Exploring Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in Health and Social Care

This report delves into the critical concepts of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within the healthcare and social care sectors. It begins with an executive summary outlining the importance of a culturally sensitive and inclusive work environment to enhance patient well-being. The report then examines key principles such as equality (fairness and equal opportunities), diversity (recognizing individual differences), and inclusion (creating a welcoming environment). It highlights relevant legislation, including the Equality Act 2010 and the Care Act 2014, which support EDI. The report also addresses common barriers to EDI, such as communication problems and cultural misunderstandings, and explores strategies for promoting EDI through training, policy development, and person-centered approaches. A reflective essay from a healthcare worker provides a practical perspective on implementing EDI principles, emphasizing the importance of treating patients as individuals and addressing ethical dilemmas that arise in practice. The report concludes by offering various methods to promote diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace, and support for ethical decision-making in challenging situations, ultimately aiming to improve patient care and create a more inclusive environment.

Level 4 project 1
Equality Diversity and
inclusion in health and
social care

Contents
Reflective essay...............................................................................................................................2
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

Executive summary
In the health care, it believes that a inclusive, divers and equality work culture to culturally
sensitive care and staff to the patients are necessary to achieve the mission or targets of
enhancing or improving the well being and health of various patients those they serve. They
execute to value within the health care, the diversity of all patient those they serve involving
diversity in ethnicity, race, age, gender identity, gender expression, religious belief, sexual
orientation and the life experiences. There are several principle which guide the health care
professionals. These principles are equality, diversity, and inclusion. Equality is describe as, in
the health care it ensures that just chances and fair to co-workers and patients. Diversity is
describe as how peoples are different and how they are same. This includes the specific
characteristic which defines who people are as individuals; their education, language, race,
gender, gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social class, age , religion, political belief,
physical ability, and their moral compass. Inclusion in the health care describe as, it is careful
action to make a respectful and welcoming culture to all the members of team and those patients
who they serve. In health equality, it ensuring that all person in any community have rights to get
the similar and high quality care whatever of characteristic of individual such as gender,
geographic location and ethnicity. There are several legislation and act which provide support
and enhance the diversity, inclusion and equality in the healthcare system. These act are equality
act 2010 and the care act 2014. The equality act 2010 and regulation 2011 came into force on
September 10, 2011. This act ensure the equality in the the workplace like health and social care.
Equality identify diversity and look for providing similar access and opportunities to
social care and health treatment no matter of colour, race, age, gender, physical or mental health
or any other elements that may create someone different. The care act 2014 in health care
provides equal supports and care with health services to all the vulnerable adults. In the health
care the common barriers which effects equality, diversity and inclusion principles are
communication problems between health worker, patients and their families, cultural
misunderstandings, discriminations, slower decision making, inequitable inclusion, and many
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more. Some of the barriers which impact the equality of opportunity are lack of female leaders in
health care, health care culture, lack of flexible healthcare practices, lack of mentors,
accessibility and affordability of childcare. In the health care, by the following way diversity,
equality and inclusion can be promoted through the use of various legislation: By providing
appropriate training and knowledge about the diversity, equality and inclusion to the team
member of health care. Ensure that every member in the healthcare team requires to have fully
understanding of the appropriate legislation, practices and principles related to the diversity,
equality and inclusion.
Reflective essay
I am working in the health care settings as a health worker. My role as health care is a
key role in the health care as I m responsible for providing care and support with showing
diversity, equality and inclusion to both service user, patients, their family members and staff
that we are working together. In my job role as a care provider there are many legislation which
we utilise to underpin equality inclusion and diversity. As the Equality act 2010 is one of the
legislation which protect legally patients, their families, myself and my colleagues who is
working with me. By this act we have developed diversity and equality policy in our health care.
In the health care, equality, diversity and inclusion play a very significant role among patients,
their families and the other professionals of health care. It takes a specific look exclusively when
evaluating the support requires of patients in context of equal chances as well as their
preferences and choices as the NHS (national health service) opens a very broad range of person
to access the services (Aulenbacher, Décieux, and Riegraf, 2018). In this reflective essay, I
describe that how healthcare providers should treat human beings as individuals, not to act and
discriminate as an advocates to individuals to getting care. I also describe that how nurses should
give an individual holistic care through playing an active role in making sure that services within
the community and healthcare display the diverse requirement of all individual irrespective of
their situations. I also point out the purpose of the equality act 2010 to social and health care
providers and who it save as far as bias or discrimination is concern.
