What does duty of care mean in health and social care settings?

Duty of care, in any setting, is the level of service that is expected, as a minimum, to be provided.

In health care and social care, this may include:

1. act in the best interests of individuals
2. do not act or fail to act in a way that could cause harm
3. always act within your own competence and do not do something which you can not do safely