Many people are confused about the exact nature of their Duty of Care toward the people they look after. To a large extent this is because they think that they are somehow accountable for the actions of other people (in this case the client or service-user). This makes people think they are:

Hanged if they do

and

Hanged if they don’t

In reality, you are responsible only for what you do, not for what your client does. If you do all that you LEGALLY can to minimise risk, to help them to make decisions in their best interests and to help them cope effectively then you have fulfilled your duty of care… whatever the outcome might be.

• You are not responsible for someone else’s behaviour.
• You are responsible for your own behaviour in the situation in which you find yourself  (including acting to keep yourself and others safe when necessary).
• You are not expected to take away people’s legitimate rights to choose if they are able to.
• You won’t be prosecuted for not breaking the law.
• Care workers are judged upon process – not upon outcome.

However there really is a ‘do’ and there really is a ‘don’t’…

Do all that you reasonably can

Don’t break the law.