This document defines key terms related to diversity, equality, inclusion, discrimination, racism, homophobia, and Islamophobia. It provides definitions for diversity, equality, inclusion, direct and indirect discrimination. Examples are given for various types of discrimination including racism in criminal justice, homophobia in employment, and Islamophobia experienced by women in public. Ways to promote equality and diversity are outlined as well as some effects of exclusion and discrimination such as higher rates of unemployment and poverty for disabled individuals.

1. MERCY AMOAH
1.1 DEFINITIONS
Diversity
Aims to recognise, respect and value people’s differences to contribute and realise their full
potential by promoting an inclusive culture for all.
Ref: http://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity/about/equality-diversity
Equality
Is ensuring individuals or groups of individuals are not treated differently or less favourably
, on the basis of their specific protected characteristic, including areas of race, gender,
disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation and age.
Ref: http://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity/about/equality-diversity
How can we promote equality and diversity?
We can promote equality and diversity by:
 treating all staff and students fairly
 creating an inclusive culture for all staff and students
 ensuring equal access to opportunities to enable students to fully participate in the
learning process
 enabling all staff and students to develop to their full potential
 equipping staff and students with the skills to challenge inequality and discrimination
in their work/study environment
 making certain that any learning materials do not discriminate against any
individuals or groups
 ensuring policies, procedures and processes don't discriminate

2. Inclusion
a sense of belonging: feeling respected, valued for who you are; feeling a level of supportive
energy and commitment from others so that you can do your best. Inclusion is a term
used by people with disabilities and other disability right advocates for the idea that all
people should be freely and openly without pity. Accommodate any person with a
disability without restrictions or limitations of any kind.
Some effects of exclusion and discrimination
 Young disabled people aged 16 are twice as likely not to be in any form of education,
employment or training (NEET) as their non-disabled peers. (1)
 By the age of 26, young disabled people are more than three times as likely as other
young people to agree with the statement “whatever I do has no real effect on what
happens to me”. (2)
 Forty-nine per cent of disabled people of working age do not work, and disabled people
are at considerable risk of living in poverty, with severe consequences for their families
and children. (3)
 Around 1 in 4 children in severe poverty live with a disabled adult (4)
References
1. The Equalities Review (2006) “Interim Report”
2. Burchardt (2005) ‘The education and employment of disabled young people: frustrated
ambition’ (JRF)
3. Lyon, N., Barnes, M. and Sweiry, D. (2006) ‘Families with Children in Britain: Findings from
the 2004 Families and Children Study’, Department for Work and Pensions Research Report
340.
4. Save the Children, ‘Measuring Severe Child Poverty in the UK”, Policy Briefing 2010
Ref: http://www.keystoinclusion.co.uk/what -is-inclusion-
2/?doing_wp_cron=1505818921.0131471157073974609375 Miller and Katz (2002) defined

3. Discrimination
Means treating a person unfairly because of who they are or because they possess certain
characteristics.
Treating a person or particular group of people differently, especially in a worse way from the
way in which you treat other people, because of their skin colour, sex, sexuality, etc.:
Discrimination can occur in the following forms:
Direct Discrimination
Under similar circumstances, when a person with a protected characteristic is treated less
favourably than others, it is direct discrimination.
For example – you have the qualifications and experience necessary for the job but your
application is turned down because you are ‘too young’ or ‘too old’.
Indirect Discrimination
If there is a rule or policy in the workplace that puts you at a disadvantage as compared to
others, it may be considered indirect discrimination.
For example – an organisation includes a clause that forces all employees to work on Sunday.
This puts Christians at a particular disadvantage as it is common knowledge that Sunday is a
day of worship for Christians.
Ref: http://www.eoc.org.uk/what-is-discrimination/
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/discrimination

4. Directdiscrimination
This means treating someone less favourably because of their age‚ or because of the age
they appear to be.
For example:
 A company refuses to recruit a person simply because they’re over 50.
 An organisation has a practice of only promoting people under the age of 50 to senior
positions.
Indirectdiscrimination
This means having a policy or practice which puts people of a certain age group at a
disadvantage compared with other people.
For example:
 A company restricts recruitment to recent graduates – fewer older people would be
able to meet this requirement
 A firm introduces a fitness test which all employees are required to pass. This could
be indirect discrimination if fewer older employees are likely to be able to pass the
test. However, it may be possible for the firm to justify this policy. They would have to
show that the testing policy was necessary to achieve health and safety aims and
that there was no less discriminatory way of achieving these aims.
Both direct and indirect discrimination are unlawful unless the employer can justify the
discrimination‚ or an exemption applies.

