Surrey Skills Academy with support from Health Education Kent Surrey Sussex

The Care Certificate Framework

For

Adult Social Care Workers

Healthcare Support Workers

Name of Learner:Click here to enter text.

Role:Click here to enter text.

Organisation:Click here to enter text.

Mentor:Click here to enter text.

Assessor:Click here to enter text.

Date started:Click here to enter a date.

The Care Certificate Framework

Equality and Diversity

Standard 4Main areas:

I understand the importance of equality and inclusion

I will workin an inclusive way

I will accessinformation, advice and support about diversity, equality and inclusion

Links:

Code of conduct: Standard 7

Compassion in Practice (6C’s):

Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage and Commitment
Standard 4

This standard explores the importance of equality and inclusion and ensures that you work in an inclusive manner.

You will inevitably work with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Cultural differences could result in dilemmas or conflict situations where users of your service or their families have different cultural expectations in the service that is being provided. Part of your role is to be aware of these differences and know how they may affect your work. You may work with people from cultural backgrounds who may interpret the Principles of Care or the Principles of Dignity in a different way. For example, you might work with people from cultural backgrounds who:

  • Have different ideas of what ‘ability’ and ‘disability’ mean
  • Have strict religious requirements i.e. clothing
  • Have different beliefs about private parts of the body which need to be kept covered during personal care
  • Have strict ideas about physical contact between men and women
  • Have different ideas about what is acceptable/unacceptable behaviour

However,the same ‘Values of Social Care’are equally applicable and you will need to understand why an organisation’s values should over-ride your own values. The organisation’s values should not be interpreted as being stringent, rather applied in a diverse manner catering for all people from different cultures.

Therefore, it can be stated, that diversity concerns everyone, thereby illustrating howimportant it is that you recognise what is meant by and apply ‘diversity’ in the work place. On a broader scale, the diversity of cultural backgrounds has already been mentioned but it is also necessary to recognise that everyone is different in many different and various ways, some seen and some not seen.

It is also necessary to understand what is meant by equality and inclusion. Every individual has the right to inclusion or alternatively, no one should be excluded on the basis of race, gender, disability, medical or other need and that they are included in everything that other people can access. You will need to show you can respect their beliefs, culture, values and preferences. One way to do this is to reflect on your ownfeelings, attitudes and values and how this may influence your work practices.Awareness of where our own attitudes, beliefs, behaviours, assumptions and perceptions come from helps us to begin to understand and value each other better. It also encourages us to accept value and cherish differences whilst ensuring equitable treatment and greater tolerance.Equality is not about treating everyone exactly the same; it is about making sure everyone has equality of opportunity.

In addition, diversity, equality and inclusion also interlink with discrimination in the work place. Discrimination is negative when it involves favouring an individual or group of people over others on the basis of these characteristics. For example, refusing to offer a job to an adequately qualified applicant on the grounds of her or his gender, age or race or denying somebody a place in a day centre on the basis of his or her sexual orientation, disabilityor religion.

Discrimination in the work setting may occur deliberately or inadvertently. Discrimination may occur when someone is treated worse than another person in the same situation, this can happen in many ways. For example:

  • Deliberate discrimination: In the workplace, an individual may be refused a job because they are female or from an ethnic minority group
  • Deliberate discrimination: Staff may treat a patient differently due to the patient’s ethnic background
  • Inadvertent discrimination: Difficult or almost impossible access to work places by persons who use wheelchairs

Individuals may suffer discrimination because they belong to a particular group within society:

  • Elderly
  • Disabled
  • Faith groups
  • Young people
  • Gender
  • Ethnicity

Practices that support equality and inclusion reduce the likelihood of discrimination. Awareness of where our own attitudes, beliefs, behaviours, assumptions and perceptions come from helps us to begin to understand and value each other better. It also encourages us to accept value and cherish differences whilst ensuring equitable treatment and greater tolerance. Preconceived opinions are not based on reason and this may cause us to act in an unjust way on the basis of these ideas. Sometimes an opinion is formed from a single experience and therefore not pre-conceived. However, if it is then applied to every one of the same ‘type’ without knowing if it is accurate, this is referred to as ‘Stereotyping’. It can mean that we believe other people are different from us and use this to justify unfair or intolerant behaviour. In your day to day work supporting people you need to be alert to prejudiced attitudes which could lead to unacceptable behaviour.

A stereotype is a fixed image, a term originating from the printing trade. It has come to mean lumping people together and classifying them as if they were all the same. Stereotyping can have a positive outcome in terms of the way it enables us to make sense and order the complicated world in which we live. For example, it helps us sort and group similar objects. The colour green has over 400 shades but the word green has a universal meaning despite the fact that we have different, individual interpretations of the colour.