In my point of view, equality is not about providing people what they want or being politically
correct, its about treating others as I want to be treated. Equality ensuring patient is been treated
equally without any matter of age, colour, sexual orientation, disability , ethnicity and gender. To
the national health service, it means that all individuals have the rights to get treatment equally
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and fairly and to be able to access services (Bell, M.P., and et. al., 2018). According to me, in
health and social care setting a person centred ways can assist dignity, valuing and
acknowledging diversity of each person. We also discuss that health care settings have a duty to
provide support for equality and dignity in giving treatment and to respond and identify the
diversity of their health worker and patient populations. Through person centred approach we
can decrease the possibilities of discrimination occurring by working in approaches which
promote diversity, inclusion and equality in care settings. Treat the each patients I assist as
unique rather than treating all patients in the similar manner. A very good diversity, equality and
inclusion practices which is person centred ensure that the provided service for persons are
accessible and fair to all patients and workforce. I make sure that each are person are treated as
equals, that each person achieve the respect and dignity they deserve and on the other hand, their
differences or variations are also celebrated and valued. A person centred approaches valuing
and acknowledging diversity of each person, supporting dignity in care. As I feel, each of the
person requires to be valued as an individual. Therefore, saved characteristic and another factors
should be understood appreciated and acknowledged by those working in the health and social
care. A family centred approach or a person centred approaches make able workers of the
healthcare to evaluate each person and requirement of their dignity on an individual basis. As per
me, being the person centred, it may also encapsulated through the phrase as ' seeing the human
being in the patient' (Bernstein, and et. al., 2020). I feel that accepting the person centred
approaches to all patient and their family will assist persons to feel or sense that they are valued
and their specific characteristic should be respected at the time of care delivery. In order to
promote or encourage diversity, equality and inclusion in my health and social care settings,
every person in my team should requires to be fully acknowledging of the appropriate principles,
practices and legislation. If we do not have any basic idea and knowledge about the equality,
diversity and inclusion, it may be difficult to get for us to support and encourage it within the
health and social care settings. First of all I ensuring that, in my settings have diversity, equality
and inclusion principle, policies and legislation. Then make sure everyone should read this
policy and legislation and circulate this around others and in my team members. As well as do
my best to make sure that everyone is properly trained and acknowledged in equality, diversity
and inclusion within the workplace. Next I encourage my team and staff members to think
regarding what matters for each people in my health care settings. What are goals and value of
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each individual? What does each person require to achieve their goals and values? There are
different ways through which we can promote diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace
(Coe, Wiley, and Bekker, 2019). These methods are following; (1) Be aware of unconscious
bias, (2) communicate the importance of managing bias, (3) Develop a strategic training
program, (4) Consider holidays of all cultures, (5) mix up my teams, (6) evaluate policies of the
workplace, (7) taking bolder action with equality, diversity, and inclusion efforts. There are two
principle ways through which we can provide supports to others to promote the methods of
equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace (West, and et. al., 2018). These key approaches
are following: (1) Describing them why equality, diversity and inclusion are crucial to everyone
to be treated with respect and dignity. (2) assisting them by the process of reducing the
obstructions they have been faced with. We promote equality opportunity by seeking to eliminate
the barriers removing discrimination and making sure equal chances and access to all groups or
community of human beings. We also accept all person as an individual (Vaughn, and et. al.,
2018).
I think our success is based on our capability to accept diversity and I believed that all the
person should feel valued and respected to their contributions. Through working together we will
provide the best probable care service to the children, young person, families, and our staff. For
inclusion we are committed to making a environment where deferences are not simply adopted
or accepted but valud (Thompson, 2018). By providing person centred work and care in a non
judgemental way we can support others. According to me, in my care setting I provide support
through various approaches like: (1) Know what discrimination looks like. (2) through volunteer
for the diversity events in my care settings. (3) By the help with recruitment events. (4) by
getting the views of team members. (5) by voice their ideas. Therefore, we can support the
diversity and inclusion in the care setting by various approaches. By knowing the goal and vision
of the diversity of my care setting and its connection to the overall impact on the health of the
patient, we can support diversity and inclusion. As much as possible take participation in the
engagement surveys of of our colleagues and respond honestly and openly (Thomas, and et. al.,
2020). Actively engage in the diversity efforts and promote diversification in our care settings.
