Meeting individual care and support needs
How anti-discriminatory practice is being achieved
P1 & M1 – importance of promoting equality and diversity and the impact of preventing
discrimination for individuals with different needs
Equality is about making sure that individuals have equal opportunities. Diversity is about what
makes individuals unique. People are discriminated against their protected characteristics, age,
disability, sex, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, marriage and
civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity.
Preventing discrimination is important. All health and social organisations have a legal
obligation to respect and value all individuals equally no matter what their religious or cultural
beliefs are etc.. If discrimination occurs individuals may find that they are unable to participate
fully in services that are available due to certain barriers. Discrimination can make a service
user become stressed, have a lower self-esteem and may have a lack of confidence.
If service users are discriminated against, they may be disempowered, which means they may
not be able to take action for themselves based on their own personal care. Disempowerment
is a form of discrimination; it can be known as the ‘health worker knows best syndrome’. This is
where a health worker will make decisions for the service user, this can lead to low self esteem
and a lack of self-identity, and they will feel helpless and powerless. Discrimination can lead to a
lack of opportunities for service users.
Preventing discrimination helps to protect individual’s rights and their wellbeing. Care that is
provided without discriminatory practice is a higher level and quality of care. It ensures that
they feel empowered and that they feel like they have a say in their care.
R uses wheelchair when he is outside, but he does not like to be seen in it. His care workers try
to ensure that he is in his wheelchair when they go out to places like if they go shopping. He
should be able to have access to areas, this may mean having wider corridors for his
wheelchair, and shops could have lower counters that are at a wheelchair level so he can have
the independence of paying for his own things. This will empower him an he will be able have
the opportunity to do some things for himself and go to places and see people so he will have a
better sense of self and a higher sense of self-esteem.
,R has speech difficulties although going to speech
therapy seems to help him. His carers ask him to
repeat if they are not sure of what he has said. An
advocate could be bought in if his communication
issues get worse or if they want to ensure that he
gets treated without discrimination. This ensures that
he can communicate his needs correctly and that his
voice can be heard. This will ensure that his voice
gets heard and that he gets the care that he needs
and that care workers don’t just disempower him, so
that he also gets the type of care that he wants.
Jim is hard of hearing, and he does not use a hearing aid. His carers ensure that they are
speaking loudly and clearly to him so that he can understand everything that he is being told.
His carers could use communication boards for things if he struggles to hear things. Jim uses a
frame sometimes and otherwise he uses a walking stick. This means that he will understand
what is being told to him and that he can be involved in the type of care that he gets, this will
make him feel more confident and it may alleviate some stresses that he has about his care as
he knows that his carers care about him and what he wants.
Jim is a committed Christian and he attends the chapel
regularly. His carers support him with celebrating
Christian holidays like easter and Christmas and they
respect the fact that he doesn’t drink alcohol due to his
religion. If Jim would like the carer can prepare him a
dish lunch on a Friday and they can facilitate contact
with the minister where it is possible. And his care
workers should treat him with no indifference and
should not mention to him that he doesn’t agree with his views, for example, if they do not
agree with his religion, they should treat him the same as he would to someone who’s religion
he supports. This means that his beliefs will be respected, so he will feel that he is valued as an
individual and he will receive the care he needs.
P2 - skills and personal attributes necessary for professionals who care for individuals with
different needs
Care workers need certain skills and attributes to make service users standards of care as high
as they can. Personal attributes are based on the values of an individual and the things that
they believe that are important throughout life (your ethics), like being kind, caring and treating
others with respect.
The six C’s: care, compassion, competence, communication, courage, commitment.
Care is looking after and providing for the needs of individuals.
, Compassion is the awareness of the needs of others and helping them.
Competence is the ability to understand what an individual needs in their care, with
their expertise and knowledge to provide effective care that meet service user’s needs.
Communication is sharing information between two or more individuals that will help
provide care and support to service users.
Courage is the strength and vision of staff; they need to do the right thing for the
individuals that they are caring for.
Commitment is the determination that staff have so they can improve the service user’s
standards of care they receive and meeting the needs of the service users.
People skills
People skills help us to get on and communicate well with other people, they aid individuals to
develop good relationships. Care workers need to be empathetic and understand the emotions
of the service users and share their emotions. Being patient with service users is very important
so that service users feel valued, they need to tolerate issues without becoming annoyed.
Service users should feel trust in their care workers, doctors and GP’s etc. Care providers will
have to be flexible, being able to fit things in with their schedule etc. They should be able to
negotiate well and reach agreements with service users and other care professionals, they
should always try to be honest, and they need to be able to solve problems efficiently.
Communication skills
People who work in health and social care need to have good communication skills to make
service users feel comfortable and safe. Good communication will ensure that people
understand each other and that their needs can be met in different care settings. They help
care professionals to build relationships with service users, including their families and their
friends. Good communication skills also mean that important information can be shared
correctly and that work that is done with service users can be reported on and information can
be shared about their needs.
Health care professionals need to practice good communication techniques. Some of these
include active listening, the tone of your voice and the use of appropriate language.
Good listening involves hearing the words that are being spoken and thinking about what is
being said and what it means and thinking about what is best to say in return.
Active listening is the practice of listening and showing that you are truly hearing what is being
said and that you are appreciating it. Active listening involves allowing the individual to take
time to explain what they are talking about and not interrupting them. Using positive
affirmations while listening like nodding your head, and smiling and asking the individual to
clarity what they are saying shows that you are processing being said and it validates the
service users ego. Showing empathy and doing things like maintaining eye contact and not
being distracted is very important as it further empathizes your interest in what is being said.
