Unit 5 assignment
Importance of promoting Equality, diversity and anti- discrimination
Equality (P1)
Equality means when an individual is treated fairly, equal and not less than another individual, no
matter what status they have, age and gender based on their needs. In the health and social care
sector equality means everyone receiving equal accesses to the health services no matter what
gender, race, disability, religion or beliefs they may have. Equality is meet in many different ways
and it is important to promote it. A way it is promoted is by taking into account of different people's
beliefs and abilities while caring for them. For example, it's important to promote equality in a
health care setting such as a hospital, for individuals that are similar to Aisha because she is a
practicing Buddhist, and should be given fair health care service no matter what her beliefs are and
even if they don’t match your own beliefs. To promote equality to all staff and patients is done by
treating them fairly. This allows them to have full access to different types of opportunities. It is
important to promote equality in health and social care because if needs aren't meet then their
recovery will be slowed down as they don’t feel comfortable.
Diversity (P1)
Diversity means a wide range of differences such as gender, ethnic backgrounds, disability. To
promote diversity, you will need to value other people's beliefs and cultures. To do this you will need
to learn about other people's beliefs, cultures and to respect and value them in order to fulfil their
needs while caring for them. In health and social care, it is a legal requirement to respect and value
all individuals no matter what religion, culture, beliefs they may believe in. It is important to
promote diversity in a health and social care setting even with staff, because by working in a
multicultural society can provide access to a wide range of skills, experience and different traditions.
And this allows those who are working in health and social care be able to provide different ways of
treatments. An example of diversity is a nurse treating a group of patients from different
backgrounds, age and gender.
Use of equality and diversity with billy (P1)
In Billy’s case it is important that health professionals promote equality and diversity in order to fulfil
his needs and prevent stress, as this will slow down his healing period and make him feel
uncomfortable. The health professional that are involved in order to help Billy heal is an eye doctor
for his bad eyesight's (optician), as he cannot clearly see signs. This health profession will ensure to
promote equality and diversity by taking into account of Billys situation and giving him glasses with
the right lenses he may need and seeing if he needs more serious help. The equality act (2010)
makes sure that individuals like Billy receive the medication that is needed fairly. Another
profession, that is also involved for Billys recovery is a therapist as he may be traumatised from the
horrible incident that has occurred to him. The therapist would ensure they promote equality and
diversity as they will take into account on what has happened to Billy and may speak to him in a
different way which won't trigger any bad memories that has occurred to him, and heal his mind and
this will help increase his recovery rate. And not think low of him due to what has happened. He may
also need a GP and they can promote equality and diversity by giving him the right medication he
needs such as inhaler for his asthma and medicine to help heal his stomach pain. However, if
equality and diversity isn't promoted this will impact Billy’s health recovery and reduce the rate of
recovery. It will also cause serious impact on his health for example if not given the glasses he needs
his eye sights could get worse and could even lead to blindness. And if he doesn’t receive and inhaler
1 1
, Unit 5 assignment
and stomach medication this will give Billy breathing difficulties, and without his stomach medication
the bad bacteria could build up more causing a lot more health risk to him.
Use of equality and diversity with Valerie (P1)
In Valerie’s case it is important to promote equality and diversity especially the health care workers
that are needed for her health. A health care profession that is involved with Valeries recovery is a
psychiatrist, which is for her emotional and intellectual problems that cause her to have stress and
anxiety (mental health problems). A psychiatrist will promote equality and diversity by taking into
account her situation of her parents dying at a young age. This will provide her the help she needs to
recover from her loss and bereavement, no matter what disability she may have as the equality
(2010) equality act stated. If equality and diversity isn't promoted, Valerie will always be in a loop of
mental health issues and never get over her parents which can cause further issues more into her
life. Another health care profession that is involved with Valarie's health is a dietitian. This is to help
her with her obesity but also recommend her the right diet plans that is suitable for her based on
her beliefs, as she is a vegetarian. It's important to promote equality and diversity by recommending
her a vegetarian diet plan. If not promoted this will impact the way she is eating and may cause
another issue of her not wanting to eat the correct food which will cause more issues. A therapist is
another health profession which will help her with mental health, they will address the emotions
that are underlying her low self-esteem. The therapist promotes equality and diversity by
understanding that she lost her parents from a very young age and doesn't have a role model to
support her emotional health, and the therapist can help support her emotionally. If the therapist
doesn’t promote it can have an impact on Valere and she will not see what's wrong with her obesity
and the impacts it may have on her health. The doctor that treated her appendix promoted equality
and diversity by realising that her appendix burst meaning she needed emergency care as it is life
threatening. However, if the doctor who treated her appendix didn’t promote equality and diversity
this could have been life threatening and even cause her death, and it will be going against the
equality act (2010).
