls and the positioning of the facilities used
• that the volume and temperature of the water are suitable for the person being supported and within safe limits
• that any appliances and equipment being used such as hoists are in good working order and staff know how to use them in ways that preserve the dignity of the person
• that there are no known allergens present that could cause risks to the health of people who use services and to staff present
• that the person is wearing the correct protective clothing and equipment, including tabards and gloves
• all necessary infection control and personal hygiene measures, eg handwashing are being applied
• that the necessary toiletries and aids are in place before the event and are then correctly used
• that the support provided in undressing, moving and transferring, drying and redressing is person-centred and in line with their care plan
• that the activities are properly recorded along with any specific events that might need to be recorded separately, eg accidents or complaints.

Training

All staff receive training that combines person-centred care principles and practice with the established health and safety measures that must be taken to reduce the risks of personal harm to both people using services and staff from the procedures that are involved.

{{org_field_name}} is aware the Health and Safety Executive have guidance on Scalding and Burning (2023).

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