Unit 5 – Meeting Individual Care and Support Needs
‘Ethical Care’
P1 - Explain the importance of promoting equality and diversity for individuals
with different needs
Equality and Diversity are very important aspects of healthcare when meeting the
care and support needs of each individual, when these are not followed or taken into
consideration, discrimination and prejudice cann occur which can have many
negative impacts on the individual and those around them. Equality within healthcare
can be explained and defined as offering the same opportunities and access to
health treatment and care to everyone, regardless of the individual differences such
as race, gender or age. These individual differences contribute to the diversity of
individuals. Although everyone should be given equal opportunity, their differences
also need to be expected - these differences are called diversity. Diversity is
explained and defined as recognising and appreciating the range of differences
between individuals and then treating these differences with respect. There can be
differences in people's race and gender but also their beliefs, cultures and lifestyles.
Equality and diversity need to be respected, particularly within healthcare. They need
to be respected in order to prevent discrimination, defined as the prejudical or unjust
treatment of certain indivduals or groups of people of the basis of their race, age, sex
or disability. It is important to promote equality within a healthcare setting, particularly
for people who are seen as more vulnerable.
For the case of Valerie B, it is important that her equality and diversity are
recognised and respected. By promoting her equality, she will have equal opportunity
to access the healthcare she needs for her burst appendix, knowing her needs are
being respected and are equal to other individuals around her, can boost her self
esteem. Her diversity should also be respected in order to make her feel most
comfortable, as Valerie is a vegetarian, her choice should be respected in the way
that when she is staying within the hospital, the food she is offered needs to be
vegetarian, this will promote her choices and her independence. If her dietary needs
were not being catered to then Valerie may feel as though she is insignificant and
unimportant during her stay in hospital - she will feel as though her personal choices
and beliefs are not valid and so this may lead to her feeling ashamed and
embarrassed which will ultimately lead to a loss of self esteem and confidence. This
will go against the Human Equality Act and the Human Rights Act as by not allowing
Valerie to choose what she can eat is stopping her freedom of choice and will
therefore limit her independence whilst she is in hospital, which will already be
limited as when an individual is in hospital their independence decreases. This may
,lead to her mental health and self confidence decreasing. Valerie also has a history
of mental health problems, beginning when her parents passed when she was
young. The hospital may be a very stressful space which can trigger her mental
health to potentially get worse - it is important to treat her with equality and respect
so she feels as at ease as she can whilst she is unwell. The care workers and
healthcare professionals have a duty of care in order to make Valerie feel more
comfortable and to lessen her anxiety. They can do this by using communication
techniques in a way that will ensure Valerie that they are listening to her and that her
needs and wants are met and are being respected, they should ot talk down to her or
in a way that can come across as infantilising or sarcastic but instead in a way that
will reassure her. They can also make her feel more comfortable by adhering to any
requests she has and if they cannot do this, find solutions to her needs. Simply by
being kind, Valerie will feel as though she is respected by the staff and treated like an
adult but also like she is treated equally to all the other service users. When
healthcare professionals are providing equal care with no discrimination to all service
users, this will help them feel empowered and more comfortable during their stay in
hospital. For Aisha, as she has dementia, it is important for the care staff to
communicate and interact with her in a way that will not stress her out or confuse her
more - for example, they may talk to Aisha whilst demonstrating patience. This wll
make her feel as though she is being given the time to communicate what she needs
to in a way that she isn't being judged.
Discrimination would affect Valerie hugley, partially whilst she is staying in hospital.
She has a low self esteem and is bullied by local teenages within her housing area.
Bullying can have a detrimental effect on an individual's mental but also physical
health - it can cause increased feelings of sadness, anxiety and depression, changes
in eating and sleeping patterns and increased ill health. By supporting and promoting
Valerie's self esteem along with following anti discriminatory practices, she may
begin to feel more comfortable during her stay at the hospital, but also in a better
headspace to return home and deal the bullying she faces.