Discrimination (P1)
Discrimination is certain type of feeling toward a person or a group of people that is unreasonable.
This could be because of sex, gender, ethnicity, age, beliefs, race, appearance, status, wealth or
disability. This could lead to treating people differently due to their opinion about them without
actually knowing them. There are four different types of discrimination they are-
Unfair discrimination which is when an individual isn't treated fairly as another would be. An
example of this is when someone is not considered to be able to do a certain type of job. Like a
woman and a man could apply to the same job with same qualification but the woman isn't
considered for the job because of stereotype beliefs they may have which may make a person self-
esteem go lower as they may not think they are worthy.
Direct discrimination often occurs because others are seen doing it. It is when someone is offensive
to another because they are seen as different. An example of this is when someone isn't the same
skin colour e.g., being darker and is being called names because of it.
Indirect discrimination is when an individual is supportive to those who they are close with but
disrespect others that aren't. E.g., if one works as a manager but he supports what his family say but
other members that work with him, he doesn’t take into account what they say or jokes about them.
2 2
, Unit 5 assignment
Positive discrimination is decisions that are made if favour for an individual as there is something
different about them. E.g., when someone is hiring an individual with specific characteristics such as
blonde hair blue eyes.
Importance of preventing discrimination (P1)
It is important to prevent discrimination in order to meet an individual's needs and so that everyone
receives equal quality of service e.g., to make an individual feel comfortable during their recovery as
stress can reduce the recovery speed because of age. Health professions must not discriminate
anyone according to the equality act (2010) they must discriminate people that are in a certain age
group. Discrimination has effects on an individual and causes stress, low self-esteem, depression,
anxiety, withdrawal of daily activities, ling in fear from others, no motivation, patience, changes in
appetite causing weight loss or gain and mental illness that is triggered by stress etc. Which is why
it's crucial to prevent discrimination. There are many ways to prevent this by treating others fairly, if
someone that is on a wheel chair can be provided with wheel chair access, or rails and ramps for
those who need more support. Care workers must understand how to avoid discrimination such as
behaviour and language they use.
The equality act 2010 is an act that’s been issued by parliament of the United Kingdom and it
protects you from being discriminated or treated unfairly based on your characteristic. It is the anti-
discrimination laws in great Britian. This law protects individuals from discrimination in school,
college, public services, workplace, hospital, transport. The types of discrimination the equality act
2010 applies to discrimination based on age, gender, sex, disability. Marriage and civil partnership,
sexual orientation, race, religion or beliefs and pregnancy. In a health care setting this act can
prevent you from being discriminated from your race or age, etc and allow you to get the correct
care and medication you deserve.
The initiatives aimed at preventing discrimination in order to meet individuals' needs are access. An
example, this can be used with a genral service user to meet their needs and to prevent
discrimination, is by adapting the environment to meet an individual need. An example of this is by
having lifts for those who can't go up the stairs, ramps, elevators, wheel chair access slops, wide
doors and corridors, automatic doors, disabled toilets that have ramps. Another initiative aimed to
prevent discrimination in care is diet. For example, to provide the suitable diet for those with
medical condition that is suitable to their beliefs, religion and medical condition like if they are
lactose intolerant or gluten free. Another is support, this is when an individual is supported by the
service user providing appropriate resources such as giving leaflets in a wide range of formats for
those who have poor eyesight's. The use different languages are useful for those whose language
isn't English. When a non-English speaking individual comes for an appointment, they are provided
with a translator so they are fully understood what medical needs they may need. Another initiative
is the use of advocacy services. An example for this, is when someone represents and speaks for
another person whom may have illness, low self-esteem or a disability. This all is to meet an
individual needs by their general service users and to prevent discrimination.
