A personal belongings permission map tells a home-support worker which items may be handled for agreed tasks, which require a fresh question and which should not be touched. Build it with the person who owns or uses the items, not from a relative's assumptions. It covers ordinary belongings such as books, clothes and household papers; it does not authorise access to bank accounts, medicines, passwords or private professional records.
Start with the job, then ask about the item
“Tidy the bedroom” can mean very different things. One person wants clothes folded but not drawers opened. Another wants the floor cleared but a desk left exactly as it is. Break the request into small tasks, then ask which belongings each task might involve. The care requirement brief records the wider service request; this map gives item-level limits for the accepted task.
Ask the person which storage places they consider private, where cleaning supplies are kept and how they want an unexpected item handled. If they decline to answer, leave that category as ask-first or do-not-touch. A worker should not need to decide ownership of an unfamiliar envelope. The family can set a place for uncertain items and name a contact, while leaving the item closed.
Copy the permission matrix
| Item or location | Agreed task | Permission today | If uncertain or found elsewhere | Who may change this instruction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [ordinary clothes in open basket] | [fold and return to named shelf] | [agreed use / ask first / do not touch] | [leave in basket; ask named person] | [owner or authorised contact] |
| [desk papers] | [wipe reachable surface] | [ask first] | [clean around; do not open or rearrange] | [owner] |
| [books on side table] | [light dusting] | [agreed use] | [return to the same order] | [owner] |
Write the exact item and location rather than “all possessions.” “Agreed use” applies to the stated task at the stated time, not to photographing, borrowing, moving to another room or sharing the contents. Do-not-touch includes closed drawers and bags unless the owner explicitly changes that instruction. A permitted cleaning task is not permission to inspect personal correspondence.
Provide a route for surprises
If a worker finds a fragile object on the floor, a valuable-looking item in laundry or a paper mixed with recycling, the safest administrative response is to pause that part of the task and ask the named contact. Do not put an estimated value or a detailed description in a general group chat. Record the location and the decision only with those who need it. If the owner is not available, leave the item in a clearly agreed safe spot and finish other approved work.
A fictional Salt Lake resident asks for help folding salwar kameez sets from a clean basket. Her son also requests “sorting the wardrobe,” but she prefers the wardrobe closed. The map permits folding and returning clothes to an open shelf; it marks the wardrobe as do-not-touch. When the worker notices an unlabelled pouch in the basket, she sets it aside and asks the resident privately. The son does not treat the original folding permission as general access to her possessions.
Reconfirm after a change
Review the matrix if the task, room or owner preference changes. On an initial visit, keep the list short enough to be used. Put the latest version where the authorised worker can see it without exposing unrelated personal information. If two relatives issue conflicting instructions, pause that item and resolve authority before work continues. Do not ask the worker to choose between family members.
If an item goes missing or is damaged, record the observable facts and contact the provider or appropriate authority through its actual process; this sheet does not determine fault. For a home-help scope enquiry in Kolkata, call +91 98041 26771 or WhatsApp Anjali with the address, duties and hours. Confirm the service terms separately before any booking.
