1.1 Outline what is meant by: • human rights • protected characteristics

This guide will help you answer 1.1 Outline what is meant by: • human rights • protected characteristics.

Knowing about human rights and protected characteristics is important for anyone working in adult social care. These principles guide how care and support workers should treat people, ensuring fairness, equality, and respect.

What Are Human Rights?

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world, regardless of their nationality, gender, or beliefs. These rights are universal, which means everyone is entitled to them. They key purpose of human rights is to ensure that all individuals are treated with dignity, fairness, and respect.

In the United Kingdom, human rights are outlined in a law called the Human Rights Act 1998. This law is based on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). It ensures that the government, organisations, and individuals respect these rights in their actions and decisions.

Core Principles of Human Rights

Human rights are based on a few simple but powerful principles:

• Universality – Human rights apply to everyone, no matter their background or situation.
• Equality – Everyone is entitled to the same rights. Discrimination is not allowed.
• Dignity – Every person deserves to be treated with care and respect.
• Freedom – People must be free to live their lives without unnecessary interference.

These principles create a foundation for human rights laws and aim to protect individuals from harm.

Examples of Human Rights

Many different rights fall under the umbrella of human rights, but some of the most relevant for adult social care workers are:

• Right to Life – This means a person’s life should be protected by law, and no one has the right to take their life.
• Freedom from Torture or Inhuman Treatment – Care workers need to provide support in a way that is kind and respectful, avoiding anything that could cause harm or suffering.
• Right to Privacy – A person has the right to keep their private and family life protected. For example, their personal information should be kept confidential.
• Freedom of Thought, Belief, and Religion – People have the right to hold their own beliefs and practise their religion.
• Right to Participate in Free Elections – This allows individuals to have a say in decisions about how their country is governed.

These rights are particularly relevant in the day-to-day interactions care workers have with the people they support.

Promoting Human Rights in Adult Social Care

Care workers have a responsibility to promote, protect, and respect human rights. Some ways you can do this include:

• Providing care that upholds dignity, such as respecting personal choices or giving people privacy when providing personal care.
• Helping people to feel safe and secure by treating them with kindness and understanding.
• Listening to their opinions and supporting them to make their own decisions.

When human rights are respected, people feel valued and empowered.

What Are Protected Characteristics?

In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 provides legal protection for people from discrimination. It defines protected characteristics, which are specific aspects of a person’s identity that should never be a reason for unfair treatment.

There are nine protected characteristics under this law. These characteristics ensure that everyone is treated equally and with respect, regardless of who they are.

List of Protected Characteristics

Age

• This protects people of all ages. For example, someone cannot be unfairly treated because they’re young or because they’re over 65.

Disability

A person with a physical or mental impairment is protected. Support workers must make reasonable adjustments to ensure the person can access the same opportunities as others.

Gender Reassignment

• This protects people who are trans, which means someone whose gender identity is different from the sex they were assigned at birth. It applies whether or not they have undergone surgery or other treatments.

Marriage and Civil Partnership

• People who are married or in a civil partnership are protected from discrimination. For example, employers cannot treat such individuals unfairly.

Pregnancy and Maternity

• This covers women who are pregnant or have recently given birth. They should not face discrimination because of their pregnancy or responsibilities related to a new baby.

Race

• This protects people from discrimination based on their race, ethnicity, or nationality. Everyone has the right to be treated equally, no matter their background.

Religion or Belief

• People should be able to practise their religion, or hold specific beliefs (or not hold any beliefs), without discrimination.

Sex

• This ensures men and women are treated fairly and equally. For example, they must receive the same pay for the same work.

Sexual Orientation

• This protects individuals who are heterosexual, gay, lesbian, or bisexual from being treated unfairly because of their sexual orientation.

Why Are Protected Characteristics Important in Social Care?

Discrimination is unlawful and can hurt individuals both mentally and physically. By understanding and respecting protected characteristics, care and support workers can help to reduce inequality and promote fairness.

This fosters a safer, more inclusive environment for everyone. It ensures that care is delivered in a way that respects people’s individuality and identity.

Preventing Discrimination Based on Protected Characteristics

In your role, there are steps you can take to ensure you do not discriminate against others. These steps include:

• Avoiding any form of direct discrimination – i.e., treating someone unfairly based on who they are.
• Recognising unconscious bias – everyone has biases they may not be aware of. Actively challenge these biases to treat everyone equally.
• Supporting reasonable adjustments – for example, making sure a person with a disability has the tools they need to live independently.

It’s all about treating everyone with respect and compassion, in line with the Equality Act 2010.

How Do Human Rights and Protected Characteristics Work Together?

Human rights and protected characteristics serve a shared purpose. They both aim to ensure individuals are treated with dignity, fairness, and respect.

When you work in care, you are responsible for understanding and promoting these legal protections every day. For example:

• Human rights ensure that everyone, regardless of their background, has the right to live with dignity.
• Protected characteristics help identify specific vulnerabilities where discrimination might occur, and they provide clear guidance about how to prevent it.

By combining an understanding of both, you can provide personalised care that meets the unique needs of those you support.

Final Thoughts on Respecting Rights and Characteristics

Working in adult social care means supporting people as individuals. Everyone deserves to be treated fairly, regardless of their age, gender, disability, or any other characteristic. You can make a real difference in a person’s life by respecting their human rights and ensuring they are not treated unfairly because of who they are.

By following human rights laws and the Equality Act 2010, you can help to create a world where discrimination is unacceptable, and inclusion is the standard. It’s a positive change that starts with understanding – and carrying out – these fundamental protections.