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HSC CM1 Equality, Diversity and Rights in Health and Social Care: Task 1 Sample Answer
For information and reference only – not to be submitted as your own work. This HSC CM1 sample answer is a model extract written by a Students Assignment Help UK expert to show the structure, depth and referencing expected for each grading criterion. Use it to understand the task, then write your own booklet in your own words, following your college’s academic integrity rules.
This extract follows the NCFE CACHE Level 3 HSC CM1 Task 1 brief (unit reference K/507/1406): an information booklet for peers in three sections, around 1,250 words, Harvard referencing. The full brief is on our HSC CM1 equality, diversity and rights assignment brief page. For a step-by-step explanation of each criterion, read our guide to the HSC CM1 Task 1 information booklet.
Section 1: Key terms, legislation and codes of practice
Table of definitions (D1)
| Term | Definition | What it looks like in a care setting |
|---|---|---|
| Equality | Ensuring every individual has equal opportunity and is not treated less favourably because of who they are; it does not mean treating everyone the same, but meeting different needs so that outcomes are fair (Ferreiro Peteiro et al., 2017; EHRC, n.d.). | Providing a hearing loop so a resident with hearing loss can take part in a residents’ meeting. |
| Diversity | Recognising, respecting and valuing the differences between people, including culture, religion, age, disability, sexuality and life experience (Thompson, 2018). | Planning menus and activities around residents’ faiths and cultural preferences. |
| Inclusion | Actively removing barriers so that individuals can participate fully and are treated as valued members of a service or community (Ferreiro Peteiro et al., 2017). | Producing a care plan in easy read for a person with a learning disability, so they can help write it. |
| Discrimination | Treating a person or group unfairly because of a characteristic. The Equality Act 2010 recognises direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation in relation to nine protected characteristics (Equality Act 2010; EHRC, n.d.). | Refusing a service user’s reasonable preference for a male or female carer without reason, or assuming an older person cannot use technology. |
Summary of current legislation and codes of practice (D2)
| Law or code | Key points for practitioners |
|---|---|
| Equality Act 2010 | Protects nine characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. Prohibits direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and requires reasonable adjustments for disabled people. Section 149 places the Public Sector Equality Duty on public bodies such as NHS trusts and councils. Since October 2024, the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 also requires employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of staff. |
| Human Rights Act 1998 | Brings the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law. Public authorities, and care providers carrying out public functions, must respect rights such as the right to life (Article 2), freedom from inhuman or degrading treatment (Article 3), liberty (Article 5), respect for private and family life (Article 8), freedom of religion (Article 9) and freedom from discrimination in enjoying these rights (Article 14). |
| Care Act 2014 | Section 1 places a duty on local authorities to promote individual wellbeing, including dignity, control over day-to-day life and participation. It puts the person’s views, wishes and beliefs at the centre of assessment and care planning and sets out adult safeguarding duties. |
| Mental Capacity Act 2005 | Five principles: assume capacity; support the person to decide; an unwise decision does not mean a lack of capacity; decisions made for someone must be in their best interests; choose the least restrictive option (Mental Capacity Act 2005, s.1). The MCA Code of Practice guides how staff apply this. |
| Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 | The fundamental standards enforced by the Care Quality Commission, including person-centred care (Regulation 9), dignity and respect (Regulation 10) and safeguarding from abuse (Regulation 13). |
| Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England (Skills for Care and Skills for Health, 2013) | Seven statements, including promoting and upholding the privacy, dignity, rights, health and wellbeing of people, and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion. |
| The Code (NMC, 2018) | Requires nurses, midwives and nursing associates to treat people as individuals, uphold their dignity, avoid discrimination and challenge discriminatory behaviour. |
| Accessible Information Standard (NHS England, 2016; revised 2025, DAPB1605) | NHS and publicly funded adult social care providers must identify, record, flag, share and meet people’s information and communication needs linked to disability or sensory loss. |
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Section 2: Rights, promoting equality and ethical dilemmas
Rights are promoted when they are built into everyday routines rather than left in a policy file. Person-centred care plans record what matters to the individual, so choice and control are respected in practice (Care Act 2014). Staff gain valid consent before personal care and treatment and assume capacity unless an assessment shows otherwise (Mental Capacity Act 2005).
Privacy and dignity are protected through closed doors, chosen names and confidential records, which reflects Article 8 of the Human Rights Act 1998. Independent advocates help people who struggle to speak up, and accessible complaints procedures give individuals a way to raise concerns without fear.
Ways to promote equality and diversity (C2)
- Meeting communication needs, for example interpreters, Makaton, large print or easy read, as the Accessible Information Standard requires.
- Respecting faith and culture through diet, prayer space, personal care preferences and festivals.
- Making reasonable adjustments to buildings, appointment times and equipment.
- Equality and diversity training and induction, such as Standard 4 of the Care Certificate.
- Recruiting a diverse workforce and involving service users in planning activities and reviewing services.