5. What is ageism?
Ageism, discrimination based on a person’s age, has a dramatic‚ detrimental effect on older
people but this is often not acknowledged.
We want to highlight age discrimination as a major issue that needs to be addressed to
ensure the fair treatment of older people.
Some of these situations may be familiar to you:
 Losing your job because of your age
 Being refused interest-free credit‚ a new credit card or car insurance because of your
age
 Finding that an organisation’s attitude to older people results in you receiving a lower
quality of service
 A doctor deciding not to refer you to a consultant because you are ‘too old’
 Ageism is illegal in employment, training and education.
Why is Ageism unacceptable?
Ageism is not obvious. You may not be aware it's happening‚ but it may result in you
receiving different treatment.
Until the Equality Bill comes into force in 2012, making ageism unlawful in the provision of
products and services where it has negative or harmful consequences, there is no legal
remedy to stop it. But we’re determined to highlight its effects and campaign against it.
Ageism - often referred to as age discrimination - exists in many areas of life and not only
causes personal hardship and injustice but also harms the economy.
We are campaigning to end ageism in all walks of life. We believe older people should have
equal rights to participate and enjoy all the benefits of a modern society.
http://www.ageuk.org.uk/scotland/work-and-learning/discrimination-and-rights/what-is-ageism-/

6. 2.1
What is Racism?
Racism is when someone's treated differently or unfairly just because of their race or culture.
People can also experience prejudice, when a decision is made or opinion formed without
knowledge, thought or reason, because of their religion or nationality.
Example:
Police Arrests for Marijuana
While marijuana use is similar in black and white communities, blacks are 3.73 times as
likely to be arrested for possession of marijuana as whites.
Ref: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/18-examples-of-racism-in-criminal-legal-
system_us_57f26bf0e4b095bd896a1476
Ref: https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/crime-law/racism/
What is homophobia?
Encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people
who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT).
It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, may be based on
irrational fear, and is often related to religious beliefs.
Again, it’s Irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or Gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) people.
Homophobia manifests in different forms and types have been postulated, among which are
internalized homophobia, social homophobia, emotional homophobia, rationalized
homophobia, and others. There were also ideas to classify homophobia, racism, and sexism
as an intolerant personality disorder.
Ref: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homophobia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophobia
Example:

7. A GLBT person may experience discrimination by being refused opportunities for promotion
or denied access to public services.
Ref: http://www.befrienders.org/discrimination
ISLAMOPHOBIA
is defined as Intense dislike or fear of Islam, esp. as a political force; hostility or prejudice
towards Muslims. Several scholars consider Islamophobia to be a form of xenophobia or racism.
A 2007 article in Journal of Sociology defines Islamophobia as anti-Muslim racism and a
continuation of anti-Asian, anti-Turkic and anti-Arab racism.
Example of Islamophobia:
Khan, who heads up anti-extremist organisation Inspire, is a female victim of Islamophobia in
Britain.
 “I’ve been spat on in the street when I’ve worn my headscarf,” Sara Khan tells me.
 “I’ve been called ‘Osama Bin Laden’s wife’. I’ve had people come right up to my face
effing and blinding – even when I was pushing my six-month-old daughter in her
pram".
 Khan also tells about one friend who had dog faeces put on her head, and another
who was waiting at a bus stop, listening to her iPod and wearing a headscarf, when a
man suddenly punched her. She was left with a black eye.
These are not isolated incidents. The Metropolitan Police has just released new statistics
showing anti-Muslim hate crimes in Britain have risen by 70 per cent in the past year.
 Tell Mama, an organisation that monitors Islamophobia attacks, says 60 per cent are
directed at women, and happen on the street - as opposed to online.
 Founder Fiyaz Mughal explains: “It’s because the more physical, abusive ones
[attacks] are directed at visibility - which means the hijab (headscarf) and the niqab
(full-face veil).”