Treat the people in a way they want to be treated rather then my or your wish. Derive positive
modification the care settings and support team members, staff and patients. In the line of my
work which we are doing, social and health care employees are frequently faced various situation
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which challenge our decision taking. Challenged, in a such a way, where the our duty of care
and individual rights of service user conflicts. This type of situation in within the workplace
settings are known as ethical dilemmas. Ethical dilemmas are the situations where we can create
or take a decision with several consequences which may fruitful to the service user or client but
is ethically or morally unacceptable or decide to select which option is better to the patient in
spite of both of the options being morally or ethically crucial (Finkel, Sharp, and Sweeney,
2019). It is also acknowledging the differences between the wrong thing to not to do or right
things things to do or what requires not to do or what requires to do. But sometimes the options
we are going to faced with can both be right or wrong. According to me duty of care and rights
of individual are both vital in the social and health care (Storr, and et. al., 2022). Rights of
individuals are treated equally, being respected, protected from danger or harm, being given
privacy, being able to make a options and others while care duty is a lawful obligation to
exercise a appropriate standard of care at the time of doing anything which could harm others.
As a social and health care worker, it is our duties to uphold these duties and rights but in the
case of ethical dilemma, we required to provide significance to both of these despite any
problems (Roberts, 2020). The act of Euthanasia is an example of ethical dilemma. Euthanasia is
define as the practice of intentionally finishing a life to relieve suffering and pain. This type of
killing is also known as the Mercy Killing. It generally occurs in those sufferer who are suffering
from incurable diseases which are affecting in very severe pain and also those who are in coma
from long period and there is no any chances to return back or their family or the patient
themselves desired to stop the pain through finishing their life without any pain. It can be make
possible through either the treatment which is responsible for patient alive but does not cure
them or by removing the machine or by drug or by injecting substances which will induce death
without any pain. Although this type of ethical dilemma is illegal in our country UK, but there
are some countries which allow this (Fisk, and et. al., 2018). But how does euthanasia dilemma
is ethical dilemma? According to my perspective, euthanasia is an ethical dilemma because it
stand up to a decision where the sufferer or their family members want for the sufferer to be
mercily remove his or her life supports or killed. While it is our job to recognise and respect the
choice or decision of the patients or their family members. This is also our job to do not harm
feelings of patients and their families. This is non maleficence or autonomy. Autonomy means,
freedom of sufferer or their family members to take a decision or make a choice where as non
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maleficence known as to do not harm which is also a summary of our care responsibility or duty
(McCormick, and Ram, 2022). According to me, in this case, both of autonomy and non
maleficence are in conflict for our duty of care and the interest of patient. According to me,
informed choice is when a human being is provided options to select from several treatments or
diagnostic tests, knowing the benefits, details, expected outcome and risk of each. Whereas
informed capacity is when a human being ready to the treatment or test they have been knowing
the details, offered, risks, expected outcome and benefits. In the health care its my choice or I
have a right to disagree or agree to give the care that patient request to me (Flemig, and Osborne,
2019). In case of emergency, if there is no time to get informed choice and consent then a doctor
have rights to decide whether to move further process without any consent of patient. I think, in
the health and social care, a human being with a health issue may be provided multiple options to
select from a huge number of diagnostic treatments or tests, or they may select to have no
treatment or test. This is known as informed choice and if the person able to make decision or
agree with the options and they give informed consent to the treatment or test they have selected
is known as informed capacity. Informed choice and capacity attempt to increase autonomy of
the individuals. This may direct to enhanced motivation to decrease recognised risk among those
adopting the invitation to the screening. Informed capacity means the ability to understand and
utilise information to take appropriate decision and communicate any made decision with the
care person (Lewis, and Shah, 2021). Whereas I observe in my health care, informed choice and
informed capacity is designed to assist me to receive to provide services in a approach which
suits patients and family of patients and also offers to patient more control over the approaches
their services of care are provided. In my role of health care there are several potential barriers to
inclusion, diversity and equality which may be speaking out and communication barrier. In my
care there are a large range of human beings from different backgrounds with very strong
opinions and views who overshadow others opinion who is less confident and can not show their
informed choice and informed consent. Another barrier in my care service is faith, according to
me faith play a very crucial role in the care service as a patient should have to faith in their health
carer. In my health care, I observe enhancing informed choice and capacity should direct to a
better ratio of benefits and harm. Informed choice is necessary to a health worker to fulfil their
care duty when proposing surgical and medical actions and essential to the patient to cull or
consent the designed therapeutic approaches (Kirton, and Greene, 2021). Informed choice and
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capacity are a part of shared model of decision making which gives permission to widespread
take and give of ideas between the physician and patient. This ideas sharing outcomes in a
partnership to decision taking and a responsibility to surgical and medical outcomes. Informed
choice and informed capacity is indispensable for the education process to sufferer which fulfil
the wanted results of any protocol that is an offer of and affirmation of the treatment which is
proposed to the patient. The protocol secure a true sufferer and physician partnership with
equality and parity in outcomes of surgical/medical results and decision taking outcomes (Kim,
and et. al., 2022).
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