Guidelines to creative and therapeutic activities

What are your responsibilities under current health and safety legislation, standards and guidance, eg the Health & Safety at Work Act (and any other relevant legislation).

Riddor (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations.) influences a Health Care Setting as it ensures all staff keep records of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences that have happened in the care home. This ensures that everyone knows the incidents have occurred, they have been dealt with and what staff and equipment where involved in the process. Also all staff should be fully aware of Riddor and the procedure in which you report any incidents to the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) as it is a necessary part of your job as a Health Care practitioner.

Within my role I have to compile risk assessments that recognise the choice and independence of residents, whilst ensuring the safety of residents and staff members. The risk assessment may be regarding social activities that may involve equipment or actions, which could cause harm or injury.

5.2 Avoiding hazardous manual handling , conducting a full risk assessment, reporting immediately any difficulties adhering to agreed working practices and using equipment correctly.

2.2- Demonstrate how to deal with hazards to minimise risks to the health, safety and security of children and young people.

Before I start work, I ensure that the environment is spacious to avoid any accidents. By ensuring that the floor is dry and clear of any obstruction or material that could result to risk of an accident to both the service user and member of staff in line with Health and Safety first Aids Regulations 1987. I carry out checks on the residential areas and on the surroundings, fire checks and parked the wheelchairs and Zimmer frames in their appropriate places to avoid any accidents. I check to see that all doors and windows were locked and secured and areas are hazard

All healthcare workers are required to report anything that effects the environment. For example speaking to a senior staff member or manager straight away, explaining the problem so it can be dealt with properly. Reportable incidents: deaths, major injuries, some work-related diseases; dangerous occurrences – where something happens that does not result in an injury, but could have done; registered gas fitters must also report dangerous gas fittings they find, and gas conveyors/suppliers must report some flammable gas incidents. RIDDOR applies to all work activities but not all incidents are reportable

Check we are fulfilling health and safety policies and risk assessment appropriately, keep them up to date and modify them whenever it is necessary.

Reporting of Injuries,Diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations of 1995 requires the reporting of work-related accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences. The Act applies to all work related activities, but not to all work related incidents. The objective of the regulations is to enable the enforcing authorities to identify where and how risks arise and to investigate serious accidents so as to prevent them from occurring in the future and thus providing a safer work environment. The enforcing authorities can then help and advise you on preventive action to reduce injury, ill health and accidental loss,the main points of our own policy that relate to this are:

D1) Make recommendations in relation to the identified hazards to minimise the risks to the service user.

Risks assessments will identify any hazards and/or dangers and who might be harmed and how this may happen, allow the risks to be evaluated and check if the precautions are

| Describe how the health and safety control equipment relevant to the work should be used in accordance with the given instructions.

There are guidelines/protocols that have been put in place by the trust that must be adhered to by all staff. Ensure that I am dressed appropriately so that my clothing does not compromise my safety or the patients. Ensure work/clinical areas void of equipment that may constitute a hazard if stored or left in the wrong place. There is adequate information and training provided by the trust to ensure competency and safe working. For instance, when in the mould room, I have been trained to use equipment and been made aware of safe working when using the various materials and substances in the mould (i.e. lead, hot water). The body absorbs lead when you breathe in the lead dust or swallow lead when you bite your nails after working with lead

Produce a H&S Policy Manual which demonstrates your knowledge and understanding of how health and safety legislation is implemented in a health and social care workplace. Your Policy Manual should provide a review of systems, policies and procedures for communication of health and safety in a workplace.

A creative/expressive therapist works an average of 40 hours per week. Their schedule holds slight routine such as regular face-to-face client time, scheduling, and constructing reports. Overall, schedules seem to not be consistent due to working among every individual’s needs. It is important to make time for face-to-face sessions with clients and office responsibilities. Lindy expressed that she has found her career more manageable by splitting her 40-hour work into 20 hours of face-to-face client time and 20 hours of office responsibilities, such as scheduling, constructing evaluation reports and prepping for sessions. Expressive/Creative therapy may be used as a part of the treatment strategy for a wide variety of mental, behavioral and