The Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) has established standards for continuing professional development (CPD) which clearly set out health professionals’ responsibilities (HCPC 2012). All health care professional registered with the HCPC must undertake regular CPD activities and be able to provide evidence of this as an on-going component of their practice. All health care workers are expected to undertake a performance review known as the knowledge and skills framework (KSF), which encompasses six core dimensions. As part of the review process health care workers should provide CPD evidence for each of these core dimensions.
One of the core dimensions within the knowledge and skills framework (KSF) concerns health, safety and security. Its purpose is to focus on the maintenance and promotion of health as well as safety and security of everyone in service provision including service users.
Everyday routine tasks such as moving and handling of people or equipment need to be considered. However, the KSF is not only concerned with moving and handling, it also covers the monitoring and action taking when there is the possibility of risk to health and/or wellbeing, including emotional, mental, physical, social or spiritual wellbeing. In addition, security concerns can be related to patient confidentiality or security of premises and belongings.
Additionally, the health, safety and security dimension of the KSF includes awareness of risks that may be encountered e.g. risk from physical interactions, including abuse or aggression; psychological risk factors, including social interactions or lack of them and the risk factors related to the environment.
As part of Placement 3, you are required to select a recent news article that is concerned with one of the following:
- health and safety
- hospital acquired infections
- moving and handling
- patient confidentiality
You need to submit an essay, critically discussing the issues raised within the chosen article and how they relate directly to the health, safety and security dimension of the KSF and its application to your continual professional development.
The aim of this task is to make you aware of the different aspects of practice that can fit into the dimensions of the knowledge and skills framework. These dimensions are part of the KSF which is a useful tool to identify the knowledge, skills and development that are required for staff to do their job and as such is an integral aspect of professional development.
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the relevance and importance of ‘health, safety and security’ for patients, the public and workers within the health system.
- Using your chosen article, critically discuss the importance of ‘health, safety and security’ for service users and providers
- Demonstrate knowledge of the relevant legislation, policies and procedures relating to ‘health, safety and security’ for service users and providers that relate to your chosen example.
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of how service providers can implement good practice relating to the KSF dimension highlighted in your article.
