Briefly describe a situation observed or experienced in a practice setting where issues of discrimination were apparent
My example of a practice situation where discrimination can be experienced is employment opportunities for people with disabilities and, especially adults with learning difficulties. My responsibility was to search for employment for adults who were training in catering skills and working towards gaining their NVQ’s in catering.
The government has brought out a number of specialists employment service programmes for disabled people: Access to Work, Job Introduction, and the Supported Employment Programme. The aim of these schemes is to adopt.
“Good employment policies and practices in the recruitment, retention, training and career development of disabled people” Brading and Curtis (2000:57)
“Valuing People,” a white paper for forward thinking about learning difficulties states that one of the Government’s objective is to “enable more people with learning difficulties to participate in all forms of employment” Valuing people (2001)
Providing training and some work experience was relatively easy to provide. However obtaining permenent work was very difficult. One trainee who had mild Asperger’s Syndrome wanted to work in a supermarket or a shop. Many supermarkets publically promote statements about valuing people and diversity. Practising equal opportunities is clearly written in their recruitment literature. Part of my role involved advocacy, I would often ring up about a certain job position.
There would be a positive response from the human resources department, as they presumed I was applying for the job. However, when the trainee applied, the application was turned down without an interview. He showed a good level of independence and maturity at the training centre. He wanted to be in work so that he would be moving of benefits and have more control over his finances.
He did not get such a positive response from employers. When filling in the application from he had to declare his disability, which is Asperger’s syndrome. Though many applications were sent off, he was never offered an interview. The best response was that his application form would be held for six months, in case a position became available. This trainee was able and qualified to do the job required of him by the supermarkets but was never given the opportunity to prove his capabilities
Identify the service user group involved and discuss how this group can experience discrimination in society
The trainee described above is not alone in his search for work. In 1998/9 the level of employment for disabled people from 16 and upwards was 51% compared too 85% for non-disabled people. Brading and Curtis (2000)
However, there are changes happening and the social model of disability is helping in this attitude change.
“The development of the Disabled People’s Movement has introduced a new, politicised approach to meeting the needs of disabled people. This new approach is based on a social- rather than medical or psychological- model of disability.” Thompson (2001:111)
The social model describes disability as being a situation caused by social conditions which requires that not one aspect of life such as income or mobility is treated in isolation, and that disabled people should with the advice and help of others assume control over their lives. The social model was developed in the 70’s by a group of disabled people and is in the process of being put into practice.
Social work may have adapted to this anti discrimination practice but a lot of institutions have not. The supermarkets saw the service user as having a disability even before they saw his experience and qualifications. There was no effort to even consider how they might work around this disability and change the working environment.
People who have a disability, be it physical or in this case a learning disability are still marginalized in society. This can be known as disablism. Thompson’s definition of disablism is:
“Disablism refers to the combination of social forces, cultural values and personal prejudices which marginalize disabled people, portrays them in a negative light and thus oppresses them” Thompson (2001:112)
This quote highlights the fact that disabled people can be seen in a very negative way in society
Using the P (personal) C (cultural) S (structural) analysis, one can dissect disablism and observe how this prejudice is apparent in our society.
P The personal opinion held towards people
with a disability, e.g. needing charity, help, less able
C The dominant cultural views e.g., not taken as
seriously, learning difficulties seen as “spastics”
S (structural) disabled people are marginalised
from society e.g. excluded from employment, buildings are
designed only for the able bodied
Figure 1
From Thomson (2001)
Employers may feel that they would have to invest more money to offer a support to an employee with disabilities. The charity I worked with was aware of this, and part of my job was to offer a support service, at no cost to the employer. I would accompany the service user to his employment, until he/she was able to work without support.
” This in itself can be seen as indicative of disablism in so far as it fails to see disability as a social and political issue and reduces it is a matter of the welfare state and providing services for ‘dependant’ people thus socially constructing disability as a dependency” Thompson (2001:115)
People with a disability also experience infantilisation. There is an assumption that a person with a disability cannot make decisions for themselves. But this is not the case. The service user I tried to get employment in a supermarket found it extremely offensive if decisions were made about him without involving him and would often challenge decisions that were made without his consent.
Unemployment can led to depression, isolation, and a person feeling margalinised and excluded from society. This is especially true with people with learning difficulties. There may be accompanying mental ill health due to this feeling of depression, isolation, frustration, and the feeling of being unvalued. Once a person is classified as having a learning difficulty it is very difficult to overcome the stigmas associated with this label. The medical model of disability does not take into account the individuality and uniqueness of a person’s situation. The social model of disability does focuses on the individual and how the social context around that person needs to be modified to help them.