The same goes for Aisha H, her diversity needs to be recognised and respected in
order for her equality to be promoted. As she is a practising buddhist, she may be
following the rules of being lacto-vegetarian (where eggs, fish and meat are excluded
from diet) Her specific dietary choices need to be respected - she has a form of
dementia and so she may sometimes become confused - it is still important that the
diet and practises she follows as a buddhist are respected, even when she may not
remember. She should be allowed to make her own choices when she can, however,
she may sometimes struggle as she is susceptible to becoming confused. When she
is not able to make decisions for herself, her equality and diversity should be
promoted through the use of an advocate (as she has no family members to work
,with her). She would also benefit from a care plan. This will ensure her choices are
respected and she still has equal opportunity to access what she needs, it will also
ensure that her self esteem and dignity are promoted. As she has developed
incontinence since being admitted, promoting her dignity and privacy are very
important. She should be provided and helped with materials to help deal with her
incontinence and be treated in an appropriate and respectful manner. This will once
again, further promote her rights to equality and diversity. She should also be cared
for with anti-discriminatory practices in place - for example, her dementia may cause
an impired ability for decision making - antidiscriminatory practices will ensure she is
still treated the same way she would be, despite her dementia.
Using a care plan (defined as a presentation of information that easily describes the
services and support being given to a person) wil be very beneficial in aiding
communication and collaboration between healthcare professionals whilst also
providing effective care for those with individual needs. Care plans are extremely
beneficial as it will ensure each service user gets the same care every day no matter
who is on shift as they provide up to date information about the services a person is
accessing and the current medical intervention individuals are receiving. A care plan
will include: what your care needs are and so what type of support you should
receive, your desired outcomes, who will provide the care, when the care shall be
provided along with the records of the previous and current care. Wishes and
personal preferences will also be written down along with the final cost of the
services. This will ensure individual needs are met for every service user. Valerie and
Aisha will need to be involved in their own care plans - this will help ensure their
wishes are met (for example, where Aisha would like to live after her hospital stay)
They will also ensure that service users are getting the help they may need, such as
Valerie receiving support for her obesity.
Discrimination is where a person or partical group of people are treated differently,
there are four main types of discrimination, these are:
Unfair discrimination - this is when a person is treated unfairly compared with
someone else. For example, when someone is not considered for a job because
they are older than another candidate, despite having the same qualifications and
experience.
Direct discrimination is when someone is rude, hostile or offensive to someone
because they see them as being different. For example, when someone who is
overweight is called names. This form of discrimination is easy to prove because it is
heard or witnessed by other people. This can be applicable in a healthcare setting -
for example, a service user can be a victim of direct discriination from a healthcare
, professional through their gender, age, race or disability. A professional may treat an
individual suffering from obesity in a way that they laugh at them when they pass tier
bed and class their names to other professionals. This will make the service user feel
embarrassed and upset whilst decreasing their self confidence and esteem. A
professional may also be reluctant to treat someone of a different race to them.
Indirect discrimination is harder to prove. For example, a manager may appear to be
supportive and friendly towards a member of staff, but may show disrespect for their
ideas by dismissing them in a jokey way.
Positive discrimination is when a decision is made in a person’s favour because
there is something different about them. For example, when an advertising agency
seeks to hire a person who has red hair and fair skin because they are to play the
part of the sister of someone who has these characteristics; or when a service has
few people from an ethnic minority at a certain level, so they appoint someone from
that ethnic minority.
M1 - Analyse the impact of preventing discrimination for individuals with
different needs
It is extremely important to prevent discrimination for individuals with different needs
- this will ensure everyone receives the same level of care that will meet their needs
and will lead to the service users feeling empowered . When discrimination is not
perevented and sevice users fall victim to it, effects suchg as anxiety, dperession,
stress, low/loss of self esteem and confidence, fear to seek support and ten further
mental illness or physical reprocusussions.
The Equality Act (2010) is a government law set out in order to protect and ensure all
people are treated fairly. It protects people from acts of discrimination firstly within a
workplace but also other wider aspects of society. This act also sets out different
ways in which ‘it is unlawful to treat someone’ and therefore protects people from
discrimiation on the basis of their sex, race, age, gender, disabolity, religion and
maraige. These characteristics are known as protected characteristics.
The two main types of discrimination in which the Equality act covers are Direct and
indirect discrimination (Direct discrimination being where someomne is treated
unfairly over a protected characteristsic and Indirect discrimiation where an individual
is at a disadvantage as they are not bel to access a service that anther person may
be able to.
