This guide will help you answer The Care Certificate Standard 13.3b List tasks relating to moving and assisting that they are not allowed to carry out until they are competent.
The Care Certificate is an essential induction programme for health and social care workers. One critical component of this is Standard 13, which focuses on moving and assisting individuals correctly. Specifically, Standard 13.3b highlights tasks that care workers are not permitted to carry out until they are deemed competent. This is crucial to ensure both the safety of the individuals being cared for and the care workers themselves.
This document will delve into the tasks related to moving and assisting that care workers must not attempt until they have been properly trained and assessed as competent.
Prohibited Tasks Until Competence is Achieved
Use of Manual Handling Equipment
Hoists
Hoists are often used to lift and move individuals who cannot move themselves. Until a care worker is competent, they should not:
- Operate various types of hoists such as ceiling-mounted or mobile hoists.
- Attach or detach slings from a hoist.
- Position someone onto a hoist.
Explanation: Incorrect use can lead to falls, injuries, and discomfort for the individual. It can also pose a risk to the worker’s health.
Stand Aids and Lifts
Stand aids help individuals to move from sitting to standing or to transfer between chairs. Care workers must avoid:
- Operating mechanical stand aids.
- Assisting an individual onto a stand aid.
Explanation: Mishandling these aids can lead to falls or strain for the individual, risking both their safety and well-being.
Manual Handling without Equipment
Repositioning in Bed
Repositioning individuals in bed is necessary to prevent bedsores and improve comfort. Without competence, care workers must not:
- Turn individuals in bed without assistance.
- Pull or slide individuals without using appropriate techniques.
Explanation: Improper methods can cause skin tears, bruising, or musculoskeletal injuries to both the care worker and the individual.
Lifting from the Floor
In cases where an individual has fallen, it is crucial to lift them correctly. Until competent, care workers should not:
- Attempt to lift someone manually from the floor.
- Use any equipment to lift someone from the floor without proper training.
Explanation: Incorrect lifting can worsen injuries from the fall and strain the care worker’s back.
Supportive Tasks
Assisting with Ambulation
Helping individuals to walk can be challenging and risky. Care workers should not:
- Assist someone who requires significant physical support to walk.
- Use mobility aids like walking frames or sticks without proper training.
Explanation: Incorrect assistance may lead to falls or further mobility issues for the individual.
Transferring Between Surfaces
Transferring individuals, for example from a bed to a wheelchair, can be dangerous if not done correctly. Until competent, care workers are prohibited from:
- Performing transfers involving significant lifting or repositioning.
- Using transfer boards or similar aids improperly.
Explanation: Poor transfer techniques can lead to falls, discomfort, and injuries.
Specialised Equipment Use
Slide Sheets
Slide sheets are used to reduce friction and make moving easier. Care workers must not:
- Use slide sheets to reposition or move someone in bed until trained.
- Attempt to pull an individual using slide sheets without proper knowledge.
Explanation: Incorrect use can cause skin damage and increase the risk of injury.
Transfer Belts
Transfer belts help in supporting someone when they need to stand or transfer. Care workers should avoid:
- Using transfer belts without understanding their correct application.
- Attempting to lift or support someone with a transfer belt improperly.
Explanation: Misuse of transfer belts can result in falls and injury to both the individual and the care worker.
Risk Assessments and Care Plans
Identifying Needs and Risks
Before performing any moving or assisting tasks, care workers must be capable of:
- Conducting risk assessments.
- Understanding and following individual care plans.
Explanation: These skills are critical to ensure that the right methods and equipment are used, based on the specific needs of each individual.
Working with Other Professionals
Team Lifting
Lifting tasks often require more than one person. Care workers should not:
- Participate in team lifting without proper coordination and training.
- Engage in tasks requiring complex techniques that involve multiple workers.
Explanation: Lack of synchronisation and knowledge can lead to accidents that affect all involved.
Emergency Situations
Handling Emergencies
In emergency situations where someone needs to be moved quickly, care workers must not:
- Act without understanding the emergency protocols.
- Use emergency equipment like evacuation mats without proper training.
Explanation: Ill-prepared actions can exacerbate the emergency and lead to further harm.
Example answers for activity 13.3b List tasks relating to moving and assisting that they are not allowed to carry out until they are competent
Here are six example answers for a care worker completing The Care Certificate Standard 13.3b:
Example 1
Until I am deemed competent, I am not allowed to operate any hoists, whether they are ceiling-mounted or mobile hoists. I must not attempt to attach or detach slings or position an individual onto a hoist. I understand that incorrect use can lead to falls or injuries and could put both me and the person I am caring for at risk.
Example 2
I should not attempt to reposition individuals in bed by myself until I have been properly trained and assessed. This includes turning someone in bed or pulling/sliding them without using the correct techniques. I know that improper methods could cause skin tears, bruising, or injuries to both the individual and myself.
Example 3
I am not allowed to help someone walk if they need significant physical support until I have demonstrated that I am competent. This means I should not use mobility aids, such as walking frames or sticks, without proper training. I realise that incorrect assistance could lead to falls and further mobility issues for the person I am assisting.
Example 4
In the event that someone has fallen, I must not try to manually lift them from the floor. I should also refrain from using any lifting equipment until I have received the required training and been assessed as competent. I am aware that lifting incorrectly could worsen the person’s injuries and cause strain to my own back.
Example 5
I must not use slide sheets for repositioning or moving someone in bed without proper training. Attempting to pull someone using slide sheets without being competent can cause skin damage and increase the risk of injury. I will wait until I am trained and confident in the correct methods.
Example 6
I understand that I must not participate in team lifting without proper coordination and training. Complex tasks involving multiple workers require clear synchronisation to avoid accidents. Until I am trained and assessed, I must avoid such tasks to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
These examples are written from the perspective of a care worker completing this unit, indicating an understanding of the specific tasks they are not permitted to perform until deemed competent.
Conclusion
Competence in moving and assisting tasks is a fundamental aspect of providing safe and effective care. The Care Certificate Standard 13.3b ensures that care workers do not engage in potentially hazardous tasks until they are properly trained. This not only protects the well-being of those being cared for but also preserves the health and safety of the care workers.
In summary, any tasks involving significant lifting, transferring, or the use of specialised equipment must be avoided until competence is achieved. This careful approach minimises risks and promotes a safe work environment for everyone involved in health and social care services.