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Equality is about treating people fairly regardless of their differences, by ensuring that they have access to the same life opportunities as everyone else, ie that they have equal opportunities. Diversity means variety, for example age, sex, sexual orientation, physical characteristics such as height, weight and skin colour, ability, personal experiences and personal attributes, such as beliefs, values and preferences. Inclusion is about accepting everyone regardless of difference. It is also about getting rid of intolerance of differences and providing help and support where appropriate. A prejudice is an attitude or way of thinking based on an unfounded, unreasonable pre-judgement of an individual, particular group of people or situation, rather than on a factual assessment.Prejudices can be positive or negative.
If we are positively prejudiced towards someone, we think well of them. On the other hand, if we are negatively prejudiced against someone, we tolerate them less. In the main, negative prejudices develop against people who are different in some way. Discrimination happens when we act out our negative prejudices.
Discriminatory behaviour results in unfair, unjust treatment. Inclusive practice is about the attitudes, approaches and strategies taken to ensure that people are not excluded or isolated. It means supporting diversity by accepting and welcoming people’s differences, and promoting equality by ensuring equal opportunities for all. Inclusive practice is best practise.
Health and social care workers demonstrate inclusive practice by working in ways that recognise, respect, value and make the most of all aspects of diversity. Having a sound awareness of and responding sensitively to an individual’s diverse needs supports them in developing a sense of belonging, wellbeing and confidence in their identity and abilities. And it helps them to achieve their potential and take their rightful place in society.2.In England and Wales, the General Social Care Council (GSCC) is responsible for ensuring that standards within the social care sector are of the highest quality.
It has developed Codes of Practice for all care workers that include information on how to protect and promote the rights of individuals using the service. The Codes of Practice provide a guide to best practice and set out the standards of conduct that workers are expected to meet. As a social care worker, you must protect the rights and promote the interests of individuals and their carers. This includes Promoting equal opportunities for service users and carers and respecting diversity and different cultures and values.
Health care workers also have an obligation to protect the rights and promote the interests of patients. It is the duty of public bodies and their employees to promote equality.Personal feelings about patients must not interfere with the standard of your work. By law, you must provide all patients with high-quality care which reflects their individual needs, whatever their race, sex, sexuality, age, religious belief or disability. This means that you owe patients a ‘duty of care’ and they can expect a ‘reasonable’ standard of care from all workers. Preferences are highly individual.
They develop and change throughout our lives and having a preference enables us to make an informed choice. The General Social Care Council (GSCC) Codes of Practice for Social Care Workers and Employers directs social care workers to treat each person as an individual; respect and, where appropriate, promote their individual views and wishes; and support their right to control their lives and make informed choices. Whilst a health or care worker might not agree with the beliefs and values of the people they work with, nor share their preferences, inclusive work practice involves respecting and promoting:The right to freedom of thought and religion i.e. their beliefs, The right to freedom to express their beliefs as they wish, The right to freedom of conscience i.
e. to personal values and a sense of right and wrong, Respecting, promoting and responding to personal preferences. Everyone that works in care must demonstrate their ability to putting diversity and equality into practice and challenging discrimination against the people using care services, their carers, families and fellow-workers. A negative prejudice is a negative attitude based on a pre-judgement of a person or situation. People who are negatively prejudiced hold biased, rigid feelings and beliefs, usually about particular groups of people such as benefit claimants and single parents.Their feelings and beliefs are unreasonable and are not based on facts – the great majority of benefit claimants and single parents are, in fact, genuinely in need.
Similarly, if your attitude towards someone’s beliefs, cultural background, values and preferences is dismissive or patronising, you will come across as being unconcerned about them and their individual needs, which will bring into doubt your ability to fulfil your duty of care. Keep your prejudices to yourself and maintain a positive attitude towards everyone, regardless of their differences. Be warm, welcoming and respectful in your approach and show people that you value them for who they are.Get to know the people you work with, by talking to them, their friends and family, and to your colleagues and other professionals who know them; and read and digest their life histories as noted in their care plans. Find out about their cultural backgrounds and beliefs, what they value, what they like and dislike; and learn from their experiences.
Increasing your understanding of why people think and behave as they do will enable you to support them appropriately in exercising their rights and meeting their needs.3.You should be prepared to support the equality and rights of individuals you work with by advocating on their behalf. Many people, for one reason or another, don’t have the capacity to make their own voices heard, for example they may be frightened or lack the confidence to speak up for themselves; they may be ill, confused, not able to communicate effectively; and many people are just simply not aware of their rights. Training to be an advocate will ensure you know how to give appropriate support and also that you know where to find help that is out of your remit, such as organisations that have a specific expertise in championing and defending equality and human rights. Talking to people about discrimination does not ensure that they will change their mindset and, as a consequence, their behaviour.
Similarly, the existence of legislation, policies and procedures and Codes of Practice does not guarantee that people using services receive fair treatment and that their rights are upheld. If attitudes and behaviours are to change, discrimination needs to be challenged effectively. Another tried and tested method of challenging workplace discrimination and making change happen is by analysing the reasons why a worker behaves in a discriminatory way. For example, were they brought up in an environment where labelling, stereotyping and negative prejudice were normal behaviours and therefore not questioned? Is their thinking negatively influenced by the media, which still has a tendency to present elderly people as a burden, youngsters as trouble makers, and poor people as benefit spongers? Were they themselves discriminated against and, as a result, feel it to be normal behaviour - they know no better? Having an opportunity to explore issues openly, privately and where there is no risk of accusation, for example during an appraisal, allows people to question their behaviour and make appropriate changes.
The advantage of exploring behaviour during an appraisal is that required changes can be agreed and recorded and their success measured. Informal discussions, during a coffee break or as part of a training session, provide useful opportunities to reflect on the dire effects of discrimination. Most people using health and care services are liable to have experienced discrimination at some time or another. Indeed, their experience of discrimination may be the reason they are in need of care now.
Talking through these issues, especially with people who have been victims of discrimination, and imagining how it must feel to experience unfair, unjust treatment, can have powerful effects on thinking and behaviour.
