Equality & Diversity

As a care worker, you should be providing person-centred care at all times. A

vital part of this care is promoting equality, diversity and inclusion.

Equality
Giving all people receiving care equal opportunities in relation to their care
needs, for example making a building wheelchair accessible.

Diversity
The differences that make individuals unique, such as age, disability, gender,
sexuality or faith.

Inclusion
Involving individuals in a group or in wider society, for example
accommodating for an individual’s differences so you can include them in an
activity.

The opposite of inclusion is exclusion, where people are left out of or unable
to join in with activities and social events. If exclusion happens because the
differences described under diversity, this can constitute discrimination.

Best PracticeEquality is not treating everybody exactly the same - it is

making the necessary adjustments so that they have equal opportunities

Discrimination is the opposite of inclusion. It’s excluding people or treating

them unfairly because they are different. Discrimination can present in a
variety of ways, and be caused by different factors.

Factors that can lead to discrimination include:

Labelling someone as belonging to a particular group, regardless of their
self-identification

Holding stereotypical opinions on an individual based on a group they

belong to

Being prejudiced against an individual as you dislike a group they belong to

These factors all involve making assumptions about an individual, their

perceived groups and characteristics.

Direct Discrimination
Discrimination is sometimes obvious, such as when it’s purposeful. This kind
of discrimination is called direct or deliberate discrimination. An example
would be choosing to provide less support to an individual because you
disagree with their beliefs or values.

Indirect Discrimination
Not all discrimination is obvious and it can be unintentional. This kind of
discrimination is known as indirect discrimination, and it’s more likely to go
unnoticed. It is likely to be found where a process intended to apply equally
to everybody causes a disadvantage to certain groups. An example would be
scheduling meals that don’t account for an individual observing religious
fasting.

Best PracticeHuman rights are the basic rights and freedoms afforded to
everybody in the world

You should always be working to support equality, diversity and inclusion,

and to eliminate discrimination. Your knowledge of applying these principles
can always be improved.

It’s important to make sure you are:

Treating the individuals you work with as unique

Working without passing judgement

Providing inclusive care

Confident in challenging discriminatory practice

Reflection is an important skill to acquire. Working in a reflective way can

help to highlight past instances of discrimination, develop insight as to the
cause or presentation of this discrimination, and allow you to develop skills
and knowledge so you can provide better care going forward.

You should always be working to support equality, diversity and inclusion,

and to eliminate discrimination. Your knowledge of applying these principles
can always be improved.

It’s important to make sure you are:

Treating the individuals you work with as unique

Working without passing judgement

Providing inclusive care

Confident in challenging discriminatory practice

Reflection is an important skill to acquire. Working in a reflective way can

help to highlight past instances of discrimination, develop insight as to the
cause or presentation of this discrimination, and allow you to develop skills
and knowledge so you can provide better care going forward.

Best PracticeReflection means to consider an aspect of your work and

think about whether it could be improved
If you’re unsure about a particular issue or situation, it’s always good
to seek out information and ask for advice. It’s important to know
which sources are appropriate to learn and receive advice from.

Sources of advice could include:

Your manager

Your workplace policies and procedures

The Care Quality Commission

The Equality and Human Rights Commission

NHS website

The local authority

You can also look at the legislation that relates to equality and
diversity in social care. These include:

The Care Act 2014

The Health and Social Care Act 2012

The Equality Act 2010

The Mental Capacity Act 2005

The Human Rights Act 1998

Health inequalities occur when specific groups of people are

disadvantaged in terms of their access to healthcare.
These differences are usually the result of a systematic factor such as
geography – for example, when people in rural areas receive fewer
healthcare resources. They can also occur for various other social,
economic and environmental factors.

Health inequalities are avoidable and unfair. Their impact is that

people in less fortunate circumstances often receive poorer healthcare
and live shorter lives.