Emily Akhtar
Introduction
This report is in response to two of the four case studies and evaluates and justifies the
importance of promoting equality, diversity, and preventing discrimination when
carrying out care for individuals with specific needs, the impact of successful
observation and communication, the skills and attributes one must possess to provide
the appropriate, quality care for individuals with specific needs and how to deal with
difficult situations when doing so. The two case studies I have chosen are:
Reena, aged 56 years:
Reena shares a house with her husband and teenage daughter Katy. Katy aged fifteen
has autism and learning disabilities and attends a special school which is three miles
away from the family home. Katy has restricted mobility and uses a wheelchair. The
house is on three levels and does not have any adaptations to accommodate katy’s
additional needs. This means that she needs carrying from room to room, including to
the bathroom.
The family live fifteen miles from the nearest town. The nearest Medical Practice and
pharmacy are in the town, although a mobile delivery service is available for repeat
prescriptions. Reena refuses to use the service as she feels it is for ‘older people’ and not
for her
Reena’ husband Edward, works on an oil rig on the North Sea, and is away from home
for prolonged periods. This means that Reena has the care of the family and must
balance caring for her children and working at the local care residence, three days a
week.
Reena has asthma, which has become worse recently possibly due to the stress of
managing the household without support from her husband, or due to the transport
provided by the Local Authority is no longer available.
This means that Reena must drive Katy to school before starting work at 9am, on the
days she is working. Katy’s wheelchair will not fit in the car and so a school wheelchair
is provided which, unlike Kary’s own, is not electric, and therefore restricts her
mobility during the school day.
Sam, aged 72 years:
,Sam lives alone in a top floor flat in a busy city. Sam worked for most of his life in steel
making factory and retired at the age of 65. He has a small industrial pension and his
stated pension. Sam has a dairy allergy and must be alternatives such as oat milk and
sheep milk yoghurts, to ensure that he has a healthy diet. The lifts in the flats often do
not work and there are several flights of stairs to the bottom of the block.
Sam injured his right ankle in an industrial accident and finds stairs difficult. This has
become worse due to the onset of osteoarthritis in Sam’s injured ankle, meaning that he
no longer attends his social club or the local library. It also means that Sam sometimes
leaves his shopping until he is nearly out of food.
Sam’s local shop has offered to deliver food, but they do not stock the specialist
alternative ‘dairy products that Sam requires, and their fruit and vegetables are often
beginning to rot, which is reducing his choices and access to a balanced diet.
The G.P. has noticed that Sam has missed his annual Over 60’s NHS Health Check-up
and has contacted Sam several times. Sam is now so unhappy that he cannot be
bothered to answer the telephone. His friends from the social club have called to see
him. But Sam is now refusing to answer the door, and his friends have stopped coming.
Diversity
Diversity refers to the recognition and appreciation of the differences between
individuals. These differences may be physical, religious, cultural, sexually oriented,
and additional aspects and factors. “Diversity plays a crucial role in improving quality
and effectiveness of health and social care services” - Care Skills Training (2025) what is
diversity in health and social care? Available at: https://careskillstraining.org/blog/what-is-
diversity-in-health-and-social-care/. Accessed 7th November 2025. It allows services to
provide culturally competent care – personalising their services to align with
individual’s cultural or religious preferences. It also improves communication as
diverse work teams can help to overcome language barriers therefore service-users will
be able to communicate their preferences and needs more effectively. Diversity
promotes equality and respect, creating a kind and accepting atmosphere within care
settings. The Care Act (2014) emphasises the significance of promoting diversity within
these settings, placing the individual in the centre of their care. The legislation
encourages care organisations to personalise every individual’s care. This promotes
diversity as it emphasises the importance of paying attention to one’s diverse needs and
wants. For example, a care worker may ensure that any Muslim service-user has access
to halal foods and appropriate prayer space. This shows respect and dignity.
