Privacy: Dignity in care videos
What is the video about?
Our personal information, our rooms, using the bathroom, our post, phone call and our relationships. These are some of the things that this film looks at when discussing privacy and its role as a major contributor to providing dignity in care. So, for instance, the film shows that if staff need to see someone's mail for administrative reasons, that event is signed and dated so that everything is above board.
Privacy in practice can mean making sure that a confidentiality policy is in place and followed by all staff; making issues of privacy and dignity a fundamental part of staff induction and training; and making sure that only those who need information to carry out their work have access to people’s personal records or financial information.
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Video transcript Open
Narrator
What should be private? Our personal information, our rooms, using the bathroom, our post, our phone calls, our relationships. Privacy is a fundamental aspect of maintaining dignity.
Janis White, Director, Equal Partnerships Ltd
For each individual, privacy is a major part of dignity in social care. It’s ensuring that the person has the knowledge that no one will intrude in their personal space, or their rooms or any of their belongings without explicit permission from the person.
Narrator
People have the right to open their own mail.
Gill Williams, Personal Assistant, Equal Partnerships Ltd
Both Matthew and James check everyday to see if there’s post been, they come in and they split it up into whose post is whose. They open that post and they always show staff what post they’ve got, staff sign it and date it, and then we just take the action that needs to be taken from whatever post it is.
Narrator
Personal information should only be shared on a need-to-know basis.
Jacqui Guyon, Homecare & Support Services Manager, Age UK
When we’re thinking about confidentiality, we preserve that by retaining the documents in a safe place and obviously anything we disclose is on a need-to-know basis. We’re very careful who we give information to. Relatives don’t necessarily have the right to have information about the people we care for, it really is up to them to decide who we disclose information to and how much of that information is disclosed.
Words on screen
Privacy for phone calls.
Gill Williams
When the phone rings, Matthew or James will answer the phone, we don’t answer the phone, it’s not our house. And if they need support with the phone call, they just come and ask staff to support them with the phone call. But sometimes it’s their friends ringing up for a chat, or parents ring up for a chat. But normally if they need support they’ll come to us with the phone and say that they need us to speak to this person.
Matthew
(into phone) Hey Chris, aye, not too bad.
Words on screen
Privacy when using the bathroom
Narrator
When helping people, offer the maximum amount of privacy possible.
Catherine Gunnewicht, Manager, Care Concern Homecare Ltd
If it’s safe to do so, I always think it’s nice to let people be in the bathroom for a little while on their own. And if you’re a little bit worried you could maybe just stand on the other side of the door. But I think letting people be alone in the bathroom a little while is nice.
Sharon Hedley, Manager, Laverneo Care Home
If you’re supporting somebody in the bathroom, they might need support to be actually supported onto the toilet, but they don’t need you to be there while they’re doing whatever they need to do. So you can just wait outside and if they’re able to tell you that they’re then ready for you to go back in again. And it’s just those little examples that probably are quite easy to forget. And you’ve just got to have it built in to the ethos of where you are.
Words on screen
Relationships
Ensure risks are minimised
Narrator
People are entitled to have private and intimate relationships. Staffs should ensure any risk is minimized.
Lesley Gregg, Manager, Harton Grange Residential Care Home
Anybody can have a relationship, that’s fine, that’s entirely up to them. All the staff have got to respect the residents, to make their decisions.
Jacqui Guyon, Homecare & Support Services Manager, Age UK
Privacy can be everything from making sure that someone’s dignity is preserved, not interfering in their day-to-day activities and if they have a guest, to give them space to enjoy their conversation without being present, to give them opportunity to live their life in a dignified and private way, as we would all want.
Words on screen
Private space
Narrator
Having private space is really important.
Matthew
This is my bedroom. This is my private bedroom. I’ve got in here, my family photos, my DVD’s down there, Newcastle frames, One Direction poster, I’ve got my room decorated, I chose blue, I feel confident with it.
Gill Williams, Personal Assistant, Equal Partnerships Ltd
Matthew does his own washing, and then he’ll take it up into his bedroom and he just hangs it all up on his own. We never go in their bedrooms uninvited, it’s their space. We have privacy in our lives, and this is their home. And their bedrooms are their own private space. I wouldn’t want people walking through my bedroom, the same as they don’t want us walking through their bedroom. We always knock on the door and they’ll either ask us to go in or they’ll come to the door to see what we want.
Lesley Gregg, Manager, Harton Grange Residential Care Home
Everybody’s rooms are personalised to each resident and also they’ve got ensuite bathrooms. So they’ve got the privacy of using their own toilets.
Frank
Most immaculate photograph I’ve ever seen
Sharon Hedley, Manager, Laverneo Care Home
Privacy is things like, knocking on doors, asking somebody ‘would you like me to give you privacy at the moment? Let me know when you’re ready for me to come back and support you some more’. It’s just that kind of thing really, it’s very basic stuff.
Title: Key learning points
It is important that privacy is respected in all care settings so that people can maintain their dignity
Privacy is very important during personal care but also with regard to people’s personal space
Confidentiality is a very important principle in the provision of care services
All staff should understand how and when personal information should be accessed and shared
People are entitled to have intimate relationships and staff should work with people to minimise risk
END
Messages for practice
- It is important that privacy is respected in all care settings so that people can maintain their dignity.
- Privacy is very important during personal care but also with regard to people’s personal space.
- Confidentiality is a very important principle in the provision of care services.
- All staff should understand how and when personal information should be accessed and shared.
- People are entitled to have intimate relationships and staff should work with people to minimise risk.
Who will find this useful?
Managers, care staff, commissioners and concerned relatives. This film gives ideas on how these groups can get this complex issue right.