Omaima UNIT 2: P2 – P3
P2: Describe discriminatory practice in health and social care -
P3: Describe the potential effects of discriminatory practice on
those who use health or social care services.
Discrimination means treating a person unfairly because of who they are or because they possess
certain characteristics.
1. Infringement of rights
In Health and social care infringement of rights is when an individual’s rights are ignored or
abused whereby their needs are not met. Individuals are often ignored and not cared for
properly.
For example, in a care home there is an elderly Muslim woman who does not eat pork
because of her beliefs. The care worker offers to her gelatine which is made of pork telling
her that there are no other options of food. By doing that he is taking away her rights and
beliefs.
Another example might be in a hospital where a patient would like to discuss some
medications with a professional in private, but the worker does not agree to that.
The patient has the right to a private and family life which means he should be able to
enjoy his family relations and people should respect his privacy and his life preferences, as
long as it does not affect with the rights of others.
This type of discriminatory practice will lead to loss of rights.
Every human being has their own rights and they should be respected. There are different
ways an individual could lose rights.
For example, in the care home the elderly Muslim woman does not eat pork because of her
beliefs and the care giver does not give her any type of chance to choose other types of
halal meals that could support her beliefs. She is losing her right to freedom of thought,
belief and religion.
The second example is at the hospital where a patient would like to have a private
conversation with a professional, however the worker does not allow that.
This type of discriminatory practice will make the patient lose his right to confidentiality
which means that the professional will not have the conversation in private and for that
reason other people will know the service user’s private information such as medical
history.
2. Covert or overt abuse of power
Overt is clear discrimination which is done openly while covert is the opposite, which means
the discrimination is hidden and can be harder to know when someone is discriminated.
An example might be in a hospital, where two healthcare assistants are doing the same job
with the same qualification, but because they have different genders they get paid
differently from each other. In this case this type of discrimination is called overt because it
is happening openly. It is important to be informed of it and make sure that it is sorted out.
, Omaima UNIT 2: P2 – P3
A second example might be in a care home where a new job application comes though for a
care worker position but because of the applicant’s ethnicity and sexual orientation, he
does not get the position.
This type of discrimination is named covert discrimination because it is hidden. In this case
it is also important to be aware of it.
Covert or overt abuse of power could also lead to restricted opportunities.
This type of potential effect can especially happen to people that go through hidden
discrimination, because other individuals do not realize it.
An example might be the new application for the care worker position where it is not
shortlisted because of the applicant’s ethnicity and sexual orientation.
Nowadays most applications are made online where an individual must answer closed and
open questions regarding experience, qualification, beliefs, ethnicity and sometimes sexual
orientations. By answering the questions with honesty, it could lead to stereotyping and
prejudice which is another form of discrimination. This type of intolerance could happen
various times in different settings which could lead to limited chances for the person such as
job opportunities.
It can also happen with overt abuse of power.
For instance, in the hospital the two healthcare assistants get paid differently because of
their gender.
There could be more or different types of opportunities for one gender than the other which
is unfair.
3. Prejudice
Prejudice means having negative thoughts and judging an individual based on their looks
without knowing the person.
This can happen to everyone even in health and social care.
For instance, in a youth centre there are various teenagers that wear hoodies outdoors and
indoors. A new worker could have prejudice towards those young teenagers based on their
looks, the way they dress and carry themselves without trying to know them.
A second example might be in a nursery where a muslim worker wearing hijab who used to
work in pre-school started working in reception recently. Some of the workers could have
prejudiced towards the new nursery assistant because of her hijab, looks, skin colour and
beliefs.
Is extremely important to be aware of the prejudices and control them while working in
health and social care.
If prejudices get in the way with work the service users will not be treated fairly.
4. Stereotyping
This happens when a person has wrong and negative ideas about a group of people.
Stereotyping is obviously a dangerous thing to do in the health and social care profession,
as it leads to wrong assumptions and discriminatory practice, which is illegal and could lead
to someone being harmed.
