Promote equality and inclusion in health, social care and children’s and young people’s settings

Handout 2: Codes of practice and government guidance

4222 Learning Outcome 2 Assessment Criteria 1

4229 Learning Outcome 2 Assessment Criteria 1

In addition to the legislation there are codes of practice, national standards and government guidance that inform social care practice relating to promoting equality and supporting diversity.

It is important to keep up to date with developments as new guidance is issued at regular intervals.

A few of the important ones to consider at the time of writing this include:

Code of Practice for Social Care Workers

Social care workers must:

·  protect the rights and promote the interests of service users and carers

·  strive to establish and maintain the trust and confidence of service users and carers

·  promote the independence of service users whilst protecting them as far as possible from danger or harm

·  respect the rights of service users whilst seeking to ensure that their behaviour does not harm themselves or other people

·  uphold public trust and confidence in social care services

·  be accountable for the quality of their work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving their knowledge and skills.

Our Health, Our Care, Our Say

This White Paper, published in 2006, sets out to provide people with good quality social care and NHS community services.

It aimed to improve access to services which promote independence and put people in control of their own services.

There are seven outcomes to be used to measure how effectively services are achieving these aims for individuals:

1.  improved health and emotional well-being

2.  improved quality of life

3.  making a positive contribution

4.  choice and control

5.  freedom from discrimination

6.  economic well-being

7.  personal dignity.

Valuing People and Valuing People Now

Valuing People was published in 2001. It aimed to increase independence, inclusion and choice for adults with learning disabilities.

It was followed by Valuing People Now in 2009, which extended and strengthened the key messages of Valuing People. These include:

·  ensuring that people with learning disabilities should have the same rights and choices as everyone else

·  people with learning disabilities have the right to be treated with dignity and respect

·  family carers and families of people with learning disabilities have the right to the same hopes and choices as other families

·  ensuring better health care for people with learning disabilities

·  people with learning disabilities and their families should get to say what support and care they need

·  increased choice about where to live.

Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives

This is the strategy for providing services for adults with autism in England.

Areas included in the strategy are:

·  a new National Autism Programme Board to lead change in public services set out in the strategy

·  a programme to develop training with health and social care professional bodies

·  autism awareness training for all Job Centre Disability Employment Advisers

·  a clear, consistent pathway for diagnosis.

No Health Without Mental Health

This strategy sets out the plan to improve services for individuals who have mental health difficulties.

It has six major objectives:

·  more people to have good mental health

·  more people with mental health problems will recover

·  more people with mental health problems will have good physical health

·  fewer people will experience stigmatisation and discrimination

·  fewer people will suffer avoidable harm

·  more people will have a positive experience of care and support.

End of Life Care

This strategy aimed to improve the care and promote inclusive practice in end of life care. It set out to help people who were coming to the end of their life to have more choice about where they would like to live and die.

Living Well With Dementia

This strategy set out three key steps to improve care services for individuals with dementia and their families:

·  ensure better knowledge and awareness of dementia and remove stigma.

·  ensure an early diagnosis and better care for individuals and their families.

·  develop better services to meet need.

Make some notes on the latest developments in your particular area of work