Duty of Care

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SHC 34 - Principles for Implementing Duty of Care in Health, Social Care or Children’s and Young People’s Settings 1.1 Duty of Care “A requirement to exercise a reasonable degree of attention and caution to avoid negligence that would lead to harm to other people”. When working with other people we each have a duty of care to prevent any situation which could potentially cause harm to others, for example, leaving spilt liquids/food or damaged equipment unattended. This is particularly relevant when working with babies and young children, as they have yet to develop the ability to foresee and cope with potential hazards. Young children and babies are completely dependent on the adults in their lives to provide for their every need, so when working with young children, you will be responsible for providing a significant duty of care, as young children are vulnerable and require your full attention. You must always be aware of yours and the children’s surroundings as it is your vigilance that will keep them safe until they are able to develop the cognitive and physical skills they need to care for themselves. Your duty of care to the children also requires you to be conversant in the settings emergency procedures, as there is no time to stop and read once the alarm has been raised, for example, a missing child. Every minute the child is missing, the higher the risk of them sustaining an injury, or being harmed by someone outside of the setting. In the event of an emergency your duty of care will also extend to the parents/carers aftercare, as they
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