Coming Home Carer Skills
Module 3: Doing your best, safely: duty of care
Topics follow the 16 Care Certificate standards (2025). This module maps to standard 3, "Duty of care".
Coming Home Carer Skills is our own free course for family carers. Its topics follow the 16 Care Certificate standards (2025) from Skills for Care, NHS England and Skills for Health. It is not the Care Certificate, it is not a qualification, and those organisations have not endorsed it.
This guide to Doing your best, safely: duty of care is correct at October 2026. We've written it in good faith as general information to help family carers. It isn't legal, financial or medical advice, and it can't teach practical skills such as moving someone or first aid. For those, ask the person's nurse or therapist, or find an in-person course. To the extent the law allows, we can't accept liability for any errors or omissions, or for decisions made on the strength of this guide. In a medical emergency call 999. If you need advice quickly, call NHS 111. In Northern Ireland, contact your GP out of hours service.
Read the video transcript
Module 3: Doing your best, safely: duty of care. Video transcript
Full narration with what is on screen, for learners who prefer to read or cannot hear the video.
[00:00] Module 3: Doing your best, safely: duty of care
On screen: Coming Home Carer Skills; About 5 minutes. Picture: Saul climbs the stairs slowly and steadily, one hand on the banister, walking stick in the other. Ruth watches from the hallway below with a mug in her hand, a little worried. Nobody falls.
Welcome to Module 3 of Coming Home Carer Skills: Doing your best, safely. People in care work call this a duty of care. On screen are Ruth and her husband, Saul. Saul uses a walking stick, and he wants to keep using the stairs. Ruth worries that he might fall. We will look at what this means, how to balance safety and choice, how to talk it through, and how to raise a concern or complain.
[00:29] Before we start
On screen: Our own free course for family carers.; Topics follow the 16 Care Certificate standards (2025).; Not the Care Certificate. Not a qualification.; Not endorsed by Skills for Care, NHS England or Skills for Health..
First, a short note. Coming Home Carer Skills is our own free course for family carers. Its topics follow the 16 Care Certificate standards (2025) from Skills for Care, NHS England and Skills for Health. It is not the Care Certificate, it is not a qualification, and those organisations have not endorsed it.
[00:54] In this module
On screen: What doing your best, safely, means; Safety and the person's choices; Talking it through; Raising a concern or making a complaint.
By the end, you should know what doing your best safely means, how to respect choices and still keep people safe, and how to speak up about a care service.
[01:04] What it means at home
On screen: Do your best for the person, as safely as you can.; Think ahead about what could go wrong.; Support. Do not take over.; Know your limits, and ask for help.. Picture: Ruth tucks a trailing lamp cable neatly behind a bookcase in the hallway. Saul, in his armchair in the front room, reads the paper and gives her a thumbs up.
Paid care workers talk about a duty of care. For a family carer, it simply means doing your best for the person, as safely as you can. That means thinking ahead about what could go wrong, and what would help. It also means not taking over. The person still makes their own choices, as far as they can. And it means knowing your limits. If a task needs training, or you are worried, ask for help.
[01:34] Safety and choice
On screen: The person still makes their own choices.; Even choices that worry you.; Look for ways to make things safer, together.. Picture: Alasdair puts on his flat cap, ready to walk to the newsagent on his own. Morag hands him his phone and smiles, letting him go.
The person still makes their own choices, as far as they can, even choices that worry you. Your job is not to say no. It is to help them do what they want as safely as possible. Module 5 explains what to do if someone cannot make a decision for themselves.
[01:54] Talking it through
On screen: Pick a calm moment.; Ask what matters to them.; Share what worries you.; Agree a plan, and write it down.. Picture: Ruth and Saul sit at the kitchen table with cups of tea, talking and smiling. A notepad and pen between them (no readable writing).
