Service Users' Rights.

Privacy

An individuals right to privacy involves being free from intrusion or unwelcome attention. We aim to maximise our service users’ privacy in the following ways.

  • Staff will enter a service users’ property and rooms within the property only with express consent.
  • A service user has the right not to have to interact with or be interrupted by a worker when, foe example, they are entertaining a visitor or are engaged on an intimate activity on their own account.
  • We respect the fact that service users’ possessions are private and always act in accordance with the principle that are workers are guests.
  • Our staff respects the service users right to make telephone calls and carry on conversations without being over heard or observed by a worker.
  • We ensure that records of the service provided are seen only by those with a legitimate need to know the information they contain.

Dignity

The right to dignity involves recognising the intrinsic value of people as individuals and the specific nature of each persons particular needs. We aim to maximise our service users’ dignity in the following ways:

  • We arrange for service users who require assistance with bodily tasks such as dressing, bathing and toileting, to be helped as far as possible by the care worker of their own choice, and if desired, of the sex of their choice.
  • We ensure, if asked, that service users receive the necessary assistance with dressing and maintaining their clothes.
  • We will try to provide help for service users with make up, manicure, hairdressing and other elements of their appearance so that they can present themselves as they so wish.
  • We aim to minimise any feelings of inadequacy, inferiority and vulnerability which service users may have arising from a disability.
  • We treat service users with the sort of respect which re-enforces personhood and individual characteristics, addressing them and introducing them to others in their preferred style, responding to specific cultural demands and requirements, and aiming to maintain relationships which are warm and trusting but are appropriate to the relationship of worker to service user.

Independence

Independence means having opportunities to think, plan, act and take sensibly calculated risks without continual reference to others. We aim to maximise our service users’ independence in the following ways:

  • We help service users to manage for themselves where possible rather than becoming totally dependant on care workers and others.
  • We encourage service users to take as much responsibility as possible for their own health care and medication.
  • We involve service users fully in planning their own care, devising and implementing their care plans and managing the records of care.
  • We work with carers, relatives and friends of service users to provide as continuous a service as is feasible.
  • We aim to create a climate in the delivery of care and to foster attitudes in those around a service user which focus on capacities rather than on disabilities.

Security

In providing services to people with disabilities, there is a difficult balance to be struck between helping them to experience as much independence as possible and making sure that they are not exposed to unnecessary hazards. Taking care for the security of service users therefore means helping to provide an environment and support structure which offers sensible protection from danger and comfort and readily available assistance when required. This should not be interpreted as a demand for a totally safe or risk dash free life style; Taking reasonable risks can be interesting, exiting and fun, as well as necessary. We respond to our service users need for security in the following ways:

  • We try to make sure that help is tactfully at hand when a service user needs or wishes to engage in any activity which places then situations of substantial risk.
  • We hope to help to create a physical environment which is free from unnecessary sources of danger to vulnerable people or their property.
  • We always carry out thorough risk assessments in relation to premises, equipment and the activities of the service user who is being helped.
  • Our staff will advise service users about situations or activities in which their disability is likely to put them or their property at risk.
  • The staff of our company are well selected, trained and briefed to provide services responsibly, professionally and with compassion and never to exploit their positions to abuse a service user.

Civil Rights

We aim to help our service users to continue to enjoy their civil rights in the following ways:

  • If service users wish to participate in elections, we will try to access the necessary information and either provide or obtain any assistance which they need to vote.
  • We want to help our service users to make use of as wide a range as is possible of public services, such as libraries, education and transport.
  • We will encourage our service users to make full use of health services in all ways appropriate to their medical, nursing and therapeutic needs.
  • We will provide easy access for our service users and their friends, relatives and representatives to complain abut or give feedback on our services.
  • If we can, we will support our service users in their participating as fully and diversely as they wish in the activities of their communities through voluntary work, religious observance, involvement in associations and charitable giving.

Choice

Choice consists of the opportunity to select independently from a range of options. We will respond to our service users’ right to choice in the following ways.

  • We avoid a pattern of service delivery which leads to compulsory timings for activities like getting up and going to bed.
  • We will manage and schedule our services so as to respond as far as possible to service users preferences as regards to the staff with whom they feel most comfortable.
  • We respect service users eccentricities, personal preferences and idiosyncrasies.
  • We hope to cultivate an atmosphere and ethos in our service delivery which welcomes and responds to cultural diversity.
  • We encourage service users to exercise informed choice in their selection of the organisation and individuals who provide them with assistance.

Fulfillment

Fulfillment has been defined as the opportunity to realise personal aspirations and abilities. It recognises and responds to levels of human satisfaction separate from the physical and material, but it is difficult to generalise about fulfillment since it deals with precisely those areas of lifestyle where individuals differ from each other. We respond to service users’ right to fulfillment in the following ways:

  • We try to help service users to participate in a broad range of social and cultural activities as possible.
  • If requested, we will assist a service user to participate in practices associated with religious or spiritual matters and to celebrate meaningful anniversaries and festivals.
  • We aim to respond sensitively and appropriately to the special needs and wishes of service users who wish to prepare for or are close to death.
  • We make particular efforts to understand and respond to the wish of any service user to participate in minority-interests events or activities.
  • We will do everything possible to help a service user who wants to achieve an unfulfilled task, wish or ambition before the end of their life.