Supporting others to promote equality and rights (B2)
Practitioners support others by role modelling respectful language and person-centred approaches, so new staff see what good practice looks like. Sharing information at handovers, mentoring new colleagues and signposting them to policies and training helps the whole team. Supervision and team meetings are good places to reflect on situations where someone’s rights were at risk and agree how to respond next time.
Challenging practitioners to work inclusively (A1)
Discrimination should be challenged at the time where it is safe to do so, calmly and privately, by focusing on the behaviour rather than the person (Thompson, 2018). For example: “I noticed Mr A was not offered a choice of meal; can we check his preferences together?” If poor practice continues, the practitioner records the facts and reports to a senior or manager, following the setting’s equality and whistleblowing policies. Escalation to the Care Quality Commission is available where internal routes fail. Effective challenge is assertive, evidence-based and aimed at changing practice, not blaming individuals.
Ethical dilemmas: individual rights and duty of care (B1)
An ethical dilemma arises when two duties cannot both be fully met. Beauchamp and Childress (2019) describe four principles that often pull against each other: respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice.
| Dilemma | Individual’s perspective | Practitioner’s perspective | Family or organisation’s perspective |
|---|---|---|---|
| A resident with capacity who has diabetes wants to eat sugary foods. | A right to make choices and enjoy food (autonomy, Article 8). | A duty of care to prevent harm; under the MCA an unwise decision is not proof of lacking capacity, so the role is to inform, not force. | Relatives may fear deterioration; the provider must record the risk discussion and the person’s informed choice. |
| A service user discloses information but asks that it is kept secret. | Right to privacy and confidentiality. | If the disclosure suggests a risk of abuse, safeguarding duties under the Care Act 2014 override confidentiality. | The organisation must share information lawfully and only with those who need to know. |
| A person’s religious beliefs lead them to refuse a recommended treatment. | Freedom of religion (Article 9) and the right to refuse treatment when they have capacity. | Must respect an informed refusal while making sure the person understands the consequences and alternatives. | Family members may disagree with the decision and need support without overriding the person. |
In each case the practitioner balances risk with rights by involving the individual, recording decisions, seeking advice from senior staff and using the least restrictive option.
Section 3: Evaluation of the practitioner’s role in inclusive practice (A*1)
Inclusive practice means planning and delivering care so that every individual can participate, is valued and has their needs met, regardless of difference. The practitioner’s role is to know each person, adapt communication and care to their needs, uphold their rights and challenge barriers (Skills for Care and Skills for Health, 2013).
Factors that enable inclusive practice include person-centred care planning, good-quality training, supportive leadership and supervision, access to advocates and interpreters, and clear policies backed by law. Where managers model inclusive values, staff are more confident to adapt routines and to challenge poor practice.
Challenges are equally real. Staff shortages and high turnover, which Skills for Care (2025) continues to report across adult social care, reduce the time available to get to know individuals. Task-focused routines, limited budgets for equipment or interpreters, communication barriers and unconscious bias can all lead to people being treated the same rather than fairly.
On balance, the practitioner plays a central role, because inclusion happens in daily interactions that policies alone cannot guarantee. However, individual practitioners cannot overcome structural problems such as staffing and funding on their own. Inclusive practice is therefore most effective when personal commitment is supported by organisational leadership, resources and a culture in which challenge is welcomed.
This model extract stops here. A full booklet would add images or diagrams suited to a peer audience and expand each section to the agreed word count.
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About the expert
Sophie Adams is a nursing and health and social care expert based in Leicester, with an MSc in Adult Nursing from Kingston University London. She works as a professional nurse in a city hospital in the UK, has been associated with Students Assignment Help UK for the last 7 years, and her profile lists childhood development as a professional field.
For related reading, see our duty of care in health and social care essay example, the RQF Level 3 answer on diversity, equality, inclusion and discrimination, our CACHE assignment help and health and social care assignment help.
References
Beauchamp, T.L. and Childress, J.F. (2019) Principles of Biomedical Ethics. 8th edn. New York: Oxford University Press.
Care Act 2014, c. 23. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/23/contents (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
Equality Act 2010, c. 15. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) (n.d.) Protected characteristics. Available at: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/equality/equality-act-2010/protected-characteristics (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
Ferreiro Peteiro, M., Rasheed, E., Wyatt, L. and Wedlake, P. (2017) NCFE CACHE Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care. London: Hodder Education.
Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, SI 2014/2936. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/2936/contents (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
Human Rights Act 1998, c. 42. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/42/contents (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
Mental Capacity Act 2005, c. 9. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/9/contents (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
NHS England (2016, revised 2025) Accessible Information Standard (DAPB1605). Available at: https://standards.nhs.uk/published-standards/accessible-information (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2018) The Code: Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates. London: NMC.
Skills for Care (2025) The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England. Leeds: Skills for Care.
Skills for Care and Skills for Health (2013) Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England. Leeds: Skills for Care.
Thompson, N. (2018) Promoting Equality: Working with Diversity and Difference. 4th edn. London: Palgrave.
Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023, c. 51. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/51/contents (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
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