How anti-discriminatory practice is being achieved
P1 & M1 – importance of promoting equality and diversity and the impact of preventing
discrimination for individuals with different needs
Equality is about making sure that individuals have equal opportunities. Diversity is about what
makes individuals unique. People are discriminated against their protected characteristics, age,
disability, sex, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, marriage and
civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity.
Preventing discrimination is important. All health and social organisations have a legal
obligation to respect and value all individuals equally no matter what their religious or cultural
beliefs are etc.. If discrimination occurs individuals may find that they are unable to participate
fully in services that are available due to certain barriers. Discrimination can make a service
user become stressed, have a lower self-esteem and may have a lack of confidence.
If service users are discriminated against, they may be disempowered, which means they may
not be able to take action for themselves based on their own personal care. Disempowerment
is a form of discrimination; it can be known as the ‘health worker knows best syndrome’. This is
where a health worker will make decisions for the service user, this can lead to low self esteem
and a lack of self-identity, and they will feel helpless and powerless. Discrimination can lead to a
lack of opportunities for service users.
Preventing discrimination helps to protect individual’s rights and their wellbeing. Care that is
provided without discriminatory practice is a higher level and quality of care. It ensures that
they feel empowered and that they feel like they have a say in their care.
R uses wheelchair when he is outside, but he does not like to be seen in it. His care workers try
to ensure that he is in his wheelchair when they go out to places like if they go shopping. He
should be able to have access to areas, this may mean having wider corridors for his
wheelchair, and shops could have lower counters that are at a wheelchair level so he can have
the independence of paying for his own things. This will empower him an he will be able have
the opportunity to do some things for himself and go to places and see people so he will have a
better sense of self and a higher sense of self-esteem.
,R has speech difficulties although going to speech
therapy seems to help him. His carers ask him to
repeat if they are not sure of what he has said. An
advocate could be bought in if his communication
issues get worse or if they want to ensure that he
gets treated without discrimination. This ensures that
he can communicate his needs correctly and that his
voice can be heard. This will ensure that his voice
gets heard and that he gets the care that he needs
and that care workers don’t just disempower him, so
that he also gets the type of care that he wants.
Jim is hard of hearing, and he does not use a hearing aid. His carers ensure that they are
speaking loudly and clearly to him so that he can understand everything that he is being told.
His carers could use communication boards for things if he struggles to hear things. Jim uses a
frame sometimes and otherwise he uses a walking stick. This means that he will understand
what is being told to him and that he can be involved in the type of care that he gets, this will
make him feel more confident and it may alleviate some stresses that he has about his care as
he knows that his carers care about him and what he wants.
Jim is a committed Christian and he attends the chapel
regularly. His carers support him with celebrating
Christian holidays like easter and Christmas and they
respect the fact that he doesn’t drink alcohol due to his
religion. If Jim would like the carer can prepare him a
dish lunch on a Friday and they can facilitate contact
with the minister where it is possible. And his care
workers should treat him with no indifference and
should not mention to him that he doesn’t agree with his views, for example, if they do not
agree with his religion, they should treat him the same as he would to someone who’s religion
he supports. This means that his beliefs will be respected, so he will feel that he is valued as an
individual and he will receive the care he needs.
P2 - skills and personal attributes necessary for professionals who care for individuals with
different needs
Care workers need certain skills and attributes to make service users standards of care as high
as they can. Personal attributes are based on the values of an individual and the things that
they believe that are important throughout life (your ethics), like being kind, caring and treating
others with respect.
The six C’s: care, compassion, competence, communication, courage, commitment.
Care is looking after and providing for the needs of individuals.
, Compassion is the awareness of the needs of others and helping them.
Competence is the ability to understand what an individual needs in their care, with
their expertise and knowledge to provide effective care that meet service user’s needs.
Communication is sharing information between two or more individuals that will help
provide care and support to service users.
Courage is the strength and vision of staff; they need to do the right thing for the
individuals that they are caring for.
Commitment is the determination that staff have so they can improve the service user’s
standards of care they receive and meeting the needs of the service users.
People skills
People skills help us to get on and communicate well with other people, they aid individuals to
develop good relationships. Care workers need to be empathetic and understand the emotions
of the service users and share their emotions. Being patient with service users is very important
so that service users feel valued, they need to tolerate issues without becoming annoyed.
Service users should feel trust in their care workers, doctors and GP’s etc. Care providers will
have to be flexible, being able to fit things in with their schedule etc. They should be able to
negotiate well and reach agreements with service users and other care professionals, they
should always try to be honest, and they need to be able to solve problems efficiently.
Communication skills
People who work in health and social care need to have good communication skills to make
service users feel comfortable and safe. Good communication will ensure that people
understand each other and that their needs can be met in different care settings. They help
care professionals to build relationships with service users, including their families and their
friends. Good communication skills also mean that important information can be shared
correctly and that work that is done with service users can be reported on and information can
be shared about their needs.
Health care professionals need to practice good communication techniques. Some of these
include active listening, the tone of your voice and the use of appropriate language.
Good listening involves hearing the words that are being spoken and thinking about what is
being said and what it means and thinking about what is best to say in return.
Active listening is the practice of listening and showing that you are truly hearing what is being
said and that you are appreciating it. Active listening involves allowing the individual to take
time to explain what they are talking about and not interrupting them. Using positive
affirmations while listening like nodding your head, and smiling and asking the individual to
clarity what they are saying shows that you are processing being said and it validates the
service users ego. Showing empathy and doing things like maintaining eye contact and not
being distracted is very important as it further empathizes your interest in what is being said.