A calm talk helps more than an argument. Pick a quiet time. Ask what matters to the person, and listen. Then say what worries you, and look for ideas together. Ruth and Saul agree that he will use the stairs when Ruth is at home, take his time, and keep his phone in his pocket. They write it down, and agree to talk again in a month.
[02:19] Getting expert help
On screen: Ask your council for a home assessment.; An occupational therapist can suggest changes, such as a second stair rail.; In England, the assessment is free.. Picture: Kerry, the occupational therapist, stands with Ruth and Saul at the foot of the stairs. Kerry points to the wall where a second rail could go; Saul nods.
In England, ask your council for a home assessment. It is free. An occupational therapist visits, sees what is hard, and suggests changes, such as a banister or a grab rail. Your council should pay for each small change that costs less than £1,000. In other parts of the UK, ask your council, or your Trust in Northern Ireland.
[02:45] Worried about someone's health?
On screen: Contact their GP, or call NHS 111.; Northern Ireland: contact your GP out of hours service.; If someone is in danger now, or badly hurt, call 999..
If you are worried about someone's health, contact their GP. If you need advice quickly, call NHS 111. In Northern Ireland, contact your GP out of hours service. If someone is in danger now, or badly hurt, call 999.
[03:05] Raising a concern
On screen: Talk to the care worker or the manager first.; If the council or Trust arranged the care, you can tell them too.; Someone being harmed? Contact the council or Trust now.. Picture: Grace talks calmly with Tomasz, the care agency manager, at her dining table. Tomasz listens and makes notes in a plain notebook. Samuel dozes in his armchair in the background.
Sometimes something about the care is not right. Perhaps visits are often late, or something keeps being missed. Start by talking to the care worker, or the manager of the care agency or care home. Many problems can be sorted out this way. If the council arranged the care, or the Trust in Northern Ireland, you can tell them too. If you think someone is being harmed or neglected, contact the council or the Trust straight away. Module 10 explains more. If someone is in danger now, call 999.
[03:42] Making a complaint
On screen: Ask for the complaints process.; Write down what happened, when, and who was there.; Keep copies of letters and emails.; Complain as soon as you can.. Picture: Ciara writes a letter at her kitchen table, a plain folder of papers beside her. Declan brings her a cup of tea and puts a hand on her shoulder.
If talking does not sort it out, you can make a complaint. Care providers, councils and NHS services all have a complaints process. Ask for it. Write down what happened, when, and who was there. Keep copies of letters and emails, and say what you would like to happen. Complain as soon as you can, because there are time limits. You can complain for someone else, but you usually need their agreement.
[04:12] If you are still not happy
On screen: England: one ombudsman for councils and care, another for the NHS; Wales: Public Services Ombudsman for Wales; Scotland: Scottish Public Services Ombudsman; Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman. Picture: Four panels, one household in each nation: (1) Grace posts a letter in a postbox (England); (2) Rhys types at a laptop at his kitchen table (Wales); (3) Morag on the phone in her armchair (Scotland); (4) Ciara reads a letter at her table with Declan (Northern Ireland). All calm.
If you have finished the complaints process and you are still not happy, you can go to an ombudsman. An ombudsman is independent. In England, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at complaints about councils and adult social care. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman looks at complaints about the NHS. In Wales, it is the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales. In Scotland, it is the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. In Northern Ireland, it is the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman.
[04:50] Get help
On screen: The care agency or care home manager; Your council, or your Trust in Northern Ireland; Carers UK helpline: 0808 808 7777 (free); The ombudsman for your nation; Someone in danger now: 999.
If you need help, start with the care agency or care home manager, your council, or your Trust in Northern Ireland. For advice about caring, Carers UK runs a free helpline on 0808 808 7777. If someone is in danger now, call 999.
[05:12] To sum up
On screen: Do your best, as safely as you can.; Respect the person's choices.; Talk it through, and write down the plan.; Speak up early. You can complain.; Next: read the pages, then try the quiz.. Picture: Saul comes down the stairs holding the new second rail, smiling. Ruth waves from the kitchen doorway, relaxed.
