Explain how one piece of legislation, one policy and one code of practice could be
applied to planning support for individuals.
Legislation:
HUMAN RIGHTS ACT 1998
The Human rights act is a law passed on 1998 which in summary, says that all individuals
have an entitlement to have their rights respected, acknowledged and followed. In the health
and social care context, Health and Social Care practitioners have a duty to promote the
rights of their patient and service users. It is important for them to care and help the patients
according to their needs and preferences while recognising their rights.
Some of the rights enlisted in the human rights act 1998 are:
1. Right to life
2. Right to Privacy
3. Right to Education
4. Right for freedom of expression
5. Right to freedom of religion and beliefs.
This in turn will allow health and social care professionals who are planning support for
individuals to ensure that none of the actions they do and contents of the care plan such as
goals or targets will violate any of the rights present in the human rights act like the ones
mentioned above. Not only that, this act, like other legislations, will also help individuals who
are subjected to have support ensure that the health and social care practitioners who will be
working with them will provide the highest standard of care that they could give and do not
do anything that can place them on harm or at risk.
For example, in the case of Maureen, despite her being unable to see, it is important that
she will still be respected the same way that any other individual would be. She should be
treated equally, without any discrimination and should still be included by the health care
professionals in how the care plan for her should be made and through the human rights act
1998, the planning of support for Maureen should be in accordance with this law and ensure
that non of her rights would be offended whether she will be able to see it or not.
Code of Practice:
ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN THE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE OF
SERVICE USERS
Establishing trust or ‘rapport’ starts at the first moment a health and social care practitioner
meet their service users. It is like a key that will help professionals to let patients open up
and be confident about the service that they will receive. In order to do that, a health and
social care practitioner must be a competent health worker where the Knowledge, Skills and