Inclusivity is an increasingly prominent consideration among social care providers, with many seeking to implement improvements to evidence it within their services. Achieving it encompasses practical and cultural considerations. We suggest focusing on the following areas to help deliver the desired outcomes.
Policies and Procedures
As with many things in social care, policy and procedure inform best practices and lay the foundation for effective governance. Policies and procedures should be regularly reviewed and updated, when necessary, and be accessible to employees at all levels of an organisation to help embed inclusivity across the staff team.
Recruitment
Building an inclusive culture begins with recruitment. Employers will usually ask about applicants’ disabilities to understand any reasonable adjustments they may require to participate in the interview process and to fill the role (should their application be successful). However, efforts should also be made at this stage to understand the applicant’s views on inclusivity. Asking questions about or noting an applicant’s language choices, such as their preferred terms for people with disabilities (e.g., wheelchair user and not wheelchair bound), can provide insight, flagging potential issues or highlighting a need for more in-depth discussion with the applicant.
Staff training
All social care companies offer training to their staff teams. Equality and diversity training is usually mandatory, but are your organisation’s learning/development leads reviewing the content in terms of inclusivity? As a minimum, training should cover the seven social care values. Using several training approaches can also add value and impact, as not all staff members will work best in a traditional classroom or online training environment. Practical teaching through experience helps reinforce inclusivity training, as communication and language are two foundational aspects of a positive, inclusive team culture. This includes, for example, speaking directly to people and avoiding using labels.
A focus on inclusivity should be present in training from induction. In addition to any mandatory training required for the role, induction should promote company values, including inclusivity. This approach ensures that new staff are introduced to the company culture when starting employment. Effective early communication encourages inclusivity in the staff team and sets a positive culture from the outset of employment, providing the foundation for inclusivity for the service users.
Review
Reviewing service performance is essential to development opportunities and, ultimately, quality care provision. Providers should be able to demonstrate inclusivity across their services. There are many ways to do this. For example, you can evidence an open-door policy that listens to concerns and deals with complaints through the timely completion and reporting of investigations, with open communication of outcomes to the complainant.
Care plan audits should show whether person-centred care is being delivered and if any unnecessary restrictions are being put on service users. Questionnaires are also good tools for determining how people – service users and staff – feel while highlighting successes and areas for improvement.
Providers can empower a positive culture of mutual respect and inclusivity through appropriate training supported by strong policies and by setting expectations from the start of employment. Here at W&P, we can help build those foundations. We provide complete sets of regularly updated policies and procedures for English (CQC), Scottish (Care Inspectorate), and Welsh (Care Inspectorate Wales) social care providers, including those around equality, diversity, and inclusivity. We also deliver various compliance support and training services, helping providers identify and implement improvements. Contact us today on 01305 767104.
Call W&P on 01305 767104
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