P2: Describe discriminatory practice in health and social care -
P3: Describe the potential effects of discriminatory practice on
those who use health or social care services.
Discrimination means treating a person unfairly because of who they are or because they possess
certain characteristics.
1. Infringement of rights
In Health and social care infringement of rights is when an individual’s rights are ignored or
abused whereby their needs are not met. Individuals are often ignored and not cared for
properly.
For example, in a care home there is an elderly Muslim woman who does not eat pork
because of her beliefs. The care worker offers to her gelatine which is made of pork telling
her that there are no other options of food. By doing that he is taking away her rights and
beliefs.
Another example might be in a hospital where a patient would like to discuss some
medications with a professional in private, but the worker does not agree to that.
The patient has the right to a private and family life which means he should be able to
enjoy his family relations and people should respect his privacy and his life preferences, as
long as it does not affect with the rights of others.
This type of discriminatory practice will lead to loss of rights.
Every human being has their own rights and they should be respected. There are different
ways an individual could lose rights.
For example, in the care home the elderly Muslim woman does not eat pork because of her
beliefs and the care giver does not give her any type of chance to choose other types of
halal meals that could support her beliefs. She is losing her right to freedom of thought,
belief and religion.
The second example is at the hospital where a patient would like to have a private
conversation with a professional, however the worker does not allow that.
This type of discriminatory practice will make the patient lose his right to confidentiality
which means that the professional will not have the conversation in private and for that
reason other people will know the service user’s private information such as medical
history.
2. Covert or overt abuse of power
Overt is clear discrimination which is done openly while covert is the opposite, which means
the discrimination is hidden and can be harder to know when someone is discriminated.
An example might be in a hospital, where two healthcare assistants are doing the same job
with the same qualification, but because they have different genders they get paid
differently from each other. In this case this type of discrimination is called overt because it
is happening openly. It is important to be informed of it and make sure that it is sorted out.
, Omaima UNIT 2: P2 – P3
A second example might be in a care home where a new job application comes though for a
care worker position but because of the applicant’s ethnicity and sexual orientation, he
does not get the position.
This type of discrimination is named covert discrimination because it is hidden. In this case
it is also important to be aware of it.
Covert or overt abuse of power could also lead to restricted opportunities.
This type of potential effect can especially happen to people that go through hidden
discrimination, because other individuals do not realize it.
An example might be the new application for the care worker position where it is not
shortlisted because of the applicant’s ethnicity and sexual orientation.
Nowadays most applications are made online where an individual must answer closed and
open questions regarding experience, qualification, beliefs, ethnicity and sometimes sexual
orientations. By answering the questions with honesty, it could lead to stereotyping and
prejudice which is another form of discrimination. This type of intolerance could happen
various times in different settings which could lead to limited chances for the person such as
job opportunities.
It can also happen with overt abuse of power.
For instance, in the hospital the two healthcare assistants get paid differently because of
their gender.
There could be more or different types of opportunities for one gender than the other which
is unfair.
3. Prejudice
Prejudice means having negative thoughts and judging an individual based on their looks
without knowing the person.
This can happen to everyone even in health and social care.
For instance, in a youth centre there are various teenagers that wear hoodies outdoors and
indoors. A new worker could have prejudice towards those young teenagers based on their
looks, the way they dress and carry themselves without trying to know them.
A second example might be in a nursery where a muslim worker wearing hijab who used to
work in pre-school started working in reception recently. Some of the workers could have
prejudiced towards the new nursery assistant because of her hijab, looks, skin colour and
beliefs.
Is extremely important to be aware of the prejudices and control them while working in
health and social care.
If prejudices get in the way with work the service users will not be treated fairly.
4. Stereotyping
This happens when a person has wrong and negative ideas about a group of people.
Stereotyping is obviously a dangerous thing to do in the health and social care profession,
as it leads to wrong assumptions and discriminatory practice, which is illegal and could lead
to someone being harmed.
