Fulfilling duty of care responsibilities
Fulfilling duty of care responsibilities involves ensuring that adequate care is taken to avoid injury. To do this, keep the following things in mind.
Foreseeable injury
Regarding assessing a certain activity or situation for foreseeable injury to a client or others, keep in mind:
prior knowledge of the person and their capacities
the dangers of the situation
the person’s awareness of risks
assessments/reports regarding the person’s needs and vulnerabilities.
You may have a client that wants to do something that, on quick reflection, seems dangerous (such as a person with a disability abseiling), however, when you look more closely at their capabilities and their awareness of the risk involved, with certain precautions it may be quite possible to minimise the risks with appropriate care.