
Diversity
Recognise diversity and apply anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive principles in practice.
Social workers understand that diversity characterises and shapes human experience and is critical to the formation of identity. Diversity is multi-dimensional and includes race, disability, class, economic status, age, sexuality, gender and transgender, faith and belief. Social workers appreciate that, as a consequence of difference, a person's life experience may include oppression, marginalisation and alienation as well as privilege, power and acclaim, and are able to challenge appropriately.
Practitioners at this level should:
- Recognise the complexity of identity and diversity of experience, and apply this to practice.
- Recognise discriminatory practices and develop a range of approaches to appropriately challenge service users, colleagues & senior staff.
- Critically reflect on and manage the power of your role in your relationship with others.
Evidencing your capabilities:
In evidencing this domain, it is important that you recognise diversity in human life and that some people are significantly oppressed as a consequence of identification with certain groups. You are advised to think carefully about the service users with whom you work and to examine their different identities. How has their identity been shaped by their experience? In what ways might service users be discriminated against by others in society and by institutions? How do they experience the use of power? You will also need to think about how you appropriately use the power invested in you as a social worker, and about when you have had to challenge other people who may have used their power inappropriately.
Case work examples which draw on difference and diversity are good sources of evidence in this domain. You are referred to those examples where there is evidence of discrimination and/or oppression. You should be able to demonstrate what you have done to challenge the discrimination. In addition, it is important that you are able to analyse how power manifests itself, who has it, how it is used, and how that is managed.