Principles for Implementing Duty of Care in Health, Social Care or Children’s and Young People’s Settings

1.1 Explain what it means to have a duty of care in own work role
As a support worker we must put the interests of the people we care for, first. It’s our duty to keep the people who use are service safe from harm and not expose them to any unnecessary risks. It means that support workers must be aware of the wellbeing of others and make sure that all action or none action is the best care that they could provide.
1.2 Explain how duty of care contributes to the safeguarding or protection of individuals
By putting the interests of the people we care for first, and working alongside the guidelines set out by the work place in there code of practice guides staff in the best ways of supporting individuals and keeping them safe. It’s our duty of care to make sure services users are not neglected, are cared for, and kept safe therefore protecting them from harm.  
2.1 Describe potential conflicts or dilemmas that may arise between the duty of care and an individual’s rights
A potential dilemma between duty of care and an individual’s rights is the service users being able to make choices and wanting to take certain risks. Everyday life involves risks such as crossing the road, and with a service user who has limited understanding of road safety involves a greater risk. However we can’t wrap them in cotton wool and for our service users to be able to access the community they have to be allowed. Service users must be given choice to enable them to reach their full potential which means they should be able to choose their activities and be given all the possible outcomes for their choice. In order to limit such dilemmas we as support workers have to risk assess activities that our service users choose to do and put into place anything that will minimise the risks of harm. These risk assessments enables us to fulfil our duty of care and respect an individual’s rights.  
Other dilemmas may consist of locking the kitchen door at night which goes against human rights,...