Unit 5: Meeting Individual Care and Support Needs (References document included )
Introduction:
Unit 5: I have just completed my work experience in a community hospital based in Handsworth
which provides support for adults who are recovering from illness. The individuals are not yet ready
to go home. My chosen case studies are Valerie and Tremayne. In this unit I will: Examine principles,
values and skills which underpin meeting the care and support needs of individuals. Examine the
ethical issues involved when providing care and support to meet individual needs. Investigate the
principles behind enabling individuals with care and support needs to overcome challenges.
Investigate the roles of professionals and how they work together to provide the care and support
necessary to meet individual needs.
Care Study 1: Valerie B. aged 24 years old:
• Valerie was admitted to the community hospital, following surgery for her appendix which
burst before she could reach hospital.
• Valerie has mental health problems which began when her parents died when she was six
years old. Valerie’s surgery was complicated due to her being obese.
• She has low self-esteem and cannot see why she needs to lose weight or change her
lifestyle.
• Valerie lives in flat provided by a housing association but has been bullied by local teenagers
because of her obesity.
• Valerie’s surgical wound is healing, but she does not want to go home because she is afraid
that the bullying will start again.
• She is unemployed and receives Universal benefit.
• Valerie has a hearing impairment but has never been assessed for any support to improve
her hearing.
• Valerie is a vegetarian.
Case study 2: Tremayne M. aged 54 years old:
• Tremayne has autism.
• He was admitted to the community hospital after being transferred from a larger hospital
• Tremayne had fallen and broken his left leg in three places.
• Tremayne lives independently and has carers who support him but do not live with him.
• He was transferred to the community hospital because he has continually tried to remove
his cast and the staff felt that he was not ready to go home.
• Tremayne has a wheat allergy but does not understand why he keeps feeling ill.
• He tends to live on pizza and sandwiches bought from the local shop.
• Tremayne is quite disruptive and is subject to outbursts of temper, which cause other
service users to become distressed.
,A.P1: Explain the importance of promoting equality and diversity for individuals with different
needs.
Equality
Equality is not about treating everyone the same way. It is about ensuring that access to
opportunities are available to all by taking account of people’s different needs.(1) The Equality Act
2010 ensures that equality is being promoted and reinforced. The protected characteristics are: age,
disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race,
religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.(2) The NHS was created out of the ideal that good
healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth. When it was launched by the then
minister of health, Aneurin Bevan, on July 5 1948, it was based on 3 core principles: that it meet the
needs of everyone, that it be free at the point of delivery and that it be based on clinical need, not
ability to pay.(3)
Tremayne could be treated unequally because of his autism and outbursts of temper. The hospital
manager may decide to stop providing him care because they feel he is too difficult to look after and
causes distress for other service users. Moreover, the hospital can deny his dietary needs which can
result in him feeling ill or having an allergic reaction due to eating wheat. To ensure he is treated
equally, the hospital nurses must provide him with individualised care which he requires such as
monitor the condition of his leg regularly and more recovery time in the hospital for his leg to heal
despite his autism. The hospital chef must ensure that the menu caters for all special diets as
Tremayne will need to consume only and wheat-free foods for him to be free of pain and healthy.
Valerie could be treated unequally because of her obesity and mental health. For example, Valerie
may be given a regular sized bed which she may not feel comfortable in due to her size. Therefore,
the hospital must provide her with a bariatric bed.(14) Furthermore, she may not receive the care of
a dietician as she is in a community hospital which has less funding and resources. This means that
Valerie has been treated unequally because she has not got equal access to the services she needs.
To ensure she is treated equally, the hospital should ensure that they provide a suitable sized bed
for her as she is obese and a dietician so that she can have a meal plan to help treat her obesity.
Diversity
Diversity is about valuing differences through inclusion regardless of age, disability, gender, race,
religion, sexual orientation, opinions and personal values. Health and Social care organisations are
legally obliged to respect and value all individuals irrespective of their cultural beliefs, religion and
other differences.(1)
Since Tremayne has a wheat allergy, diversity may not be promoted. For example, staff may ignore
the fact that he has a wheat allergy and instead give him bread to avoid the hassle of providing him
with a wheat-free alternative. In order for diversity to be promoted, the staff could create a meal
plan which is tailored to his needs by taking into consideration the foods that he can and cannot eat.
This would ensure that his needs are being valued and respected. In addition, all staff, including
nurses and health care assistants, must be trained when working with clients with wheat allergies to
ensure that no mistakes are made whilst providing treatment for individuals, to raise awareness and
to supply high quality care which can help improve the quality of life for the patient, leading to
better health.
,Valerie has mental health issues and has obesity. Diversity could be promoted by the staff at the
community hospital by training. This means that all staff should be trained in raising awareness of
mental health issues. For example, they should keep up to date with new ways in which they can
help Valerie with her mental health issues, such as calming her mind by meditating, doing breathing
exercises or walking which can also help her in weight loss. As Valerie is obese, diversity can be
promoted by providing Valerie with a dietician who can help her meal plan and advise her on foods
to eat that will promote healthy weight loss such as, incorporating more organic fruit and vegetables
into her diet rather than processed foods. If diversity is not promoted it can lead to poor quality of
care supplied and in turn cause stress for Valerie as she feels frustrated that she is not being heard.
