Ways that Policy Affects Individuals Working in the Health and Social Care Sector through Codes of Practice – Level 3 Health and Social Care BTEC Revision

Codes of Practice are guidelines that health and social care professionals must follow. They help ensure service users receive standardised, high-quality care.
Policies may mandate individuals working in health and social care to complete regular training updates. This ensures they stay current with new findings, techniques and practises.
Policies enforce ethical practises. For instance, data protection is a key part of health and social care. Confidentiality rules ensure that the personal information of service users is protected and only shared when necessary.
Health and safety policies affect individuals by outlining their responsibilities in providing a safe environment. This includes the correct methods of lifting and moving service users to prevent injury, infection control practises, and processes to follow in the event of an emergency.
Codes of Practice emphasise non-discriminatory practises. All service users should be treated fairly and without bias irrespective of age, race, disability, gender, sexual orientation or religion.
Policies lay out how complaints should be handled, informing individuals about the processes involved in dealing with service users’ concerns or issues.
Whistleblowing policies are important for individuals in health and social care as these guide them on what action to take if they witness malpractice or abuse.
Medication policies affect individuals by indicating how medicines should be administered, ensuring correctness, safety and documenting errors.
Care planning and assessment policies detail how care plans should be established and reviewed, affecting the way individuals deliver care and the steps they take to understand the needs of service users.
Safeguarding policies are crucial for individuals working with vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, children and people with disabilities. These policies provide a framework for identifying, reporting and dealing with instances of abuse, neglect or harm.
There are also policies that affect staff working hours, annual leave, sickness absence and appraisals, influencing several aspects of a health and social care worker’s everyday job role.