Roles and Responsibilities of Health and Social Care Workers – Level 3 Health and Social Care BTEC Revision

Health and social care workers are responsible for maintaining a clean, safe environment to prevent the spread of infections. This includes frequent sanitising and deep cleaning of the workplace.
Workers should routinely wash their hands before and after patient interactions, use gloves and personal protective equipment (PPE) as necessary, and encourage patients to also maintain high levels of personal hygiene.
Workers are required to follow the standard procedures when handling human waste or bodily fluids, such as blood or secretions. This is crucial to avoid cross contamination.
Workers must adhere to strict protocols for managing and disposing of clinical waste. This includes things like used dressings, needles or swabs.
It is the duty of health and social care workers to report potential outbreaks of infection to the appropriate authorities as soon as they are detected. Timely reporting can help limit the spread of the infection.
Health and social care workers are expected to have up-to-date knowledge and understanding of the types of infections they may encounter in their role. This includes symptoms, modes of transmission, and prevention tactics.
Workers have a responsibility to protect themselves by being immunised against common infections that they might be exposed to at work.
They must also ensure that protective clothing, such as uniforms, is cleaned regularly and properly, to reduce the risk of carrying and spreading infections.
Workers must support, educate and motivate patients in keeping their living conditions clean and hygienic, to reduce potential sources of infection. This includes patient education about the importance of proper nutrition, personal hygiene and physical activity for a strong immune system and better resistance against infections.
If any worker falls ill and suspect it’s a contagious infection, he or she should stay home until fully recovered, to prevent transmission to colleagues and patients.
Adherence to data protection laws and commitment to patient confidentiality forms are integral parts of their role. This extends to sensitive information related to a patient’s infectious or non-infectious disease status.
Competence in infection prevention and control also includes partaking in regular training sessions and workshops, and consistently adhering to the latest guidelines and protocols.