, Equality
Equality in health and social care means to ensure all individuals are presented with
equal opportunities to access the services they need as well as treating all individuals
fairly, irrespective of their background, religion, race, sexual orientation, or beliefs. The
“main goal of equality is to remove obstacles to healthcare access and guarantee
everyone has an equal chance to obtain high-quality treatment” - Unique Mark (2025).
What is equality in health and social care? Available at: https://uniquemark.co.uk/what-is-
equality-in-health-and-social-care/ Accessed 28th October 2025. The Equality Act in 2010
reinforces the importance of equality, bringing 116 pieces of legislation together to
simplify and make it more understandable. The legislation marked the introduction of
the nine protected characteristics: “age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and
civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual
orientation” - Equality and Human Rights Commission (2018) the purpose of the
equality act. Available at: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/equality/equality-act-2010
Accessed 28th October 2025. This piece of legislation promotes equality as individuals
were able to understand their rights. The legislation also introduced the “Public Sector
Equality Duty (PSED) which required public authorities to consider how their decisions
affect people with protected characteristics. This promotes equality and aims to
eliminate discrimination in decision-making.” - REF impact case studies (N.D). Putting
the Equality Act 2010 into practice. Available at:
https://impact.ref.ac.uk/casestudies/CaseStudy.aspx?Id=19104 Accessed 7th November
2025. This should not be mistaken for all individuals being treated the “same” - every
individual has their own individual needs that healthcare professionals aim to meet and
so, every individual will be treated accordingly. This is because some may have more
pressing needs than others – meaning they require more time during appointments or
other additional support. To reiterate, equality in healthcare means to prevent all
individuals with the same opportunities to access the services they may require. For
example, providing a service-user who does not speak English as a first language
appropriate translation services such as an advocate, translator and visual aids promote
this equality as well as communication.
Discrimination
Discrimination refers to “the act, practice, or an instance of unfairly treating a person
or a group of people differently from other people – groups on a class or categorial basis
such as race, religion, gender and more” - Merriam Webster dictionary (2025)
Discrimination definition. Available at: https://www.merriam-
Introduction
This report is in response to two of the four case studies and evaluates and justifies the
importance of promoting equality, diversity, and preventing discrimination when
carrying out care for individuals with specific needs, the impact of successful
observation and communication, the skills and attributes one must possess to provide
the appropriate, quality care for individuals with specific needs and how to deal with
difficult situations when doing so. The two case studies I have chosen are:
Reena, aged 56 years:
Reena shares a house with her husband and teenage daughter Katy. Katy aged fifteen
has autism and learning disabilities and attends a special school which is three miles
away from the family home. Katy has restricted mobility and uses a wheelchair. The
house is on three levels and does not have any adaptations to accommodate katy’s
additional needs. This means that she needs carrying from room to room, including to
the bathroom.
The family live fifteen miles from the nearest town. The nearest Medical Practice and
pharmacy are in the town, although a mobile delivery service is available for repeat
prescriptions. Reena refuses to use the service as she feels it is for ‘older people’ and not
for her
Reena’ husband Edward, works on an oil rig on the North Sea, and is away from home
for prolonged periods. This means that Reena has the care of the family and must
balance caring for her children and working at the local care residence, three days a
week.
Reena has asthma, which has become worse recently possibly due to the stress of
managing the household without support from her husband, or due to the transport
provided by the Local Authority is no longer available.
This means that Reena must drive Katy to school before starting work at 9am, on the
days she is working. Katy’s wheelchair will not fit in the car and so a school wheelchair
is provided which, unlike Kary’s own, is not electric, and therefore restricts her
mobility during the school day.
Sam, aged 72 years:
,Sam lives alone in a top floor flat in a busy city. Sam worked for most of his life in steel
making factory and retired at the age of 65. He has a small industrial pension and his
stated pension. Sam has a dairy allergy and must be alternatives such as oat milk and
sheep milk yoghurts, to ensure that he has a healthy diet. The lifts in the flats often do
not work and there are several flights of stairs to the bottom of the block.