Preventing discrimination with billy (P1) + (M1)
In Billys case he may face discrimination based on how health and social care services help to
prevent discrimination. Billy is facing indirect discrimination this is because he gotten into a violent
fight with his mother's partner and left home, and his mother supported her partner instead of her
son which is why she changed the locks. This has effects on his physical health as he is living in the
streets and because of the cold and damp it has contributed to his asthma attack. There are also
3 3
, Unit 5 assignment
potential effects that Billy may experience or even fear of discrimination itself because of his mum
changing the locks it may have an impact on his emotional health and may have a feeling that he is
unwanted by anyone. He may experience low self-esteem and therefore will need counselling to
help improve his health. The initiatives which could be used to prevent this type of indirect
discrimination is support. By having the correct support from the right people and appropriate
resources he may would've spoke up about his mother's violent partner. This could've prevented the
fight that has occurred between them. His mother may have been aware of what her partner did
was wrong. Another is access maybe if he had been provided a house and he wouldn’t have had to
live in the streets and suffer more health issues. It is important that the health professions follow the
equality act when treating any patient to prevent discrimination.
The successful way which the health professions (HPs) ensured that Billy was not discriminated
against is by following the equality act (2010). Although there weren't any beds left in the hospital,
they still found him a bed in another hospital community hospital, so he wasn’t left untreated as
they still treated him for his asthma attack and providing him the full care he needs. Also, he was
admitted to the hospital by a passing paramedic when he had an asthma attack. He wasn’t
discriminated because he was homeless, living in the streets and he got the medication he needed
same as someone who isn't homeless would get. The HP's ensured Billy wasn’t discriminated by
making sure he received the right medication and care he deserves and following the equality act
(2010). Possible, further ways in which HPs could prevent discrimination is by giving Billy leaflets
from his health care in a different format because he has bad eye sights and may not be able to read
very small fonts. Another way the HPs could prevent discrimination is by helping Billy out because he
is homeless and they could contact others to help him get off the streets. Also, ask if he had any
other issues. The possible impacts that Billy may have if anti discriminatory practice was not put in
place, he may not have received the right medication he needed. And he would have been
discriminated because he is homeless and if the paramedics didn't stop to help him, this could have
caused more health risk on Billy and he would have been on the streets longer. Overall, there are a
lot of positives outcomes for billy because of the anti-discriminatory practice that was put into place,
because Billy got medication for his asthma and the paramedics didn’t discriminate him just because
he was homeless. Also, this had an overall large impact on him because he was seen homeless, they
can help him get a house and not live on the streets anymore and get any counselling that he may
need after the violent fight that has occurred. He will also be recommended the right diet to help
heal his stomach after the rubbish food he eat.
Preventing discrimination with Valerie (P1) + (M1) + (D1)
The type of discrimination Valerie may face is direct discrimination. This is because others are being
rude to her because she is different. For example, because she is obese, she was bullied by the local
teenagers which had a negative impact on her self-esteem. She is now afraid to go home and even
wants to stay at the hospital. The local teenagers may direct discriminate her by calling her different
names because she is overweight. This will have a negative impact on her mental health which isn't
good because of her parents passing away. It will cause stress and anxiety and other emotional
issues. This will affect her social life and it will give her q negative view of the world and of people
and will develop a fear of talking to others. She doesn’t have her parents to be a role model and
advise her on such things. Even if Valerie has overcome this discrimination, she will develop a huge
fear from this traumatising experience and will have a fear of this discrimination. The initiative which
could be used to prevent this type of discrimination is diet. This will ensure that Valerie individual
needs are meet because Valerie will be provided with a diet plan. This is to help Valerie to be at a
healthy weight and it will also prevent others from viewing her as different. Valerie will be
4 4