Therefore, it could be stated that preconceived ideas, stereotyping and attitudes may prejudice your thinking, this means that you are pre-judging a person or group, and that you have a negative attitude which is not based on any real experience. If individuals and organisations support equal opportunities, it means that they recognise that all people are of equal value and share the same human rights. They should be treated fairly, recognising their unique needs and provided with similar chances and experience. At work this means that each individual is treated with equal status regardless of any disability or other difference.

We are each unique and bring different ideas, talents and experience to the workplace setting.By creating a culture of working practices that recognise, respect and value different backgrounds you are promoting diversity in the work place.You are recognising that different responses may be needed for different people or groups and thereby, supporting equality and inclusion in the workplace. Good diverse practices that support equality and inclusion are likely to therefore reduce discrimination, both deliberately and inadvertently.

It is necessary to have an awareness of the key legislation and agreed ways of working that relate to equality, diversity, discrimination rights. The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, ensures compliance through the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The CQC set out the standards which every registered service needs to evidence.Each registered service will be inspected, and findings will be recorded in a report which evidences good practices, those that can be improved and those that do not comply with the standards and are highlighted to action. This report is accessible by members of the public. You can research the standards on

In addition to the Standards other legislation that could be identified as relating to equality, diversity and discrimination is the Equal Pay Act 1970 and the Equality Act 2010.The Equal Pay Act 1970sets out guidance to ensure employers do not unlawfully discriminate between men and women in respect of pay and conditions where they are doing the same or similar work, or work that has been evaluated as the same by the employer.

The Equality Act 2010replaces previous legislation (such as the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995) and ensures consistency in what you need to do to make your workplace a fair environment and to comply with the law. The Equality Act covers the same groups that were protected by existing equality legislationbut extends some protections to groups not previously covered, and also strengthens particular aspects of equality law. We cannot discriminate people on the basis of:

Gender and gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, paternity

Religion or belief

Age

Disability

Ethnicity

Sexual orientation, marriage, civil partnership

It can be interpreted from this legislation that discrimination can be categorised into six main types:

  • Direct discrimination: Example; a particular job is only open to male or female, or specific racial group. Applicants with disabilities are automatically rejected without considering how adjustments could be made to meet their needs
  • Indirect discrimination: Example; policies, practices or procedures that cannot be justified by a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim i.e. particular ethnic groups who are given specific tasks while others are not, women do one job and men do another
  • Associative: already applies to race, religion or belief and sexual orientation. Now extended to cover age, disability, gender reassignment and sex. This is direct discrimination against someone because they associate with another person who possesses a protected characteristic
  • Perceptive: already applies to age, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation. Now extended to cover disability, gender reassignment and sex. This is direct discrimination against an individual because others think they possess a particular protected characteristic. It applies even if the person does not actually possess that characteristic
  • Harassment: Example; an unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic(s) which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual's dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual i.e. jokes or comments at work, repeated verbal attacks towards an individual, or using threatening behaviour or comments to control
  • Victimisation: Example; is treating someone less favourably because they have made a complaint or were involved in complaints that have been made about discriminating behaviour, or to single out an individual for unfair treatment.

Generally, discrimination is used in a negative context, e.g. if we behave in a discriminatory way it means that we are treating people in a less favourable way because we see them as different from ourselves. It can also mean that we are treating them unfairly in a different way from others, based on prejudice. The Equality Act 2010 says it is unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of the following protected characteristics: Age, Gender reassignment, Race, Sex, Marriage/Civil Partnerships, Disability, Pregnancy and Maternity, Religion or belief, Sexual orientation.

In order to challenge discrimination in a way that encourages positive change it is also necessary to understand prejudice. By distinguishing and challenging prejudice in a way that encourages positive change in the work place a direct positive impact on discrimination is also likely to occur.Prejudice may be defined as a preconceived and irrational judgement and evaluation based on assumed rather than actual characteristics.Prejudice derives from ignorance and is fuelled by the existence of stereotypes in society. A key feature of prejudice is “mental rigidity” which allows the individual to maintain existing preconceptions regardless of new information.

  • Prejudice is a human trait that is present in all of us, it is often shaped and influenced by our immediate social circle, friends, family and work colleagues. It can be expressed as negative thoughts about other people.
  • Discriminationoccurs when those beliefs are demonstrated through negative actions and treating others unfairly because of their beliefs or appearance.

