Chaperone Policy

Introduction

This policy is designed to protect both clients and staff at Elements Medical Ltd from abuse or allegations of abuse and to assist clients to make an informed choice about their examinations and treatment/care arrangements.

This policy provides guidelines such that any possible misunderstanding can be avoided when treating or examining clients.

Adequate privacy must be provided, and all effort must be made to maintain the client’s dignity during any sensitive examination or procedure (see Section 7 below).

Good Practice Guidelines

• Staff (male and female) should always consider whether an intimate or personal examination of the client (either male or female) is justified and whether this poses a risk of misunderstanding.
• Clients should routinely be offered a chaperone for such examinations.
• The client should be given a clear explanation of what the examination will involve.
• Always adopt a professional and considerate manner – be careful with humour as a way of relaxing a nervous situation as it can easily be misinterpreted.
• Always ensure that the client is provided with adequate privacy to undress and dress.
• If a client does not want a chaperone, good practice guidelines are outlined in detail at Section 8 below.
• Clients who request a chaperone should never be examined without a chaperone being present. If necessary, where a chaperone is not available, the examination should be rearranged for a mutually convenient time when a chaperone can be present.

Who Can Act as a Chaperone?

A chaperone does not have to be professionally qualified but will need to be:

• sensitive and respectful of the client’s dignity and confidentiality
• prepared to reassure the client if they show signs of distress or discomfort
• familiar with the procedures involved in a routine intimate examination
• prepared to raise concerns if misconduct occurs.
• Undertaking chaperone training.

The role of a chaperone should be made clear to both the client and the person who is undertaking the role. Appropriate training should therefore be given to the chaperone.

Record Keeping

The member of staff should record any discussion about chaperones and its outcome. If a chaperone is present, that fact should be recorded and a note made in the client’s notes of their identity.

If the client does not want a chaperone, a record that the offer was made and declined should be made in the client notes.

Role of Chaperone

All staff undertaking Chaperone duties will be competent for the role and trained accordingly. This training will include aspects such as:

• Confidentiality
• How to raise any Safeguarding or other concerns that they may have.
• What is meant by the term chaperone.
• What is an ‘intimate examination’?
• Why chaperones need to be present.
• The rights of the client.
• Their role and responsibility.

In addition all chaperones will:

1. be sensitive and respect the client’s dignity and confidentiality 
2. reassure the client if they show signs of distress or discomfort 
3. be familiar with the procedures involved in a routine intimate examination 
4. stay for the whole examination
5. be prepared to raise concerns if they are concerned about any aspect during the examination.
6. have had Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check
7. be trained appropriately for their role as a Chaperone.

Sensitive Examinations and Procedures

Chaperones will always be present for a sensitive examination or procedure. A sensitive examination or procedure for the purposes of this policy includes the physical examination of or a procedure involving the genitalia, rectum, (regardless of gender), or female breast or the breast of a patient who identifies as female. 

Sensitive care or procedures for the purposes of this policy includes care that involves placement of finger(s), swabs, or medications / medical equipment on or into the vagina, penis, urethra or rectum.

In addition, any examination or procedure that the clinician or patient feels would benefit from a chaperone being present should fall within the terms of this policy. For example, some patients may also be distressed by consultations involving dimmed lights or close proximity of the clinician to the patients.  Some individuals for personal or cultural reasons, may feel uncomfortable if the clinical examination requires them to undress and / or be touched and may feel vulnerable.

Declining a Chaperone

If the clinician or the patient does not want the examination to go ahead without a chaperone present, or if either of them is uncomfortable with the choice of chaperone, a delay in the examination to a later date when a suitable chaperone will be available should be offered.  This is subject to the delay not adversely affecting the patient’s health.

If the clinician does not want to go ahead without a chaperone present but the patient has said no to having one, the clinician must explain clearly why you want a chaperone present. Ultimately the patient’s clinical needs must take precedence, subject to the clinician staying within guidelines issued by statutory bodies such as the General Medical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council.

In addition, the clinician may wish to consider referring the patient to a colleague who would be willing to examine them without a chaperone, as long as a delay would not adversely affect the patient’s health.

The clinician should record any discussion about chaperones and the outcome in the patient’s medical record. If a chaperone is present, the clinician should record that fact and make a note of their identity. If the patient does not want a chaperone, the clinician should record that the offer was made and declined.