Well done, you made the correct decision.
In your reflective activity, you should have covered all of these points:
- Refusing to countersign for the medication and reporting the incident to the senior staff member on shift was the right thing to do.
- You have protected a resident from unsafe practice and upheld the standards expected of a social service worker. You have shown that you know how to challenge poor practice.
- This might not be the first time John has asked colleagues to countersign when they have not seen him administer controlled drugs. He could do it again. This puts even more residents at risk of harm.
- If controlled drugs have not been administered to residents and no-one knows what has happened to the missing drugs, the police may become involved.
- Your decision making shows that you have the skills expected of you as a social service worker. These include being honest and trustworthy. You are expected to communicate with your team in an open and accurate way.
- The SSSC Code of Practice for Social Service Workers says that you are expected to understand when to inform your employer if you see colleagues doing things that may be unsafe, or that adversely affect standards of care.
- You have met the relevant National Occupational Standards for Social Service Workers in adult care settings. These standards say that you should check and confirm that someone in your care actually takes their medication.
- You understand that you have a duty to report any acts or omissions in care that could be damaging to individuals. You also know the importance of keeping accurate and up to date records.
- For more detailed information on this topic, refer to National Occupational Standard SFHCHS2 ‘Assist in the administration of medication’.
Click here to download a copy of this feedback
What do you want to do now?
(click one of the following to choose)