Equality, diversity and inclusion

Equality, diversity and inclusion

As a support worker you must uphold and promote equality, diversity and inclusion

It's easy to assume that because you're in a 'helping role' that everyone will be there to 'help everyone' but it's not the case.

Here are some common examples to watch out for:

• Favorites - Staff will favor and include some clients more than others, not treating them with an equal service.

• Conversely - Staff will discriminate against and do a diservice or provide a reduced standard of service to less favoured clients.

• Because? Their appearance, personal hygiene, the way they behave around different staff in particular the type and frequency of any challenging behaviour, primarily when there is a lack of engagement.

Things to remember:

• You're not there to make friends with the ones who are easy to work with.

• If you can't provide the same service, professionally to all clients then you shouldn't be working with any of them.

• Don't get swept along by popular staff or client opinion. Highlight any discrimination and address it.

• Addressing it does not mean targetting staff, it means suggesting a better way of delivering a fair and equally inclusive service and focussing on the level of service and not the staff members involved.

Open Ended

Can you think of a time you witnessed an unequal level of service within a group? Why do you think it was? What impact did the discrimination have? Was anything done to address it? If not, what would you have done to address it as a member of staff?

Aint no divvies round here mush, geeet up!

That's the end of the introduction to Professional Boundaries and Conduct (if you've done them in order.) Well done. Get a brew on. I hope it was useful. Failure to follow the guidelines you've just learned probably results in 95% of support worker dismissals.. so.. Follow them.