8. It means that women become obvious targets for racists.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamophobia
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11848780/Islamophobic-Britain-Muslim-women-
are-spat-on-and-covered-in-faeces.html
Sexism means discrimination based on sex or gender, or the belief that men are superior
to women and thus discrimination is justified. Such a belief can be conscious or
unconscious.
Sexist discrimination against girls and women is a means of maintaining male
domination and power.
The oppression or discrimination can be economic, political, social, or cultural.
Thus, included in sexism are:
 Sexist attitudes or ideology, including beliefs, theories, and ideas that
hold one group (usually male) as deservedly superior to the other
(usually female) and that justify oppressing members of the other group
based on their sex or gender.
 Sexist practices and institutions, the ways in which oppression is carried
out. These needs not be done with a conscious sexist attitude, but may
be unconscious cooperation in a system which has been in place
already in which one sex (usually female) has less power and goods in
the society.
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-sexism-3529186

9. Anti-discriminatorypractice
Any practice meant to counter discrimination in the UK (based on race, class, gender,
disability, etc.) and promote equality by introducing anti-discrimination policies in the
workplace and in care settings.
Aims to counteract the negative effects of discrimination on patients/clients and to combat
discrimination in all its forms. You must not be involved in any actions that could be seen as
discriminatory or potentially insulting to any individual or group, including your colleagues.
The organisation you work for will have policies that provide guidance on anti-discriminatory
practice, and you should also be able to access training on anti-discriminatory practice
through your employer.
Examples:
 There have been some cases regarding older people going to their GPs for help and
their GPs not giving the appropriate treatment they need and deserve because they
think the problem is down to their age. Such was the case for Jean Austin who went
to her GP with a problem about her foot causing her problems which affected her job,
when she saw him he simply put it down to her age she said he told me to wear
sensible shoes - or "treat" myself to a private consultation as a retirement present.
"His attitude was: 'Look at your age - you're coming up to 60'. In the end Jean
managed to get an x-ray done which showed a broken bone in her foot. This shows
discriminatory practice to an older lady who went to her doctor for some help but the
GP automatically putting her problem down to how old she was.
 Andrew Moyhing, 29, said he abandoned nursing because he was not allowed to do
the job properly in a female-dominated profession." During training in the NHS
hospitals he was denied the opportunity to examine women and to provide cervical
smears or electrocardiogram tests that might expose a patient's breasts unless he
was chaperoned by a female colleague, which he then complained that female
nurses are allowed to examine male clients when there is no chaperone around
http://rcnhca.org.uk/equality-diversity-and-rights/anti-discriminatory-practice/
http://www.markedbyteachers.com/as-and-a-level/healthcare/describe-4-examples-of-discriminatory-
practice.html
Anti-Discriminatory Practice reduce the likelihood of discrimination
You can reduce the chances of discrimination happening by the way that you work. As a
health or social care worker it is your duty to work in ways that promote:
Equality, diversity, inclusion.
These principles should be included into everything that you do. To achieve this, you should:
 Respect diversity by providing person-centred care

10.  Treat the individuals you support as unique rather than treating all individuals in the
same way
 Ensure you work in a non-judgemental way. Do not allow judgemental beliefs to
affect the care and support you provide
 Follow the agreed ways of working in your workplace to create an environment that is
free from discrimination.
 Work in an inclusive way that sees the positive input that all individuals can make to
society and to their own care
 Be confident to challenge or confront discriminatory practice if you see this in your
workplace.
http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Documents/Learning-and-development/Care-Certificate/Standard-4.pdf

11. We can promote equality and diversity by:
 treating all staff and students fairly
 creating an inclusive culture for all staff and students
 ensuring equal access to opportunities to enable students to fully participate
in the learning process
 enabling all staff and students to develop to their full potential
 equipping staff and students with the skills to challenge inequality and
discrimination in their work/study environment
 making certain that any learning materials do not discriminate against any
individuals or groups
 ensuring policies, procedures and processes don't discriminate
Treat people in accordance with needs
Give respect - recognise individuals
Don’t stereotype - no prejudice
Be inclusive
Treat people equally
Go on training course

12. Give rights
Give independence
Give autonomy
Legislation
Equality and diversity legislation - Equality Act 2010.
The new Equality Act came into force on 1 October 2010. The Equality Act brings
together over 116 separate pieces of legislation into one single Act. Combined, they
make up a new Act that will provide a legal framework to protect the rights of
individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all.
Equality Act 2010
The Act will simplify, strengthen and harmonise the current legislation to provide a
new discrimination law which protects individuals from unfair treatment and promotes
a fair and more equal society.
The nine main pieces of legislation that have merged are:
 the Equal Pay Act 1970
 the Sex Discrimination Act 1975
 the Race Relations Act 1976
 the Disability Discrimination Act 1995
 the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003
 the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003
 the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006
 the Equality Act 2006, Part 2
 the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007
A summary overview of the Act can be found below, with further guidance available
on the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) website, and the full version
of the Act on the Government website:
A briefing of the Equality Act 2010 (PDF)
EHRC Guidance
EHRC Equality Act good practice starter kit - videos and presentations to help you understand the
Equality Act 2010
Equality Act 2010
Specific Public Sector Equality Duties

