This guide will help you answer The Care Certificate Standard 13.5c List the tasks relating to medication and health care procedures that they are not allowed to carry out until they are competent.
Standard 13 focuses on Health and Safety, and 13.5c specifically addresses the tasks relating to medication and health care procedures that care workers are not permitted to carry out until they have demonstrated competence.
Being competent means that a care worker has the required skills, knowledge, and behaviours to perform a task safely and effectively. Ensuring that tasks are only carried out by competent individuals protects the well-being of service users and maintains high standards of care. Without proper training, the administration of medication and health care procedures can lead to serious harm.
Administering Medication
Prescription Medications
The administration of prescription medications is a highly regulated task. Care workers must understand the medication’s purpose, dosage, timing, and method of administration. Which tasks you can carry out depends on your training, your competence and your employer’s agreed ways of working (see the Care Certificate standards). Examples of tasks care workers are not allowed to carry out until competent include:
- Administer Oral Medications: Administering pills, tablets, or liquids via the mouth.
- Administer Injections: Only when trained, assessed as competent and authorised under your employer’s agreed ways of working.
- Use Inhalers: This includes assisting with or administering inhaled medications.
- Apply Topical Medications: This includes creams, ointments, patches, or other medication applied to the skin.
Controlled Drugs
Administering controlled drugs requires even higher scrutiny. These substances have a potential for abuse and are tightly regulated. Care workers not deemed competent cannot:
- Administer Controlled Drugs: Controlled drugs are regulated by law, so follow your employer’s procedures. See the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
- Handle Storage and Logging: This includes responsibilities for the secure storage and documentation of controlled drugs.
Health Care Procedures
Basic Procedures
While many healthcare procedures are straightforward, performing them incorrectly can still be harmful. Until deemed competent, care workers are not permitted to:
- Perform Basic Wound Care: Cleaning and dressing wounds.
- Conduct Observations: This includes taking vital signs such as blood pressure, temperature, and pulse.
- Catheter Care: Providing care for urinary catheters as set out in the person’s care plan and your employer’s procedures.
- Stoma Care: Caring for stomas, including colostomies or ileostomies.
- Administer Oxygen: Providing or assisting with oxygen therapy.
- Enteral Feeding: Assisting with or administering feeding via a tube directly into the stomach or intestine.
Advanced Procedures
Certain tasks require advanced training and a deeper understanding of the procedures involved. Until competent, care workers are not allowed to:
- Tasks involving IV Lines: Any involvement with intravenous (IV) lines is only as set out in your employer’s agreed ways of working, once you have been trained and assessed as competent.
- Perform Blood Glucose Monitoring: Using a glucometer to check blood sugar levels.
- Conduct PEG Feeding: Administering food and medication through a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube.
Specific Competence Areas
Competence in each of these areas is evaluated based on training, observation, and assessment. This ensures care workers can safely and effectively perform their roles. The following sections detail the specific areas where competence must be demonstrated.
Medication Competence
Understanding Side Effects
Care workers must understand common side effects and how to manage them. Until competent, they should not make decisions about whether a medication should be given.
Documentation
Accurate record-keeping is essential. Until competent, care workers are not allowed to update medical records related to medication administration.
Handling Refusals
Service users may refuse medication. Care workers need to know how to handle these situations appropriately. Until they are trained, they should defer to a competent colleague.
Health Care Procedures Competence
Personal Care Tasks
Some healthcare procedures overlap with personal care responsibilities. Until competent, care workers are not allowed to perform:
- Assisting with Mobility Therapy: Helping service users with mobility exercises.
Emergency Situations
Dealing with emergency health situations requires specific training. In any emergency, call 999 without delay and follow your employer’s procedures and the call handler’s instructions. For choking, see the Resuscitation Council UK choking guidance. Two key points:
- Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs): A defibrillator is designed to be used by the public and talks you through what to do, so do not delay using one in an emergency. See the Resuscitation Council UK guidance on defibrillation.
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): If someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally, call 999 straight away and start CPR as soon as possible, following the call handler’s instructions. See the Resuscitation Council UK adult basic life support guidelines.
Training and Assessment
Training Programmes
Training programmes provide the theoretical and practical skills required. These cover how to administer medications, perform health care procedures, and respond to emergencies.
Supervised Practice
Care workers must practice under the supervision of a qualified professional. This allows them to gain confidence and expertise in a controlled environment.
Competence Assessment
Assessments can be done through practical demonstrations, written tests, and verbal questioning. Supervisors must be satisfied with both the quality and consistency of the care worker’s performance.
Legal and Ethical Implications
Duty of Care
Care workers have a legal and ethical duty to provide a safe and effective care environment. Failing to demonstrate competence violates this duty and can have serious consequences.
Accountability
Until deemed competent, care workers are held accountable for knowing their limits. They must seek assistance and avoid taking on tasks beyond their capability.
Support and Supervision
Ongoing Support
Ongoing support from supervisors ensures that care workers continue to develop their skills. Competence is not a static state; it requires continuous learning and adaptation.
Peer Support
Experienced colleagues can provide valuable insights and support. Peer learning helps new care workers feel more confident and competent more quickly.
Example answers for activity 13.5c List the tasks relating to medication and health care procedures that they are not allowed to carry out until they are competent
Example Answer 1: Administering Injected Medications
I am not allowed to administer injected medications until I am competent. This includes giving subcutaneous, intramuscular, or intravenous injections. It is importantthat I receive the proper training and supervision before performing this task to ensure it is done safely and effectively.
Example Answer 2: Handling Controlled Drugs
I am not permitted to handle or administer controlled drugs until I am competent. Controlled drugs are highly regulated due to their potential for abuse. I must undergo specific training to understand the legal requirements and safety protocols associated with these medications.
Example Answer 3: Providing Catheter Care
I cannot perform catheter care until I am competent. This is a healthcare task that I must only carry out when I have been trained and assessed as competent, following the person’s care plan and my employer’s procedures. Proper training ensures I can manage these devices hygienically and comfortably for the service user, preventing infections and other complications.
Example Answer 4: Administering PEG Feeding
Until I am competent, I am not allowed to administer PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy) feeding. This procedure involves delivering nutrition directly into the stomach through a tube and requires specialised training to manage safely and effectively.
Example Answer 5: Handling Oxygen Therapy
I am not permitted to administer or assist with oxygen therapy until I am competent. This includes setting up and monitoring oxygen equipment. Proper competence ensures I can help service users who need oxygen support without risking their health.
Example Answer 6: Conducting Blood Glucose Monitoring
I am not allowed to conduct blood glucose monitoring until I am competent. Using a glucometer to check blood sugar levels requires specific training. It is important that I understand how to use the equipment correctly and interpret the readings to provide proper care.
These example answers illustrate a thorough understanding of the tasks related to medication and health care procedures that a care worker should not undertake without the necessary skills and training.
Final Thoughts
Standard 13. 5c of The Care Certificate ensures that care workers do not perform medication administration and health care procedures until they are competent. This guarantees the safety and well-being of service users. Training, supervised practice, and competence assessments are essential steps in this process. This emphasis on competence ensures that care workers have the necessary knowledge and skills to carry out their responsibilities effectively. The Care Certificate stresses the need for thorough training and assessment to uphold high standards of care. See also our care certificate answers. By adhering to these standards, care workers can provide safe and high-quality care to those they serve.
Care workers must recognise their limitations and seek assistance when necessary. By doing so, they uphold the standards of care and contribute to a safe, effective care environment.