Intimate Care

Intimate or personal care is carrying out or helping someone with any task which most people can do for themselves, but which some are unable to do for any reason.

This may include:

• washing
• dressing or undressing
• toileting
• medical treatment
• changing period products
• incontinence pads and nappies
• supervising someone to do any of these. 

Safeguarding is particularly important when providing intimate care because it involves an extra level of vulnerability for the person you are working with.

This is because: 

• the fact that they need help with intimate or personal care means they are more vulnerable than someone who doesn’t. 
• the nature of the tasks and the circumstances in which they take place can increase the possibility of abuse.  
• receiving intimate care can blur boundaries around physical touch.  
• the person may be reliant on the worker / carer providing intimate care so may be, or feel, less able to report concerns or abuse.  
• the way intimate care is provided by your organisation gives an important message to those receiving the care about how they are valued.