13. The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011 (the Regulations) came into force
on 10 September 2011.
The Regulations set out the specific public-sector equality duties that certain public bodies
must comply with.
The aim of the specific duties is to help public bodies comply with the general duty to
promote equality in the workplace contained in the Equality Act 2010, which has been in
force since 5 April 2011.
General Equality Duty
The general single equality duty requires public bodies, in the exercise of their functions, to
have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation,
advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share or have
different protected characteristics.
The duty explains that having due regard for advancing equality involves:
 Removing or minimising disadvantages suffered by people due to their protected
characteristics
 Taking steps to meet the needs of people from protected groups where these are
different from the needs of other people
 Encouraging people from protected groups to participate in public life or in other
activities where their participation is disproportionately low.

14. In describing the provision of a service, the term inclusive practice;
refers to the principle that a service must be responsive to the needs of all users and
that diversity will be acknowledged and respected.
Inclusive practice means the service will not discriminate against people or treat
them unfairly based on differences, and that negative stereotypes will be challenged.
Inclusive practice promotes equality and support diversity in health and social
environment when staff is doing an activity that include all individuals from all
backgrounds, races, ethnicities and ages.
To work in ways that are inclusive;
You need to understand and value the things that make people different. The care
and support you provide must be specific to everyone’s needs, wishes and
preferences. It should be person centred care which builds in the likes and dislikes,
beliefs and personal history of an individual to meet their needs in the best way
possible.
For example, towards the disabled could be to install wheelchair ramps, adapt
toilets, adjust the heights of worktops, install hearing loops, improve staff training and
install stair or wheel chair lifts

16. DESCRIBE 3 APPROACHES TO CHALLENGING DISCRIMINATION
1. I could actively challenge discrimination by acting as a role model for positive
behaviour
2. Empowering people to challenge discrimination themselves
3. Discrimination usually occurs through ignorance. By making a person aware
of the facts, it will educate them and hopefully change their opinions and
action in the future
https://www.procarecertificate.co.uk/en/training_video/ways-of-working-that-reduce-the-likelihood-of-
discrimination
Knowledge of individual's beliefs,culture,values,needs
As human beings, we all have our own values, beliefs and attitudes that we have
developed throughout the course of our lives. Everyone is entitled to their own values,
attitudes and beliefs. It is important to accept and respect that other people may well have
different attitudes, values and beliefs than you. We do not have the right to expect that
others change their values, attitudes and beliefs just because they are different to ours.
Our family, friends, community and the experiences we have had all contribute to our sense
of who we are and how we view the world.
What are values?
Values are principles, standards or qualities that an individual or group of people hold in
high regard. These values guide the way we live our lives and the decisions we make. A
value may be defined as something that we hold dear, those things/qualities which we
consider to be of worth.
A ‘value’ is commonly formed by a belief that is related to the worth of an idea or type of
behaviour.
Examples:
 Some people may see great value in saving the world’s rainforests.
 However, a person who relies on the logging of a forest for their job may not place
the same value on the forest as a person who wants to save it.
Values can influence many of the judgments we make as well as have an impact on the
support we give clients. It is important that we do not influence client’s decisions based on
our values. We should always work from the basis of supporting the client’s values.
Examplesof interaction with individuals that respecttheir culture;
 One of my residents wants to go to Church every Sunday as he used to do before. I
asked a member of staff to escort him and I made sure a cab is booked on Sunday to
allow the resident to go to Church.
 One of my residents is from India and is a pure vegetarian. I make sure the care
assistants are aware about her culture and will not serve to her any meat or fish
Ref: http://www.studymode.com/subjects/how-working-in-an-inclusive-way-reduces-likelihood-of-discrimination-
page1.html
http://www.studymode.com/essays/a-Reflective-Account-On-Personal-Preferences-1082041.html