To sum up. Duty of care means doing your best, as safely as you can. Respect the person's choices, and look for ways to make things safer together. Talk it through calmly, and write down what you agree. If something is wrong with the care, speak up early. You have the right to complain. Now read the pages below, then try the quiz. You can take it as many times as you like.
Page 1: What "duty of care" means at home
People who work in care talk about a "duty of care". For a family carer, it simply means doing your best for the person, as safely as you can.
Think ahead. Look out for things that could go wrong, and what would help. For example, a loose rug, a trailing cable, or a dark hallway at night.
Support, do not take over. The person still makes their own choices, as far as they can. Help them do what they can for themselves. This helps them stay independent.
Know your limits. Some tasks need training, such as helping someone move or some medicines. If you have not been shown how, do not try it. Ask the person's nurse, therapist or pharmacist.
Follow the person's plan. If they have a care plan, or instructions from their nurse, therapist or pharmacist, follow those.
Ask for help when you are worried. You do not have to sort everything out on your own. Talk to the GP practice, the care agency, or your council (your Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland).
This course is general information. It is not legal advice.
Worried about someone's health? Contact their GP. If you need advice quickly, call NHS 111. In Northern Ireland, contact your GP out of hours service. In an emergency, call 999.
Sources (read 8 Oct 2026): nidirect, "How to use your health services" (GP out of hours in Northern Ireland), https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/how-use-your-health-services ; nidirect, "GP out of hours service", https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/gp-out-hours-service ; NHS website, "Care to support recovery after leaving hospital or after a fall, injury or illness" (help to regain independence), https://www.nhs.uk/social-care-and-support/care-after-a-hospital-stay/care-to-support-recovery-after-leaving-hospital-or-after-a-fall-injury-or-illness/
Page 2: Safety and choice
Sometimes the person you care for wants to do something that worries you. Your dad wants to keep using the stairs. Your mum wants to walk to the shop on her own.
Their choice comes first, as far as they can make it. Adults can make choices that other people would not make. That includes choices that worry you. Your job is not to say no. It is to help them do what they want, as safely as possible.
Look for ways to make it safer. Ask yourself:
- What exactly worries me?
- What could make it easier or safer?
- Is there equipment or a change at home that would help?
- Who could give advice?
Get expert advice. In England, your council offers a free home assessment. An occupational therapist visits, sees what is hard, and suggests changes, such as a banister on the stairs or a grab rail by the bath. Your council should pay for each adaptation that costs less than £1,000. In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, ask your council, or your Trust in Northern Ireland, what help there is.
If the person cannot decide. Sometimes a person cannot make a particular decision for themselves. Module 5 explains what this means and what to do.
Source (read 8 Oct 2026): NHS website, "Home adaptations", https://www.nhs.uk/social-care-and-support/care-services-equipment-and-care-homes/home-adaptations/
Page 3: Talking it through
When a choice worries you, a calm talk usually helps more than an argument.
Pick your moment. Choose a quiet time when you are both rested. Sit down together, perhaps with a cup of tea.
Ask, then listen. Ask what matters to the person about this. Maybe the stairs mean their own bedroom, or the walk to the shop means seeing friends. Listen without rushing in.
Say what worries you. Use "I" words, such as "I worry you might fall when I'm out." Keep it short and kind.
Look for ideas together. For example:
- doing it at times when someone else is at home
- taking a phone, or wearing good shoes
- a second stair rail, or better lighting
- trying it for a while, then talking again
Agree a plan and write it down. Note what you agreed, and when you will talk again. Keep it somewhere you can both find it.
If you cannot agree. Take a break and come back to it. You can ask for help from someone you both trust, such as a relative, the GP practice or a social worker.
Share the plan. With the person's agreement, let paid carers and family know what you have agreed.
Page 4: Raising a concern
Sometimes something about paid care is not right. Perhaps visits are often late, or something keeps being missed.
