Respecting the rights of people using GSL services

Code of conduct and practice

5.1    GSL officers and carers will follow the GSL code of conduct and practice to provide person centred care for people using GSL services. In particular, officers and carers will: 

• treat people with dignity, courtesy and respect
• promote their health, safety and wellbeing
• respect their human rights, cultures and values
• explain and discuss their care with them 
• respond positively to behaviours that challenge

Mental capacity

5.2    GSL will presume that people have capacity to make their own decisions until it is established that they do not. We will follow the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) Policy | Gloucestershire County Council where capacity is in doubt.

5.3    When a proposed GSL arrangement amounts to deprivation of liberty, GSL will:

• ensure that there is the least possible restriction on the person’s rights and freedoms of action, and
• work with the council’s Adult Social Care service to ensure that any depravation of liberty is authorised as required by law

Supporting independence

5.4    GSL will support people to be as independent as is possible and will encourage and support people to learn new skills, understand their rights and make their own informed decisions including about their care.

5.5    GSL will provide people who need information in a particular format or support to communicate because of a disability or sensory loss with: 

• information in a form they can understand
• support to communicate their views and wishes if they need it

Please see also the council’s Adult Social Care AIS-Policy2020-under-review.pdf

5.6    Support may include arranging an independent advocate where the person would experience substantial difficulty in being involved in decisions about their care and has no appropriate person to help them. Please see also the council’s Advocacy - what is it? | Gloucestershire County Council

Managing finances

5.7    Wherever possible, GSL will support and encourage people to manage their own financial affairs. 

5.8    GSL officers and carers are not permitted to benefit financially from anyone using GSL services. They may not: 

• influence how the person spends their money in order to benefit from it 
• borrow money from or lend money to the person 
• benefit from the person’s will or influence what is included in their will
• use the person’s  property for personal use 
• sell or otherwise dispose of the person’s property for personal gain 
• act as an appointee or accept money or gifts from the person or their family unless declared to and approved by the GSL Registered Manager or appointed deputy

Failure to meet these requirements may result in:

• an officer being deemed unsuitable to continue to work for the GSL scheme
• loss of carer approval status 

Managing medication

5.9    Wherever possible, GSL will support and encourage people to manage their own medications. Please see also the Gloucestershire-Shared-Lives-Medication-Administration-Policy.pdf

Privacy and confidentiality

5.10    GSL will respect people’s rights to privacy and confidentiality. There may be instances where there is a lawful basis to share information, such as to safeguard someone from harm. Carers should seek advice from GSL before sharing personal data. Please see the council’s website for the council’s Data Protection Policy and the  Adult Social Care Privacy Notice for carers and service users.

Safeguarding

5.11    GSL will follow the Multi agency safeguard policy and procedures | Safeguarding Adults in Gloucestershire policy where there are concerns that someone using a GSL service may be subject to or at risk of abuse or neglect.

Duty of candour

5.12    GSL will promote a culture of candour and transparency throughout its services. This includes but is not limited to supporting officers and carers to be open and honest with people using its services and to offer an apology if something goes wrong with their care. 

5.13    GSL will be open and honest with people using its services when things go wrong. We will tell them about any notifiable incident and the outcomes of investigations into the incident.