1.1 Explain what it means to have a duty of care in own work role
The duty of care is a legal obligation to exercise a certain degree of caution and attention when providing services or goods to others. It means that as an individual, you have the responsibility to take reasonable steps to prevent harm from occurring. In your work role, this includes taking all necessary precautions and acting responsibly to protect yourself, other workers, customers/clients/patients or any person who might be affected by what you do while performing your job duties. This includes following relevant laws and regulations; assessing risks; preventing hazards through safety measures such as appropriate training procedures for staff; managing confidential information according to sources with respect & trustworthiness; responding to complaints or accidents promptly, and taking corrective action.
In general, the idea behind a duty of care is to protect individuals from potential injury or damage caused by negligence or unreasonable action. As such, it is important that workers understand their duties of care and comply with them when carrying out their roles in order to maintain standards and uphold legal obligations. A failure to do so could lead to disciplinary action, as well as civil or criminal liability, if someone were harmed because proper care was not taken.
Duty of care plays a key role in any work environment and should be taken seriously. Employees need to be aware of their responsibilities so that they can keep themselves, others and the business safe from harm while delivering services or products. It is also important for employers to create a safe work environment and foster an open dialogue about the duty of care. This should include providing clear guidelines and expectations as well as training programs that promote good safety practices. If workers are aware of their duties and understand the consequences of not following them, they are more likely to take greater care when carrying out their tasks, leading to a safer working environment for everyone involved.
Other answers in the full document:
- 1.2 Explain how duty of care relates to duty of candour
- 1.3 Explain how duty of care contributes to the safeguarding or protection of individuals
- 2.1 Describe conflicts or dilemmas that may arise between the duty of care and an individual’s rights
- 2.2 Describe how to manage risks associated with conflicts or dilemmas between an individual’s rights and the duty of care
- 2.3 Explain where to get additional support and advice about conflicts and dilemmas
- 3.1 Describe how to respond to complaints
- 3.2 Explain policies and procedures relating to the handling of complaints