‘Ethical Care’
P1 - Explain the importance of promoting equality and diversity for individuals
with different needs
Equality and Diversity are very important aspects of healthcare when meeting the
care and support needs of each individual, when these are not followed or taken into
consideration, discrimination and prejudice cann occur which can have many
negative impacts on the individual and those around them. Equality within healthcare
can be explained and defined as offering the same opportunities and access to
health treatment and care to everyone, regardless of the individual differences such
as race, gender or age. These individual differences contribute to the diversity of
individuals. Although everyone should be given equal opportunity, their differences
also need to be expected - these differences are called diversity. Diversity is
explained and defined as recognising and appreciating the range of differences
between individuals and then treating these differences with respect. There can be
differences in people's race and gender but also their beliefs, cultures and lifestyles.
Equality and diversity need to be respected, particularly within healthcare. They need
to be respected in order to prevent discrimination, defined as the prejudical or unjust
treatment of certain indivduals or groups of people of the basis of their race, age, sex
or disability. It is important to promote equality within a healthcare setting, particularly
for people who are seen as more vulnerable.
For the case of Valerie B, it is important that her equality and diversity are
recognised and respected. By promoting her equality, she will have equal opportunity
to access the healthcare she needs for her burst appendix, knowing her needs are
being respected and are equal to other individuals around her, can boost her self
esteem. Her diversity should also be respected in order to make her feel most
comfortable, as Valerie is a vegetarian, her choice should be respected in the way
that when she is staying within the hospital, the food she is offered needs to be
vegetarian, this will promote her choices and her independence. If her dietary needs
were not being catered to then Valerie may feel as though she is insignificant and
unimportant during her stay in hospital - she will feel as though her personal choices
and beliefs are not valid and so this may lead to her feeling ashamed and
embarrassed which will ultimately lead to a loss of self esteem and confidence. This
will go against the Human Equality Act and the Human Rights Act as by not allowing
Valerie to choose what she can eat is stopping her freedom of choice and will
therefore limit her independence whilst she is in hospital, which will already be
limited as when an individual is in hospital their independence decreases. This may
,lead to her mental health and self confidence decreasing. Valerie also has a history
of mental health problems, beginning when her parents passed when she was
young. The hospital may be a very stressful space which can trigger her mental
health to potentially get worse - it is important to treat her with equality and respect
so she feels as at ease as she can whilst she is unwell. The care workers and
healthcare professionals have a duty of care in order to make Valerie feel more
comfortable and to lessen her anxiety. They can do this by using communication
techniques in a way that will ensure Valerie that they are listening to her and that her
needs and wants are met and are being respected, they should ot talk down to her or
in a way that can come across as infantilising or sarcastic but instead in a way that
will reassure her. They can also make her feel more comfortable by adhering to any
requests she has and if they cannot do this, find solutions to her needs. Simply by
being kind, Valerie will feel as though she is respected by the staff and treated like an
adult but also like she is treated equally to all the other service users. When
healthcare professionals are providing equal care with no discrimination to all service
users, this will help them feel empowered and more comfortable during their stay in
hospital. For Aisha, as she has dementia, it is important for the care staff to
communicate and interact with her in a way that will not stress her out or confuse her
more - for example, they may talk to Aisha whilst demonstrating patience. This wll
make her feel as though she is being given the time to communicate what she needs
to in a way that she isn't being judged.
Discrimination would affect Valerie hugley, partially whilst she is staying in hospital.
She has a low self esteem and is bullied by local teenages within her housing area.
Bullying can have a detrimental effect on an individual's mental but also physical
health - it can cause increased feelings of sadness, anxiety and depression, changes
in eating and sleeping patterns and increased ill health. By supporting and promoting
Valerie's self esteem along with following anti discriminatory practices, she may
begin to feel more comfortable during her stay at the hospital, but also in a better
headspace to return home and deal the bullying she faces.