A.M1: Analyse the impact of preventing discrimination for individuals with different needs.
Discrimination is when someone has a prejudice against and might discriminate against a person or a
group of people, mainly, with these protected characteristics: age, disability, gender, marriage/civil
partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion or belief and sexuality.(1)
• Direct discrimination is overt, obvious and it is when someone is being rude, hostile or
offensive to someone because they see them as being different.(1)
One example of direct discrimination that Valerie may face is being told by the Dietician that she is
too fat and will never lose weight. This might cause Valerie to withdraw from social activities and
lose her confidence and self-esteem.
Tremayne may face direct discrimination by a team of carers who may feed him wheat bread to see
his reaction because they think it is funny. This will cause Tremayne to feel reluctant to seek support
and treatment and live-in fear of others.
• Indirect discrimination is covert, hidden and it is harder to prove and more subtle.(1)
An example of indirect discrimination that Valerie may face is if a member of staff or another patient
directly calls her names because of her weight or condition, under the equal opportunities policy,
the management team/staff can take action by following the procedures outlined in the policy and
ensure that the person who is discriminating against Valerie is reprimanded for it. If action is taken it
can make Valerie feel much more supported by staff at the hospital, however, if no action is taken it
could make her feel let down by the hospital and it could be indirect discrimination.
Tremayne may face indirect discrimination by being left to manage his outbursts of temper alone.
This staff may not want to deal with Tremayne when he is having an episode and say that it is better
for him to deal with it alone which could lead him to become angry. This could lead to Tremayne not
receiving the right care and feeling helpless and unable to manage his condition.
• Unfair discrimination is when a person is treated unfairly compared to others.(1)
An example of unfair discrimination that Valerie may encounter is being dismissed by a Nurse in a
jokey way. For example, the Nurse may be supportive and friendly towards her, but may show
disrespect for her needs and wants by dismissing them in a jokey manner. This can lead to Valerie
feeling frustrated and helpless.
One example of unfair discrimination that Tremayne might face is being told that he must leave the
room because he is causing distress to other service users. This might be because he has outbursts
of anger. This is unfair discrimination because they are not dealing with his situation professionally
, and treating him differently to how they will treat other patients, which is politely. This can cause
him to feel stressed and a loss of self-esteem.
• Positive discrimination is when a decision is made in a person’s favour because there is
something about them or that they are providing individuals from a disadvantaged group
with an opportunity.(1)
One example of positive discrimination for Valerie is being signposted by a social worker to job
agencies that can help her find work because she is unemployed and living off Universal benefit. In
addition, she has a hearing impairment which means that if she applies for a job and has the right
experience and qualifications then she can be entitled to an interview. This is implemented by
employers to promote positive discrimination. This can help Valerie boost her self-esteem and feel
able to work, thus leading to improved mental health.
Another example of positive discrimination for Tremayne is being given his meal first when he is
hungry since he has autism and is prone to outbursts of anger. This can help to prevent him from
having a meltdown because he enjoys eating. This can help Tremayne feel more supported and
looked after, which can make him feel happier and improve his mental health.
Preventing discrimination
It is very important to prevent discrimination so that everyone can receive high quality care, equally,
which is individualised to their needs. Discrimination can result in poor practice which can put
service user’s at risk of harm and abuse. Staff must receive training and improve their understanding
of new ways to promote anti-discriminatory practice and amendments to the Equality Act by CPD. If
discrimination is unchallenged it can affect services users in many different ways. Effects of
discrimination on service users: Depression and anxiety, Loss of self-esteem, Stress, Frustration,
Reluctance to seek support and treatment, Impact on waiting times for different groups, Feeling
unable to work, Mental health triggered by stress, Injury and death, Living in fear of others, Losing
sense of who you are, Withdrawal from social activities and a Loss of confidence.(1)
Equal Opportunities Policy
The Equal Opportunities Policy ensures that all service users and staff must be treated equally and
be given the same set of opportunities regardless of their age, sex, race, disability, sexuality,
disability, culture or anything other personal characteristic that might be discriminated against. It is
also used to raise awareness of what discrimination is and for staff to have training based around the
policy and anti-discriminatory practices. If staff are made aware, through training, of the Equal
Opportunities Policy, it is less likely for them to be discriminatory towards patients which will have a
positive effect on patients and staff.(1)
Valerie is bullied because of her weight by local teenagers, but at hospital she could possibly be
more at risk of being bullied than other people because of her weight. If she is directly discriminated
against, i.e., if a member of staff or another patient directly calls her names because of her weight or
condition, under the equal opportunities policy, the management team/staff can take action by
following the procedures outlined in the policy and ensure that the person who is discriminating
against Valerie is reprimanded for it. If action is taken it can make Valerie feel much more supported
by staff at the hospital, however, if no action is taken it could make her feel let down by the hospital
and it could be seen as indirect discrimination.
Tremayne has autism and is subject to outbursts of anger which means that at hospital he be can at
risk of being bullied or harmed. For example, if a Health care assistant treats him unequally by not
