Protected people; Age, disability, gender
reassignment, marriage and civil partnership,
pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and
belief, sex, sexual orientation
Vulnerable groups
• children and young people Children Act • vulnerable adults Equality Act (Mental Health Act)
• people with disabilities Equality Act (Disability Discrimination) • minority ethnic groups Equality Act
(Race Relations Act) • men and women Equality Act (Sex Discrimination Act) • Older people Equality
Act (MHA/DDA)
The Equality Act
The Equality Act 2010 brings together all previous equality laws. It makes it law that every private,
public and voluntary sector must not discriminate against employees and service users because of
particular characteristics! So, if they discriminate against their employees or service users, they could
be breaking the law!
Key features
~Gives people rights Makes direct and indirect discrimination illegal ~ Created a system of redress
(redress means ‘to put something right’) ~Protects from harassment and victimisation ~Covers housing,
education, employment transport, public bodies, associations
Evaluation
Strengths
• helps raise awareness • gives people more rights – gives everyone more right • more equality in
terms of job opportunities • high profile cases have been won which the public have heard about
• school curriculum more equality and encouragement to partake in range of subjects • helped to
reduce discrimination – through policies
Weaknesses
• legislation alone does not reduce discrimination / discrimination still exists • more emphasis
needed within education, advertising, media etc to improve role models and reduce stereotypes
• difficult to police the amount of discrimination occurring / hard to prove • top positions in business
and politics still non ethnic minority groups /men • due to socialisation attitudes may become
ingrained. • cost / emotional stress and time to take cases to court • many people unaware of their
rights • fear of victimisation • new Equality Act is less well known than other laws, and may take time
to embed
Confidentiality
Need to Know
Restricting access to confidential information about an individual unless a person has
a clear reason to access it.
When can it be broken?
- when a person who uses services is at risk of harm - when others may be at risk of harm - when the
person who uses services is at risk of harming others - when the person who uses services is
intending to or is breaking the law (a serious crime)
Social exclusion
Social exclusion is a situation in which some people are unable to participate fully in normal social
activated in their society due to barriers which exist. People do not feel like part of their society
because they are poor or do not have a job.
Inverse care law
those who need the care the most are less likely to get it. Eg if your poor and uneducated, you are in
more need to go to the doctors for a check up, however they are the least likey to go. This may
because they cant afford travel, they don’t understand the importance, ect.
Barriers
Psychological
- Having to have a helper with you around college highlights your disability = more independent
- Closed paces within college, social anxiety, panic attacks = have less people in the college or have
bigger seat areas. - Have support groups to help those with a mental health issues.
Physical
- No lifts in college, this can be changed by putting lifts in the college which allows those in
wheelchairs and other disability to access all areas of the college. - No automatic doors makes it hard
for those with a disability (wheel chair/ blind) to open daws themselves. Put automatic doors all
around college. - Card reader to high for those with dwarthisims to reach = make them detachable
geographical
- If you live in a rural area there is a lack of transport for those = provide more transport.
financial
- cost of travel = free busses
cultural/language
- Leaflets are mainly in English = have a variety of
leaflets in different languages - Many websites don’t
have the option to change language = give the option
Childrens Act
Features
- The paramountcy principle (children’s welfare is the most important concern in any situation)
EMC
- Children are consulted wherever possible/children given the
right to speak out/have a voice/to be heard
- Children stay with their
family (this may be other
family members, not
necessarily parents)
- People work in
multidisciplinary teams
(i.e. schools, social
services, NHS
communicating with
each other)
- That key
agencies who
work with
children to put in
place
arrangements to
make sure they
safeguard and
promote the
welfare of C and
YP
- A child protection register is established
DBS
- Another way that organisations can apply legislation is by the
use of DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) - Jobs that involve
caring for, supervising or being in sole charge of children or adults
require an enhanced DBS check (previously called an enhanced
CRB check)
Evaluation
Weakness
• There could be communication errors – care worker
may be away, email miss understood, ect. • still many
cases where children have not been protected e.g. Baby
P 2007 • cost and time – resources (staff) may not be
able to meet the demands of the legislation • not all
professionals follow procedures • all children are
covered by the legislation – has led to loss of focus on
the most vulnerable • difficult for children to know
about legal protection
Strengths
• aims to ensure children are listened to • aims to keep children safe • gives them
legal protection • minimal disruption on their lives / keeps families together if
possible • gives them a voice • gives them rights • promotes five outcomes (ECM)
• clear guidelines to follow • benefits of a multi-disciplinary approach • raises the
standards of care
Care Values
Early years
- making the welfare of the child paramount - keeping the children safe and maintaining a healthy
environment - working in partnership with parents/families - making sure that children are offered a
range of experiences and activities that supports all aspects of their development (choice) - valuing
diversity - equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice - maintaining confidentiality
- working with others - reflective practitioners
Equal opportunity Policies
• Code of practice = set of regulations and
guideline to be followed by all H&SC workers.
• Charter = a document stating the rights of an organisation.
• Organisation policies = a set of ruled to be
followed by all members of staff in a particular
setting (e.g. busy bees nursery, great oaks care
home).
• All organisations must have
their own EOP • It will outline
how it will support the rights
of people with the 9
protected characteristics
Key features
• A policy statement explaining who is covered by the policy and what is meant by goods, facilities
and services; stating the aims and outcomes of the policy; the link to the organisation’s vision or
mission statement and business plan; have reference to the legal requirements; indicate who is
responsible for implementation;
• An implementation plan which includes commitment from senior management and staff;
consultation with people who use services, staff and the wider community; the training of staff to
promote ownership and good practice; target setting and timescales; establishing methods for
monitoring and measuring progress; communicating the policy to people who use services and staff;
• the ways in which the policy will be monitored to include the collection of data, e.g. by gender.
Ofsted, time scales.
• An evaluation of the policy to see whether the policy has ensured fair representation of people
from all groups in the community; high levels of customer satisfaction; a good reputation of the
organisation in the local community;
• After evaluation, targets can be set to improve future performance applications for services, those
refused services, complaints
Other policies
- Harassment = persistent unwanted behaviours towards
another person on the grounds of race, gender, sexual
orientation.
- Bullying = using power to intimidate someone, usually
to force them to do something they do not want to do.
- Confidentiality = not passing on a
personal information about another
person.
Benefits of applying policies
PWUS
- Emotional happy - Feeling safe - Intercualy do weel in school, - Physical safe and well - Encourage
them to do well - Everyoneone is geeting the oppertnuity to work and make a living - Reducing
depression ad loniess in later adulthood - Preventing death and harm - Knowing their rights - Trust
- Know where to report incidents - Holistic welliming – promoting quality care – PILES
- Preventsdiscrmination - Increases confidence
Care workers
- Care workershave equal opps. - Rules for careworkers to follow - Promote confidence - Practioner
feel empowerd that the care able to looj after someone - Promote communication - Care workers, a
system of address - Care workers information is protected - Care worjers know hwo to go to - Care
workers- motivational - Care workers- promote quality care
How can policies be used in day-to-day practice
- Support systems for
people who use
services and staff
- Fostering positive
attitudes in staff
- Staff knowledge and
understanding of
policies and procedures