What is Intersectionality in Health and Social Care?

Intersectionality is a way of thinking about how different aspects of a person’s identity work together to influence their experiences, especially in relation to discrimination, barriers, or access to services. The term comes from the idea that people are affected by more than one social category at the same time. These categories can include gender, race, ethnicity, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and social class. Often, they overlap in ways that can create unique challenges or advantages.

In health and social care, intersectionality is used to better understand service users and their needs. It involves considering the combined effects of multiple parts of their identity instead of focusing on just one. For example, a woman who is from a minority ethnic group and has a disability might face different barriers than a woman without a disability, or a man from the same ethnic group.

This approach shifts thinking away from single-issue assessments and towards a deeper appreciation of how people’s lives are shaped by interconnected social factors and experiences. By recognising these connections, professionals can make support more relevant and accessible.

What are the Benefits of Using Intersectionality in Health and Social Care?

The main advantage is that intersectionality helps health and social care professionals see the whole person. It prevents assumptions based solely on one characteristic and can improve fairness in care delivery. It helps ensure that no aspect of a person’s identity is overlooked.

Intersectionality can lead to:

• More accurate assessments of needs
• Reduced discrimination within services
• Better access to healthcare and support
• Improved trust between service users and professionals
• Greater inclusivity in policy and practice

By understanding the combined impact of a person’s identity, workers can respond in ways that feel respectful and relevant to the person’s life. This can improve both short-term outcomes, like getting timely help, and long-term wellbeing.

Examples of Intersectionality in Health Settings

In healthcare settings, intersectionality is important in situations where patients face multiple overlapping barriers.

For instance:

• A migrant woman who speaks little English and experiences domestic abuse may face greater difficulty accessing health services. Language barriers, fear of authorities, and cultural stigma interact to limit her access.
• An older man from a minority ethnic background with limited income may delay seeking medical help because he feels services do not understand or value his experiences. His concerns about discrimination combine with financial challenges to affect his health behaviours.
• A person with a physical disability who identifies as LGBTQ+ might avoid certain clinics if they believe staff may be judgmental about sexuality or gender identity, especially when combined with stigma related to disability.

In each case, intersectionality helps staff understand why barriers occur and how to address them. Professionals may adapt appointment processes, offer translation support, train staff on cultural awareness, or redesign services so they feel safe and accessible.

Examples of Intersectionality in Social Work

Social work often deals with complex cases where multiple issues overlap. Intersectionality encourages social workers to look beyond single labels and recognise how factors combine to influence the person’s situation.

Examples include:

• A homeless young woman who has been in care, belongs to a minority ethnic group, and struggles with mental health issues. Each aspect affects her ability to get safe housing and the kind of support she trusts.
• A family where the parents have disabilities, live in poverty, and face prejudice from neighbours. Social workers must address the combined effect of disability discrimination and economic hardship on parenting.
• An elderly person who feels isolated because of religious beliefs, cultural differences, and mobility problems. Intersectionality helps social workers plan solutions that respect both physical needs and personal values.

By applying intersectionality, social workers can tailor interventions to multiple needs at once, improving the effectiveness of the support provided.

Intersectionality in Housing Services

Housing services often work with people who face overlapping issues preventing them from accessing secure accommodation.

Examples:

• A refugee with mental health challenges and limited English may be at risk of homelessness. Staff can use intersectionality to understand why standard housing procedures are unsuitable for their needs.
• A single parent with several young children and a disability may struggle to find affordable housing that meets accessibility standards. Intersectionality helps staff see the combined impact of disability, parenthood, and financial pressures.
• A person leaving prison who is from a racial minority and has addiction issues may face stigma from landlords and agencies. Intersectionality can help housing workers develop tailored policies that take into account both discrimination and substance use recovery.

Intersectionality in Education and Training for Health and Social Care Staff

Training staff to recognise intersectionality improves service quality. Professionals learn to identify overlapping identities and their combined effects. This can include case study discussions, role-playing, and community engagement.

For example:

• During induction sessions, nurses might study how patients with both age-related conditions and cultural differences can face barriers in expressing symptoms.
• Social work courses might include scenarios showing how sexuality and socioeconomic status affect access to support.
• Care workers might be trained to recognise how mental illness, gender, and ethnicity can shape someone’s experience in residential care.

Such training can reduce preconceived assumptions and help staff make decisions that are fair and inclusive.

Benefits for Policy and Service Design

Intersectionality can improve the design of health and social care policies. Service planners who apply intersectionality can create programmes that meet the needs of diverse groups rather than just a majority.

Practical benefits include:

• More inclusive eligibility criteria for services
• Policies that account for different types of discrimination
• Better outreach to communities that might otherwise be overlooked
• Funding allocation that supports the most affected groups

For example, a public health initiative aimed at improving maternity care could consider how race, income, and language barriers affect pregnancy outcomes. This would lead to targeted resources for groups facing higher risks.

What are the Challenges in Applying Intersectionality?

While intersectionality offers many advantages, it requires careful application. Professionals must be trained to identify overlaps without stereotyping. Data collection can be complex, as people may be unwilling or unable to share certain personal details.

Challenges include:

• Limited time and resources to conduct detailed assessments
• Incomplete information about service users’ identities and experiences
• Difficulty translating intersectionality into practical service actions

These challenges can be addressed through better staff training, community engagement, and collaboration between agencies.

Final Thoughts

Intersectionality in health and social care provides a framework for seeing people as whole individuals with interconnected identities. It helps explain why certain groups face unique barriers and guides professionals in delivering fairer, more relevant services.

Using intersectionality creates opportunities for improved service access, better trust in professionals, and stronger outcomes for people in health, social work, housing, and other related settings.

By considering the combined effects of factors like gender, race, age, disability, and income, services can better match the realities of people’s lives and reduce inequalities in care.