FEATURE The Right to Decide
Autonomy and consent have long been issues in social care. Log my Care Founder and CEO Sam Hussain delves into best practice for consent and how tech can help give people the autonomy they need in care.
Too oſten in care settings we hear the question ‘Why did no one tell me?’ No care provider wants the people they support to feel unheard or uninformed, which is why autonomy in care is so important.
AUTONOMY MATTERS
Having autonomy is crucial to service users because it’s their care and they should be at the centre of it. In many care situations, service users and their loved ones may already feel like they’re losing control – of their body or mind, and of the life they hoped to have – simply because of the circumstances that led them to seek support. That’s why involving clients and their families in decision-making around their care is so critical to helping them retain as much autonomy as they can.
“A record of signed consent
informs families and friends that their loved one is receiving the high-quality care they deserve.”
The 2016 CQC review, Not Seen, Not Heard, recommended that service users are engaged at each stage of their care planning in order to help them be involved in, and take ownership of, their own treatment and care.
"I’m not a case; I’m not a piece of paper. I’m a human. I need you to see that if you’re going to help me." A recent care leaver, The Who Cares? Trust (CQC, 2016)
CONSENT MATTERS
Consenting to care means that clients are at the heart of the plans put in place to support them. Giving individuals all the information, they need to make confident and competent decisions empowers them to be fully involved in their own care.
A record of signed consent informs families and friends that their loved one is receiving the high-quality care they deserve. Moving a relative to a care home can be a difficult time for families, but knowing that their family member still has autonomy can help with that transition.
FOR CARE PROVIDERS
Obtaining consent is best practice for care delivery. It keeps services users and their families involved, minimises risk for the care provider and improves quality of care. Discussing care
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plans is a way of keeping those accessing support involved in their own care. When consent is established, service users know that they are at the heart of care delivery and are respected as individuals.
"Consent to care should be obtained prior to starting any form of support. It shows that the person and/or their representative has been fully involved in any decisions. Without this, it can put care workers and organisations at risk." Mark Topps, Regional Business Manager, Essex Cares Limited.
REDUCE RISK
As with most things in life, there’s an element of risk with every care measure or treatment. When giving consent, a service user accepts those risks. On the other hand, when withholding consent, they agree to the risks of not getting the care or treatment suggested. Essentially, it’s a process of changing who will take responsibility for what could go wrong and transferring risk from the care provider to their client.
For a care provider, having a signed record of this consent or withholding of consent can be invaluable, should those risks become reality. But remember, for the consent obtained to be valid, it must be voluntary, informed and given by someone with the capacity to do so. It’s therefore critical that the service user is provided with all the knowledge they require to be able to evaluate the risks of the suggested care or treatments.
Not getting consent right can lead to complaints, criminal liability, liability for damages, disciplinary action and more. However, consent obtained correctly can protect care providers and their staff.
IMPROVE CARE QUALITY
Delivering high-quality, person-centred care means involving clients in decision-making processes whenever possible. They know their own preferences and needs better than anyone else. This is an opportunity to initiate discussions with service users and their loved ones about the care that might benefit them, and help develop care plans that really suit them.
Obtaining consent is an ongoing process that reflects the service users’ changing opinions and capacities. Having up- to-date records signed by the individual illustrates that a care provider has considered their preferences and needs when seeking consent.
LEGAL REQUIREMENT
As well as being beneficial for care providers and those accessing care, a record of consent is a legal requirement that regulatory bodies, like the Care Quality Commission (CQC) or the Care Inspectorate, check diligently, and will affect how they evaluate a service as a whole.
www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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