Start with the provider. Talk to the care worker, or the manager of the care agency or care home. Say what you have noticed, and what you would like to happen. Many problems can be sorted out this way.
Tell the council or Trust if they arranged the care. If the council arranged or pays for the care, you can raise it with them too. In Northern Ireland, contact the Health and Social Care Trust that arranged the care.
Health worries. If you are worried about the person's health, contact their GP practice. If you need advice quickly, call NHS 111. In Northern Ireland, contact your GP out of hours service.
If someone is being harmed. If you think someone is being harmed, abused or neglected, contact your council's adult social services straight away. In Northern Ireland, contact the Adult Protection Gateway Service at your Health and Social Care Trust. Module 10 explains more. If someone is in danger now, call 999.
You can tell the care regulator. Each nation has a body that inspects care services. In England, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) wants to hear about your experience of care. It cannot take up your complaint for you, but it uses what you tell it. The others are Care Inspectorate Wales, the Care Inspectorate in Scotland, and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) in Northern Ireland.
Sources (read 8 Oct 2026): NHS England, "Feedback and complaints about NHS services" (adult social care section), https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/how-to-complain-to-the-nhs/ ; CQC, "Report a concern if you are a member of the public", https://www.cqc.org.uk/contact-us/report-concern/report-concern-if-you-are-member-public ; Care Inspectorate Wales, "Raise a concern about a care service", https://www.careinspectorate.wales/raise-a-concern-about-a-care-service/before-we-begin ; nidirect, "How to complain or raise concerns about health services", https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/how-complain-or-raise-concerns-about-health-services ; nidirect, "GP out of hours service", https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/gp-out-hours-service ; NHS website, safeguarding page on abuse and neglect of adults, https://www.nhs.uk/social-care-and-support/help-from-social-services-and-charities/abuse-and-neglect-adults-at-risk/ ; nidirect, "Who to contact if you suspect abuse, exploitation or neglect", https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/who-contact-if-you-suspect-abuse-exploitation-or-neglect
Page 5: Making a complaint
If talking does not sort it out, you have the right to make a complaint.
Steps.
- Ask for the complaints process. Care providers, councils and NHS services all have one. It is often on their website.
- Write down what happened, when and where, and who was there. Say what you would like to happen now.
- Keep copies of letters and emails, and a note of phone calls.
- Complain as soon as you can. There are time limits, often 12 months.
You can complain for someone else, but you usually need their agreement. For NHS complaints in England, a free NHS complaints advocate can help you. In Northern Ireland, you can contact the Patient and Client Council, which gives free help with health and social care complaints.
If you are still not happy. When you have been through the complaints process, you can ask an ombudsman to look at it. An ombudsman is independent.
- England. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at councils, and at adult social care, including care you pay for yourself. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman looks at the NHS.
- Wales. The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales looks at councils, the NHS and care providers.
- Scotland. The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman looks at councils, social work and the NHS. You can also complain about a care service straight to the Care Inspectorate.
- Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman looks at complaints after the provider's process has ended.
Sources (read 8 Oct 2026): Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, "How to complain", https://www.lgo.org.uk/make-a-complaint ; NHS England, "Feedback and complaints about NHS services", https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/how-to-complain-to-the-nhs/ ; Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, "Organisations you can complain to us about", https://www.ombudsman.wales/organisations-you-can-complain-to-us-about/ ; SPSO, "How to complain about a public service", https://www.spso.org.uk/how-to-complain-about-public-service ; Care Inspectorate, "How to complain", https://www.careinspectorate.scot/complaints-and-feedback/complaints-about-registered-services/complain-about-a-service/how-to-complain ; NIPSO, "Make a complaint", https://www.nipso.org.uk/make-complaint ; nidirect, "How to complain or raise concerns about health services", https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/how-complain-or-raise-concerns-about-health-services
The printable guide
28 pages, A4. Questions to write in, with answers at the back.