The rights of service users and how the care value base supports these rights in accessing services on ward B7 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Authors Avatar

The rights of service users and how the care value base supports these rights in accessing services on ward B7 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital

The care value base is beliefs about the right way to treat service users. The care value base can form part of a code of conduct. The practice of care practitioners aim to improve service user’s quality of life by meeting their needs (PIES). The care values are based on a set of shared values which the whole society agrees on. Such values are made legal by the Human Rights Act. It is from the Human Rights Act that the care value base originates. Creating a positive care environment needs care workers to adopt the care value base. This care value base makes ward B7 a positive care environment.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is located on Woolwich common, within the London Borough of Greenwich in south east London, was opened in March 2001 and serves patients from the London Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Bexley.

Fostering equality and diversity

This means recognising that each person has their own individual needs and it also means working to meet those needs.

It involves:

  • Giving everyone the same quality of care regardless of their gender, race, age, sexuality, disability or social class.
  • Understanding and valuing the benefits of diversity of people’s experiences, lifestyles and backgrounds.

As a care practitioner they should ensure that a service user’s background or circumstances do not affect the quality of care they receive. This means treating each person as an individual, taking into account their beliefs, abilities, likes and dislikes.

Discrimination

Unfair treatment based on prejudice. In health and social care, discrimination may relate to a conscious decision to treat a person or a group differently and to deny them access to relevant treatment or care.

Stereotyping

If you stereotype someone, you make assumptions about them based on their age, sex, race, nationality or sexuality. For example:

Prejudice

This means liking or disliking someone not because of who they are, but because how they feel about their lifestyle or background. It is important for a care practitioner to accept their responsibility to ensure that prejudice doesn’t affect the quality of care given to a service user.

Promoting service users rights and responsibilities

This recognises people’s rights and it also gives emphasis to the fact that we all have responsibilities towards others.

Join now!

A care practitioner should support the right of a service user to choose their own lifestyle for example and help them accept their responsibilities.

  • A service user has the right to eat unhealthy food, but care practitioners need to tell them about the health risks so they can take responsibility for their choice.
  • A service user has the right to smoke, but they must accept their responsibilities to other people who do not wish to be affected by passive smoking.

Rights and responsibilities are laid down in codes of practise. As a care practitioner, they need ...

This is a preview of the whole essay