Discriminatory practice
In this essay, I will be using three different case studies as a base; firstly, I will go through
each case study in order to describe the different discriminatory practices that the service
users’ have encountered. I will then progress on to describe the various potential effects of
discriminatory practice on these particular individuals’, and then will lastly finish the essay of
with assessing the effects of three different discriminatory practices on these service users’.
Case study (C) P2: In case study C, Mrs X is a
victim of covert discrimination.
A service user Mrs X lives in a care home she is an Covert discrimination is any form of
elderly lady who is overweight and had been discrimination that is hidden and
advised by GP to lose some weight. A carer is going subtle, and not completely obvious
round the lounge with a tray of afternoon tea, cakes (e.g. an example of overt
and biscuits. She offers Mrs X a cup of tea, with no discrimination is not hiring an
sugar but no cakes or biscuits. Mrs X asks her if she employee because they were
could have something to eat as she felt a little homosexual). The carer
hungry. In front of everyone the carer refuses to embarrasses Mrs X in front of all
give her anything, telling her that she needs to lose the other service users’ and other
weight, and suggested an apple as an alternative. members’ of staff (as well as any
Mrs X is upset and tells the carer that she would visitors’) by boldly refusing to give
rather have a nice piece of cake. The carer ignores her anything to eat as she needs to
her and moves on to the other service users in the lose weight. Although the carer
lounge, offering beverages and food. may have good intentions for Mrs
X, as she may be trying to improve
her health condition, they did in fact discriminate against Mrs X as the carer refused her food
simply because she was advised to lose some weight. The carer seems to be mocking Mrs
X’s weight as well, instead of kindly advising that she should eat something else. For example,
the carer could have discreetly – so Mrs X didn’t feel embarrassed – said to Mrs X that she
can have some cake, but it is in her best interest if she ate something a bit healthier – like the
apple. If Mrs X still wanted the cake, the carer could have given her the cake, but a smaller
slice so she is happy, and still reducing the amount she is eating.
P3: The discrimination that Mrs X received from her carer could have many potential effects.
Firstly, what the carer said to Mrs X would have potentially caused Mr X to feel very
embarrassed or even humiliated. The carer denied Mrs X a slice of cake and suggested she
have an apple instead as she needs to lose weight, although this may have genuinely been
the carer trying to help Mrs X, she did not tell Mrs X to one side quietly, she said it for everybody
else in the lounge to hear which would have caused a great deal of embarrassment for Mrs X.
Mrs X could have also feel uncomfortable now in the care home, as she could feel that all the
carers’ – as well as the other residents’ now – are judging her and thinking that she is fat and
should just lose weight. She could feel that she is being labelled by those in the care home,
and just generally feel very uncomfortable and out of her comfort zone, when she is supposed
to be comfortable in the care home. Mrs X could also take the comment from the carer really
to heart, and completely stop eating as she feels so hurt and embarrassed that she can’t have
a slice of cake because of her weight. Mrs X could also begin to seclude herself from that
particular carer in the care home; as well as other carers’ in the home too. Like mentioned,
Mrs X could feel that she is being judged and treated unfairly, and may not feel like she is able
to confide in them anymore. As a result, Mrs X could potentially become very isolated and
In this essay, I will be using three different case studies as a base; firstly, I will go through
each case study in order to describe the different discriminatory practices that the service
users’ have encountered. I will then progress on to describe the various potential effects of
discriminatory practice on these particular individuals’, and then will lastly finish the essay of
with assessing the effects of three different discriminatory practices on these service users’.
Case study (C) P2: In case study C, Mrs X is a
victim of covert discrimination.
A service user Mrs X lives in a care home she is an Covert discrimination is any form of
elderly lady who is overweight and had been discrimination that is hidden and
advised by GP to lose some weight. A carer is going subtle, and not completely obvious
round the lounge with a tray of afternoon tea, cakes (e.g. an example of overt
and biscuits. She offers Mrs X a cup of tea, with no discrimination is not hiring an
sugar but no cakes or biscuits. Mrs X asks her if she employee because they were
could have something to eat as she felt a little homosexual). The carer
hungry. In front of everyone the carer refuses to embarrasses Mrs X in front of all
give her anything, telling her that she needs to lose the other service users’ and other
weight, and suggested an apple as an alternative. members’ of staff (as well as any
Mrs X is upset and tells the carer that she would visitors’) by boldly refusing to give
rather have a nice piece of cake. The carer ignores her anything to eat as she needs to
her and moves on to the other service users in the lose weight. Although the carer
lounge, offering beverages and food. may have good intentions for Mrs
X, as she may be trying to improve
her health condition, they did in fact discriminate against Mrs X as the carer refused her food
simply because she was advised to lose some weight. The carer seems to be mocking Mrs
X’s weight as well, instead of kindly advising that she should eat something else. For example,
the carer could have discreetly – so Mrs X didn’t feel embarrassed – said to Mrs X that she
can have some cake, but it is in her best interest if she ate something a bit healthier – like the
apple. If Mrs X still wanted the cake, the carer could have given her the cake, but a smaller
slice so she is happy, and still reducing the amount she is eating.
P3: The discrimination that Mrs X received from her carer could have many potential effects.
Firstly, what the carer said to Mrs X would have potentially caused Mr X to feel very
embarrassed or even humiliated. The carer denied Mrs X a slice of cake and suggested she
have an apple instead as she needs to lose weight, although this may have genuinely been
the carer trying to help Mrs X, she did not tell Mrs X to one side quietly, she said it for everybody
else in the lounge to hear which would have caused a great deal of embarrassment for Mrs X.
Mrs X could have also feel uncomfortable now in the care home, as she could feel that all the
carers’ – as well as the other residents’ now – are judging her and thinking that she is fat and
should just lose weight. She could feel that she is being labelled by those in the care home,
and just generally feel very uncomfortable and out of her comfort zone, when she is supposed
to be comfortable in the care home. Mrs X could also take the comment from the carer really
to heart, and completely stop eating as she feels so hurt and embarrassed that she can’t have
a slice of cake because of her weight. Mrs X could also begin to seclude herself from that
particular carer in the care home; as well as other carers’ in the home too. Like mentioned,
Mrs X could feel that she is being judged and treated unfairly, and may not feel like she is able
to confide in them anymore. As a result, Mrs X could potentially become very isolated and
