With respect to the Organisation’s service users’ PRIVACY is defined as the right to be left alone or undisturbed, and free from public attention and intrusion into their affairs. This Policy summarises the philosophies and arrangements within the Organisation that ensure that these outcomes are achieved:
1. The fundamental objective of the Organisation’s Care Service is to empower the service user to remain in his / her own home and to provide a customised package of assistance and support to enable this to be achieved. The service user is viewed as a unique, autonomous individual. In this respect Care Services will be tailored to support and maintain his / her independence with due regard to issues of privacy, and maximising the dignity of the service user. A significant contributing factor here is to encourage the service user to do as much as they can for themselves, within limits of mobility, disability and other relevant physical factors.
2. In encouraging the service user to do as much as they can for themselves the Care Worker will remain sensitive to the issues where the privacy and dignity of the service user need to be respected. In particular, the following principles will be observed when
delivering the Care Service:
2.1 Service users will be treated courteously at all times and will always be addressed in the manner and by the name of their choosing. This will be noted in the service user Care Plans.
2.2 Care Workers will remain sensitive to appropriate personal privacy issues of the service user and his / her family or relatives. In particular, issues of race or ethnic origin, creed, culture, colour, religion, age, gender, political affiliation, parenthood, disabilities or sexual orientation will be respected in accordance with the principles of the Organisation’s Equal Opportunities & Diversity Policy (Policy No 1006).
2.3 Care Service delivery will be achieved in such a way as to be non-intrusive, and to respect the privacy and lifestyle of the service user. This is considered to be particularly important for the following activities:
• Entering the service user’s home, including key-holding (reference Policy Nos 3700 and 3702);
• Entering rooms within the service user’s home;
• Respecting the need for the service user to wash or bathe in private, where capable;
• Respecting that the service user may wish to dress / undress in private, where capable;
• Assisting the service user with personal planning matters (reference Policy No 3503);
• Assisting the service user with shopping and other social activities (reference Policy No 3502).
• Privacy is maintained in respect of sexual relationships.
• The service user’s personal possessions and documents remain private.
• The service user’s private conversations, telephone calls and mail remain private.
Where information contained within documents need to be shared this is only done with the service user’s consent.