Empowering Service Users in Health and Social Care

EMPOWERING SERVICE USERS IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

Influence of current legislations and sector skills on organisational practices and policies maximisation and promotion of service users rights

Social and care workers operate in a variety of organisational arrangement, that includes government legislations making it essential for every professional in health and social care settings to be well acquainted with the requirements set up by   government bureaucracies. The knowledge of these legislations will ensure executive and resource accountability as well as value for professional ethics, principles and procedure standards. Social work as a profession in the United Kingdom acknowledges government precedence in provision of quality service to users.

According to (Humphreys, 2010), The Equality Act 2010 prevents discrimination of individuals based on: sex, race, ethics and religion or disability. Prior to the enactment of the Equality Act, various laws were in place to protect individuals from discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 was created as a replacement for these acts, as well as majority of the Disability Discrimination Act. The Equality Act acts as reinforcement for the law in particular circumstances, including protection for disabled individuals, and creation of new procedures guiding carers of aged and impaired people.

Current legislations help users to understand the capabilities and importance of their social identity and its effect on the life experiences. Service delivery has been improved through understanding and prompt response to changes in policies within the health and social care work settings.

Organisational practices have been made flexible to accommodate different categories of service users. Improvement in sector skills have helped to develop a positive approach to enable users (including those with disabilities) to identify their inclusiveness and equality within the society.
Therefore, a dedication to equality in organisational...