Duty of Care Analysis
When working you have a duty of care in your own work and this is to pay attention and to keep young children safe as they develop. The younger and more vulnerable a child is, the greater the duty of care you have to provide them As a practitioner it is our job to safeguard children daily in various ways to protect them from harm whether it is physical or psychological. We carry out risk assessments in the work setting to avoid any potential hazards; we also set rules and boundaries.
We observe the children’s development and take action if needed from other professionals. We must also follow strict procedures if we suspect abuse. Potential conflicts or dilemma’s that may arise between the duty of care and an individual’s rights are that as a child, they have the right to facilitate their development and learning by being allowed to take risks and be challenged, is a practitioner does not allow a child to be able to do this then they are taking their duty of care too far.
When intervening in the life of a child and family you must be careful not to disobey their rights and responsibilities as parents but at the same time make sure that the child’s safety is paramount. To manage risks associated with conflicts or dilemma’s between an individual’s rights and the duty of care is to find the balance of children’s rights and parent’s responsibilities. If you feel a child is gaining skills from risk taking then you should drop your duty of care in a way to support the child. If you suspect t a child is being abused then your duty o care may override the family’s rights of confidentiality.
To get additional support and advice regarding conflicts and dilemma’s you can seek advice from your manager/supervisor and SENCO, also other professions that deal with child protection such as Ofsted, social services and health services. Should a parent/carer make a complaint to you then you need to follow procedures by reporting the complaint to your manager/supervisor. All complaints whether minor or major need to be logged in a record book. Also by using effective communication – listen and to always take the complaint seriously.