Sam injured his right ankle in an industrial accident and finds stairs difficult. This has
become worse due to the onset of osteoarthritis in Sam’s injured ankle, meaning that he
no longer attends his social club or the local library. It also means that Sam sometimes
leaves his shopping until he is nearly out of food.
Sam’s local shop has offered to deliver food, but they do not stock the specialist
alternative ‘dairy products that Sam requires, and their fruit and vegetables are often
beginning to rot, which is reducing his choices and access to a balanced diet.
The G.P. has noticed that Sam has missed his annual Over 60’s NHS Health Check-up
and has contacted Sam several times. Sam is now so unhappy that he cannot be
bothered to answer the telephone. His friends from the social club have called to see
him. But Sam is now refusing to answer the door, and his friends have stopped coming.
Diversity
Diversity refers to the recognition and appreciation of the differences between
individuals. These differences may be physical, religious, cultural, sexually oriented,
and additional aspects and factors. “Diversity plays a crucial role in improving quality
and effectiveness of health and social care services” - Care Skills Training (2025) what is
diversity in health and social care? Available at: https://careskillstraining.org/blog/what-is-
diversity-in-health-and-social-care/. Accessed 7th November 2025. It allows services to
provide culturally competent care – personalising their services to align with
individual’s cultural or religious preferences. It also improves communication as
diverse work teams can help to overcome language barriers therefore service-users will
be able to communicate their preferences and needs more effectively. Diversity
promotes equality and respect, creating a kind and accepting atmosphere within care
settings. The Care Act (2014) emphasises the significance of promoting diversity within
these settings, placing the individual in the centre of their care. The legislation
encourages care organisations to personalise every individual’s care. This promotes
diversity as it emphasises the importance of paying attention to one’s diverse needs and
wants. For example, a care worker may ensure that any Muslim service-user has access
to halal foods and appropriate prayer space. This shows respect and dignity.
, Equality
Equality in health and social care means to ensure all individuals are presented with
equal opportunities to access the services they need as well as treating all individuals
fairly, irrespective of their background, religion, race, sexual orientation, or beliefs. The
“main goal of equality is to remove obstacles to healthcare access and guarantee
everyone has an equal chance to obtain high-quality treatment” - Unique Mark (2025).
What is equality in health and social care? Available at: https://uniquemark.co.uk/what-is-
equality-in-health-and-social-care/ Accessed 28th October 2025. The Equality Act in 2010
reinforces the importance of equality, bringing 116 pieces of legislation together to
simplify and make it more understandable. The legislation marked the introduction of
the nine protected characteristics: “age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and
civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual
orientation” - Equality and Human Rights Commission (2018) the purpose of the
equality act. Available at: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/equality/equality-act-2010
Accessed 28th October 2025. This piece of legislation promotes equality as individuals
were able to understand their rights. The legislation also introduced the “Public Sector
Equality Duty (PSED) which required public authorities to consider how their decisions
affect people with protected characteristics. This promotes equality and aims to
eliminate discrimination in decision-making.” - REF impact case studies (N.D). Putting
the Equality Act 2010 into practice. Available at:
https://impact.ref.ac.uk/casestudies/CaseStudy.aspx?Id=19104 Accessed 7th November
2025. This should not be mistaken for all individuals being treated the “same” - every
individual has their own individual needs that healthcare professionals aim to meet and
so, every individual will be treated accordingly. This is because some may have more
pressing needs than others – meaning they require more time during appointments or
other additional support. To reiterate, equality in healthcare means to prevent all
individuals with the same opportunities to access the services they may require. For
example, providing a service-user who does not speak English as a first language
appropriate translation services such as an advocate, translator and visual aids promote
this equality as well as communication.
Discrimination
Discrimination refers to “the act, practice, or an instance of unfairly treating a person
or a group of people differently from other people – groups on a class or categorial basis
such as race, religion, gender and more” - Merriam Webster dictionary (2025)
Discrimination definition. Available at: https://www.merriam-