The same goes for Aisha H, her diversity needs to be recognised and respected in
order for her equality to be promoted. As she is a practising buddhist, she may be
following the rules of being lacto-vegetarian (where eggs, fish and meat are excluded
from diet) Her specific dietary choices need to be respected - she has a form of
dementia and so she may sometimes become confused - it is still important that the
diet and practises she follows as a buddhist are respected, even when she may not
remember. She should be allowed to make her own choices when she can, however,
she may sometimes struggle as she is susceptible to becoming confused. When she
is not able to make decisions for herself, her equality and diversity should be
promoted through the use of an advocate (as she has no family members to work
,with her). She would also benefit from a care plan. This will ensure her choices are
respected and she still has equal opportunity to access what she needs, it will also
ensure that her self esteem and dignity are promoted. As she has developed
incontinence since being admitted, promoting her dignity and privacy are very
important. She should be provided and helped with materials to help deal with her
incontinence and be treated in an appropriate and respectful manner. This will once
again, further promote her rights to equality and diversity. She should also be cared
for with anti-discriminatory practices in place - for example, her dementia may cause
an impired ability for decision making - antidiscriminatory practices will ensure she is
still treated the same way she would be, despite her dementia.
Using a care plan (defined as a presentation of information that easily describes the
services and support being given to a person) wil be very beneficial in aiding
communication and collaboration between healthcare professionals whilst also
providing effective care for those with individual needs. Care plans are extremely
beneficial as it will ensure each service user gets the same care every day no matter
who is on shift as they provide up to date information about the services a person is
accessing and the current medical intervention individuals are receiving. A care plan
will include: what your care needs are and so what type of support you should
receive, your desired outcomes, who will provide the care, when the care shall be
provided along with the records of the previous and current care. Wishes and
personal preferences will also be written down along with the final cost of the
services. This will ensure individual needs are met for every service user. Valerie and
Aisha will need to be involved in their own care plans - this will help ensure their
wishes are met (for example, where Aisha would like to live after her hospital stay)
They will also ensure that service users are getting the help they may need, such as
Valerie receiving support for her obesity.
Discrimination is where a person or partical group of people are treated differently,
there are four main types of discrimination, these are:
Unfair discrimination - this is when a person is treated unfairly compared with
someone else. For example, when someone is not considered for a job because
they are older than another candidate, despite having the same qualifications and
experience.
Direct discrimination is when someone is rude, hostile or offensive to someone
because they see them as being different. For example, when someone who is
overweight is called names. This form of discrimination is easy to prove because it is
heard or witnessed by other people. This can be applicable in a healthcare setting -
for example, a service user can be a victim of direct discriination from a healthcare
, professional through their gender, age, race or disability. A professional may treat an
individual suffering from obesity in a way that they laugh at them when they pass tier
bed and class their names to other professionals. This will make the service user feel
embarrassed and upset whilst decreasing their self confidence and esteem. A
professional may also be reluctant to treat someone of a different race to them.
Indirect discrimination is harder to prove. For example, a manager may appear to be
supportive and friendly towards a member of staff, but may show disrespect for their
ideas by dismissing them in a jokey way.
Positive discrimination is when a decision is made in a person’s favour because
there is something different about them. For example, when an advertising agency
seeks to hire a person who has red hair and fair skin because they are to play the
part of the sister of someone who has these characteristics; or when a service has
few people from an ethnic minority at a certain level, so they appoint someone from
that ethnic minority.
M1 - Analyse the impact of preventing discrimination for individuals with
different needs
It is extremely important to prevent discrimination for individuals with different needs
- this will ensure everyone receives the same level of care that will meet their needs
and will lead to the service users feeling empowered . When discrimination is not
perevented and sevice users fall victim to it, effects suchg as anxiety, dperession,
stress, low/loss of self esteem and confidence, fear to seek support and ten further
mental illness or physical reprocusussions.
The Equality Act (2010) is a government law set out in order to protect and ensure all
people are treated fairly. It protects people from acts of discrimination firstly within a
workplace but also other wider aspects of society. This act also sets out different
ways in which ‘it is unlawful to treat someone’ and therefore protects people from
discrimiation on the basis of their sex, race, age, gender, disabolity, religion and
maraige. These characteristics are known as protected characteristics.
The two main types of discrimination in which the Equality act covers are Direct and
indirect discrimination (Direct discrimination being where someomne is treated
unfairly over a protected characteristsic and Indirect discrimiation where an individual
is at a disadvantage as they are not bel to access a service that anther person may
be able to.