The influence society has on us continues throughout adult life, chiefly through family, education, work, the media, and political ideologies. Whilst these are powerful influences, adulthood, life experiences and maturity can enable us to challenge or accept our own values and those of others.

You can you challenge discrimination in your work place setting by:

  • Having an awareness of fairness in all situations
  • Using empathy, seeing the situation from others point of view
  • Having sensitivity to other cultures, preferences and needs
  • Gaining an understanding of differences
  • Being aware of terminology or language you use
  • Encouraging individuals to make choices and decisions independently
  • Notstereotyping or labelling individuals
  • Acknowledging that discriminatory behaviour in any form is unacceptable
  • Challenging discriminatory behaviour

It will be necessary for you to identify a range of information, advice and support about diversity, equality and inclusion. Many organisations require attendance (usually as part of your induction) of Equality, diversity and anti-discrimination training sessions.

In order to meet legislation requirements there will be many policies and procedures in your workplace that set out guidelines and practices. There should be an Equality and Diversity Policy, which sets out guidelines for diversity, inclusion, anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities and you should read and make sure you understand your responsibilities to enable you to demonstrate good practices.

In addition, you can research for advice and information about Human Rights, inclusion, diversity and equality on the internet, or discuss further matters with your line manager/supervisor during planned sessions.

As previously stated, you should be aware of the range of sources of information relating to advice and support about diversity, equality and inclusion. How to obtain such information will be made clear in your induction and through your line manager/supervisor/colleagues. You should be aware of such information from your induction. Therefore, you should know:

  • Each client should be treated as an individual and as an equal
  • Each individual has the right to be treated with respect and dignity. This applies to all members of staff as well as service users
  • All staff must behave in a professional manner; promoting anti-discriminatory practice at all times

These values should be promoted in work with all client’s whatever minority group they belong to. However, dignity may mean something different to a man with learning disabilities in his 20’s compared to a Muslim woman in her 50’s. You need to find out from them what dignity, respect, privacy and independence mean to them.

However, there may be circumstances when you may wish to revisit information for clarification.Examples of unacceptable behaviour:

  1. Any discrimination e.g. sexism, racism, ageism, etc from staff or clients towards other clients or visitors should be addressed as unacceptable. It is unacceptable to use offensive language e.g. swearing, sexist / racist remarks
  2. It is unacceptable to make assumptions about a client’s status: - religious beliefs, culture, sexual orientation etc.
  3. It is unacceptable and poor practice to make assumptions about how a client or member of staff would like to be addressed without seeking their permission first. Terms such as ‘darling’, ‘love’, and ‘poppet’ are patronising
  4. Staff must ensure they are giving their full attention to the person they are caring for. Talking over clients by staff is unacceptable.

During your day-to-day working role and practices, you may become aware of things that exclude individuals in some way.So that awareness is raised, you might wish to discuss these with your line manager, or during staff meetings, or with your mentor, and explore ways that practices and activities can promote and ensure inclusion.

Examples of promoting Good Practice:

  • Staff must ensure that clients, relatives, other professionals are acknowledged at all times. e.g. clients’ levels of care and attention will vary greatly but it does not mean that those who are less demanding should receive less attention, physically, emotionally or psychologically
  • Staff must promote client individuality by keeping Care Plans updated and ensuring reviews take place regularly
  • Staff must effectively seek the views of the client primarily, their relatives, friends, advocate and whoever else is appropriate in updating Care Plans
  • All staff and clients must be encouraged to feedback areas of poor practice so that standards are maintained
  • All staff, whatever their job, are responsible for making sure that their own behaviour is in keeping with the Equality and Diversity Policies. In particular, they must not: -

•Discriminate or show prejudice against colleagues, other employees or job applicants

•Encourage or condone other employees to practice unlawful discrimination

•Victimise individuals who have made allegations or complaints of discrimination or provided information about such discrimination.

  • Every service manager has a duty to ensure that any staff concerns are dealt with promptly, thoroughly and fairly.

Standard 4

Workbook

Equality and inclusion

Standard 4Main areas:

I understand the importance of equality and inclusion

I will work in an inclusive way

I will access information, advice and support about diversity, equality and inclusion

Links:

Code of conduct: Standard 7

Compassion in Practice (6C’s):

Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage and Commitment

Standard 4.1 – Understand the importance of equality and inclusion

4.1a What is your understanding of the terms Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Discrimination?

Diversity:Click here to enter text.
Equality:Click here to enter text.
Inclusion:Click here to enter text.
Discrimination:Click here to enter text.

4.1bDescribe ways in which discrimination may deliberately or inadvertently occur in the workplace.