17. Ref: source from a printed reliable handout
Promoting and supporting an individual's right
to dignity, independence, health and safety. People who require health care,
particularly long-term health care, may feel like their dignity and independence are
slipping away from them. Promotion – Rights, privacy, dignity, wellbeing and
health of the service users
Value Diversity
Employees should be encouraged to value diversity and respect the attributes that
make people different. Individual care plans should be developed to reflect the likes,
dislikes, personal history and beliefs of the individual.
Person centredPractice
Is a way of thinking and doing things that sees the people using health and social
services as equal partners in planning, developing and monitoring care to make
sure it meets their needs. It’s also about ensuring someone with a disability is at the
centre of decisions which relate to their life. A person-centred process involves
listening, thinking together, coaching, sharing ideas, and seeking feedback.
To work in ways that are inclusive you need to understand and value the things that
make people different. The care and support you provide must be specific to each
individual’s needs, wishes and preferences. It should be person-centred care
which builds in the likes and dislikes, beliefs and personal history of an individual to
meet their needs in the best way possible.
There are many differentaspects of person centred care, including:
 Respecting people’s values and putting people at the centre of care
 Taking into account people’s preferences and expressed needs
 coordinating and integrating care
 working together to make sure there is good communication, information and
education
 Making sure people are physically comfortable and safe
 Emotional support
 Involving family and friends making sure there is continuity between and
within services
 And making sure people have access to appropriate care when they need it.

18. Working in a person-centred way
Your role is to help people choose the way their care needs are met and also to
help them plan for the longer term. People’s choices will be different depending on
the types of tasks you are doing together and their abilities. If a person makes a
decision that you feel is risky, discuss your concerns with them, and if possible
support them to understand the risks.
It is about considering people’s desires, values, family situations, social
circumstances and lifestyles; seeing the person as an individual, and working
together to develop appropriate solutions. Person-centred care is a high priority
making sure that people are involved in and central to their care is now recognised
as a key component of developing high quality healthcare.
Supporting active participation
People who use services have a right to be seen as individuals with different
preferences, skills and abilities. Respecting this basic right means involving them in
the way their care and support is delivered. It is the key in moving from ‘doing to’ to
‘doing with’. This can happen informally with individuals or in more formal settings,
such as residents’ meetings or service user groups.

19. It is hoped that putting people at the centre of their care will:
 Improve the quality of the services available
 help people get the care they need when they need it
 help people be more active in looking after themselves
 and reduce some of the pressure on health and social services. In the UK, there is
increasing demand for health services and there are limited resources. People are
living longer and may often have many health conditions as they age. Research has
found that person-centred care can help to improve people’s health and reduce the
burden on health services.
Access to services
Facilitating access and making better and more efficient use of services (including
primary care, social services and health care services) may help older people to
lead more independent lives, which in turn helps maintain good health. It is
particularly relevant to health and wellbeing boards.
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 gives people with disabilities important rights
to use and access services without being subjected to disability discrimination.
It imposes a duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments to their
policies, practices and premises and provide auxiliary aids to improve accessibility of
services for people with disabilities.
Access to services is not just about installing ramps and widening doorways for
wheelchair users - it is about making services easier to use for all people with
disabilities, including people who are blind, deaf or have a learning disability.

20. Supporting active participation
 Individuals must be given as much control of their life as possible as this
supports an individual to build their identity and self-esteem.
 Individuals have a right to participate in the activities and relationships of
everyday life as independently as possible
 Individual’s should be given equal opportunity of achieving their goals, valuing
their diversity and finding solutions that work for them.

