Responding to a Health Crisis (1 day)
Housing and support workers are not expected to have the knowledge and
expertise of Doctors or Nurses; nevertheless there will be occasions when
circumstances will arise at work whereby the worker will need to recognise
and respond to a medical crisis.
This course aims to help participants develop their confidence, knowledge and
skills so as to identify appropriate responses to health crisis within the
boundaries of their job description.
This profile is generic and would be adapted to reflect the policies and
procedures of the commissioning organisation
The learning objectives:
By the end of the course learners should be able to understand:
The boundaries that apply
The limitations of the support worker role
The potential risks and consequences if acting beyond the role
What would be appropriate responsibilities in assessing a health crisis and
responding to it
How the organisations policies and procedures guide us in this area
Common sense is not always that common!
How to assess service users need:
-Awareness of past incidents and
pre-existing conditions
-Familiarity with risk assessments
-Awareness of common health issues
-Awareness of individual
vulnerability
-Speedy information gathering and
from who
-Time: How much time do we have to
explore possibilities?
-Physical, psychological and
behavioural changes observed
How to respond to a health crisis
-The symptoms that may present that
require a response: immediate, medium and longer term
-How to respond in each circumstance
-Choosing the safest strategy
The need and how to stay calm and communicate calmness
The resources available for advice or help
When to referring on; incl. the emergency services
How to communicate effectively with other agencies incl. the use of medical
terminology and jargon
Working methods:
Icebreakers
Tutor presentations
OHP/PowerPoint
Handouts
Chalk and talk
Large group work
Small group work
Role play
CP217/5.9