Discuss the personal and professional issues involved in the particular situation with reference to attitudes, values and interpersonal skills
Working closely with a person, a relationship is built up through good communication and trust. Referring to the GSCC codes of practice of promoting the independence of service users, as a social care worker I am expected to
“Promote the independence of service users and assisting them to understand and exercise their rights… challenge and report dangerous, abusive discriminatory or exploitative behaviour.” GSCC (2002:3.1)
As an advocate of this approach to practice, I have to try to put them into practice in my own work and promote the principles to others. I represented the service user’s interests, even though he was very able to express his own views clearly. I had a responsibility to question the actions taken by this leading supermarket, and explain that their actions could be deemed as being discriminatory. This quote from Jean Brading and Jon Curtis’s practical guide to the New Law about the DDA, (Disability Discrimination Act) in 1995 states very clearly that by law employers must observe equal opportunities.
” It has become unlawful for an employer to discriminate against disabled people in employment, that is to treat them less favourably than someone else because of their disability, unless there is good reason” ” Brading and Curtis (2000:121)
The problem for me in my work with the trainee was that I had no real written evidence to demonstrate that the supermarket was being discriminatory. If I had remained at the Charity I would have had to monitored other application form trainees and see whether they also were rejected and without interviews. There was little I could do for this one individual, and I was faced with the fact that although employers are meant to practice equal opportunities and claim that they do, it is not always the case.
I was meant to promote the independence of this service user. However, the structure of society was against me and my service user (figure1).
I was aware of not infantilising the service user and making decisions over his head. However he had a right to know why the position was not available. He had to be aware of this prejudice, and that the world outside of his training centre was different.
The following quote sums up this process of the service user to taking control of his own life.
“This continuing process of self-conscious struggle leads to a changed consciousness-self knowledge, self-actualisation, self definition. This in itself will lead to increased self-respect as people learn to evaluate their self-image and thus gain knowledge about themselves” Dalymple and Burke (2003:53)
Identify what has been learned from analysing the situation in respect of anti-discriminative practice
A social care worker or anyone involved in social services, who are representing or caring for a clients need to be aware of anti- discriminatory practice as Thompson states:
” The emphasis on combating discrimination is part of the process of establishing these issues as fundamental building blocks of qualifying training and subsequent practice. They were therefore seen as an essential part of the curriculum and the evolution process and continue to be regarded as such” Thompson (2001:1)
The quote was referring to written material from CCETSW (Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work) in 1989. However this quote is still relevant for today’s practice.
The General Social Care Council codes of practice have guidelines for anti discrimination practice. This is in Section Three on promoting the independence of service users. I hope that in my work with the trainees, I was able to follow these codes of practice and be aware of issues involved in discrimination.
Working in the social care field, and studying anti- discrimination continues to make me aware of how much discrimination there is in society. It is an ongoing and sometimes hard battle but there are small victories. The new organisation SCIE for example has a disabled person, Jane Campbell, as its Chair. Jane Campbell writes that this would not have happened a few years ago. (Campbell 2002)
The law is a powerful weapon for change but sustained change will probably only happen if disabled people themselves lead the way.
In this example of discrimination, I now consider that I could have made more use of the DDA and Equal Opportunities legislation and made representations on the trainee’s behalf to others. In particular, there are pressure groups that work for increasing the rights of the disabled. people. However, the service user did not want this or to use the law and his wishes had to be respected. He wanted to carry on applying for jobs. It made me realise that he may not have been getting interviews or job offers perhaps because of his disability, but applying for jobs was making him feel empowered. He was making decisions for himself. Thompson calls this ” questioning the traditional- helper-helped relationship” Thompson (2001). Oliver goes on to describe this as:
” I would further criticise the “professionbalsotion” of service for disabled people, on the assumption that the professionals know best what disabled people need and are in charge” Oliver (1987:18)
The service user felt that he was making a change in his life. He was in some control and he was doing something to change his life. He became extremely aware of his situation, and began to question the disability label given to him. He may not have obtained employment, but he gained increased understanding of his situation and a kind of independence of his own.
References
Brading, J, Curtis J, (2000) Disability Discrimination, A Practical Guide to the New law, 2nd Edition, London Kogan Page Ltd
Burke, B, Dalymple, J, (2003) Anti-Oppressive Practice, Social Care and the Law, Buckingham Open University Press
Campbell J, (2002) Valuing diversity: the disability agenda-We’ve only just began, Disability and Society, Vol. 17,No4,
Department of Health (2001) Valuing People (Internet) Secretary of State for Health.
Available from: http: //www.archieve.offical documents.co.uk
General Social Care Council (2002) Codes of Practice for social workers and employers
Oliver, M. and Sapey, B. (1999) Social work with Disabled People, 2nd edition, London, Palgrave
Thompson N, (2001) Anti-Discriminatory Practice, 3rd Edition, Basingstoke, Palgrave
Bibliography
Adams, R (2003) Social Work and Empowerment, Birmingham, Plagrave/Basw
Dominellli, L (1995) Anti-oppressive Practice. Socail Care and the Law, Buckingham, Open University