22. Refs:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1242&bih=636&ei=fAABWq3wIcK6aqu_sbgG&q=what+is+pers
on+centred+practice&oq=what+is+person+centred+&gs_l=psy-
ab.1.5.35i39k1j0l9.233173.235061.0.240153.6.6.0.0.0.0.141.649.0j5.5.0....0...1.1.64.psy-
ab..1.5.645...0i22i30k1.0.Go9R_ze9_r8
https://healthinnovationnetwork.com/system/ckeditor_assets/attachments/41/what_is_person-
centred_care_and_why_is_it_important.pdf
https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1242&bih=636&ei=bgEBWpLtF4j9aZ_1oKgH&q=what+is+pro
moting+rights+in+health+and+social+care&oq=what+is+promoting+r&gs_l=psy-
ab.1.1.0i22i30k1l10.2170372.2187020.0.2190865.32.24.0.0.0.0.286.3317.2j18j3.23.0....0...1.1.64.psy
-ab..12.20.3018...0j0i67k1j0i22i10i30k1j35i39k1j0i131k1.0.mH_3wmgadHU
https://spearheadelearning.com/equality-and-diversity-in-health-and-social-care/
https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1242&bih=636&ei=Yg4BWoSkF4KvaeCTsdAG&q=access+to+
services&oq=access+to+services&gs_l=psy-
ab.3..35i39k1j0i67k1j0l8.339698.342695.0.343943.23.13.0.0.0.0.167.1511.2j10.12.0....0...1.1.64.psy-
ab..15.8.1115...0i22i30k1.0.ScQkOqiNtyg
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/access-to-everyday-services
https://healthinnovationnetwork.com/system/ck editor_assets/attachments/41/what_is_person-
centred_care_and_why_is_it_important.pdf
https://www.scie.org.uk/workforce/induction/standards/cis07_personcentredsupport.asp
https://www.acs.asn.au/wcm/documents/ACS%20Website/Resources/Wellness%20Reablement/Tool
s/Guide%20to%20Implementing%20Person%20Centred%20Practice%20in%20Aged%20Care.pdf
www.skillsforcare.org.uk

23. What Is an EthicalDilemma?
There are three conditions that must be present for a situation to be considered an
ethical dilemma.
 First condition occurs in situations when an individual, called the “agent,” must
make a decision about which course of action is best. Situations that are
uncomfortable but that don’t require a choice, are not ethical dilemmas.
For example, students in their internships are required to be under the supervision of
an appropriately credentialed social work field instructor. Therefore, because there is
no choice in the matter, there is no ethical violation or breach of confidentiality when
a student discusses a case with the supervisor.
 Second condition for ethical dilemma is that there must be different courses of
action to choose from.
 Third, in an ethical dilemma, no matter what course of action is taken, some
ethical principle is compromised. In other words, there is no perfect solution.
In determining what constitutes an ethical dilemma, it is necessary to make a
distinction between ethics, values, morals, and laws and policies.
Two Types of Dilemmas
 An “absolute” or “pure” ethical dilemma only occurs when two (or more)
ethical standards apply to a situation but are in conflict with each other.
 For example, a social worker in a rural community with limited mental health
care services is consulted on a client with agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder
involving a fear of open and public spaces. Although this problem is outside of
the clinician’s general competence, the limited options for treatment, coupled
with the client`s discomfort in being too far from home, would likely mean the
client might not receive any services if the clinician declined on the basis of a
lack of competence. Denying to see the patient then would be potentially in
conflict with our commitment to promote the well-being of clients. This is a
pure ethical dilemma because two ethical standards conflict.
 However, there are some complicated situations that require a decision but
may also involve conflicts between values, laws, and policies. Although these
are not absolute ethical dilemmas, we can think of them as “approximate”
dilemmas.
 For example, an approximate dilemma occurs when a social worker is legally
obligated to make a report of child or domestic abuse and has concerns about
the releasing of information. The social worker may experience tension
between the legal requirement to report and the desire to respect
confidentiality.

24.  Meanwhile, because the NASW code of ethics acknowledges our obligation to
follow legal requirements and to intervene to protect the vulnerable,
technically, there is no absolute ethical dilemma present.
 Again, the social worker experiences this as a dilemma of some kind and
needs to reach some kind of resolution. Breaking the situation down and
identifying the ethics, morals, values, legal issues, and policies involved as
well as distinguishing between personal and professional dimensions can help
with the decision-making process in approximate dilemmas.
http://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/ethics-articles/What_Is_an_Ethical_Dilemma%3F/
Duty of Care is defined simply as a legal obligation to:
 always act in the best interest of individuals and others
 not act or fail to act in a way that results in harm
 act within your competence and not take on anything you do not believe you
can safely do.
As a care worker, you owe a duty of care to the people you support, your colleagues,
your employer, yourself and the public interest. Everyone has a duty of care – it is
not something that you can opt out of.
When acting in a person’s best interests you must do so with their consent unless
you have evidence that the person lacks capacity to make that particular decision at
the time it needs to be made.
If you are employed directly to support someone in their own home, duty of care still
applies.
Effective person-centredcare has the potentialto achieve the
following things
Meeting people’s needs and expectations
There is evidence that most people want to play an active part in their own care, and
expect health professionals to help them to do so. Person-centred approaches, such
as;
 shared decision making and self-management support, specifically aim to
enable people to play a more active role in defining the outcomes that are
important to them, deciding the treatment and support that is best for them,
and managing their health and care. There is evidence that people who have
the opportunity and support to make decisions about their treatment and care
in partnership with their health professional(s) are more satisfied with their
care.

25. Improving clinical outcomes Person-centred approaches can improve clinical
outcomes.
 For example, various types of self-management support have been found to
improve physical symptoms or clinical outcomes in people with arthritis,
asthma, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, heart failure, stroke, cancer
and other conditions, at least in the short term. 3 Evidence for improved
clinical outcomes as a result of shared decision making is often the result of
improved adherence to medication.
Increasing staff satisfaction and morale There has been some research showing
that offering care in a more person-centred way can improve outcomes for
professionals.
 Example, a review of seven studies about professionals delivering person-
centred care in nursing homes found that this approach improved job
satisfaction, reduced emotional exhaustion and increased the sense of
accomplishment amongst professionals.
Improving cost-effectiveness There are a range of studies showing that person-
centred approaches such as self-management support and shared decision making
can reduce service usage.
 Example a Cochrane review of 36 self-management trials found that self-
monitoring and agenda setting reduced hospitalisations, A&E visits,
unscheduled visits to the doctor and days off work or school for people with
asthma.
 There is also evidence that when people are fully informed about care and
treatment they choose less invasive and costly treatments.
Ref: http://personcentredcare.health.org.uk/person-centred-care/overview-of-person-centred-
care/why-person-centred-care-important
Privacy and dignity
Two important values when providing care and support are:
privacy
 Giving someone space where and when they need it
 Treating personal information confidentially
dignity
 Focusing on the value of every individual
 Respecting an individual’s views, choices
 and decisions

26.  Not making assumptions
 Working with care and compassion
 Communicating directly with the individual whenever possible.
Privacy refers to freedom from intrusion and relates to all information and practice
that is personal or sensitive in nature to an individual
Dignity is being worthy of respect
Issues with dignity and respect will depend on your workplace. Some examples of
ways in which you can work that respect individuals’ dignity are:
 Ask individuals before touching them in any way
 Knocking or speaking before entering the particular space or room they are in
 Making sure curtains, screens or doors are properly closed before supporting
a person to wash or dress
 Arranging clothing or hospital gowns in a dignified way
 Not making an individual wait to use the toilet or be left too long for you to
return.
Choice and control are key defining aspects of dignity. Involving individuals in
decisions that affect them helps to promote dignity.
Individuals must be supported to make informed decisions
by explaining:
 All available options
 The risks associated with the options
 Implications of making the choices.
The ability to control and care for oneself contributes to privacy and dignity.
Individuals should be supported to develop self-care skills to enable them to live
more independently.
Self-care skills include:
 Finding information
 Accessing appropriate training
 Participating in support
groups and networks.
Ref: https://www.uhb.nhs.uk/privacy-and-dignity.htm
www.skillsforcare.org.uk/

27. Risk assessment
Risk assessment is a key part of care, support, rehabilitation or treatment plans. A
five-step process is recommended:
 Identify the hazards
 Decide who might be harmed and how
 Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
 Record your findings and implement them
 Review your assessment and update if necessary
Risk enablement
 It is the individual’s right to make choices and take risks once they understand
the information available and are aware of the risks
 Risk enablement involves supporting individuals to identify and assess risks
and then supporting them to take the risks they choose.

28. Information,adviceand support
In the course of your work there may be times when you need to take action to find
out more information about diversity, equality and inclusion. This might be as a result
of:
 reflecting on your own work and finding that you need to develop your skills
and knowledge
 needing to know how to apply the principles of diversity, equality and
inclusion to an unfamiliar situation
 witnessing discrimination or unfair treatment in someone else’s work and
needing advice on how to deal with it.
Information, advice and support in relation to diversity, equality, inclusion and
discrimination can be found in a number of places. Reflecting on situations and
experiences will help you to decide if you do need further information, support or
advice; this will help you to develop as a worker.
Sources of information, advice and support could include:
 looking into the ways of working of your organisation
 checking out the Care Quality Commission’s Essential Standards of quality
and safety
 speaking to your manager for advice and guidance and for extra support or
for ideas on where to go or who to speak to for further information
Ref: http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Documents/Learning-and-development/Care-
Certificate/Standard-4.pdf