The care value base is a set of standards that guide health and social care professionals to improve clients' quality of life. It focuses on fostering equality and diversity by recognizing individual needs, respecting rights and responsibilities, and maintaining confidentiality of client information. Professionals are expected to provide individualized care without discrimination and keep private information private in accordance with legal requirements.

1. What is the care value base? The care value base is a range of standards for health and social care. It is designed to guide the practice of professionals working in this area. The overall aim of the standards is to improve clients' quality of life, by ensuring that each person gets the care that is most appropriate for them as an individual. The care value base offers guidance, and sets standards, in three main areas of health and social care: Fostering (which means supporting and encouraging) equality and diversity Fostering people's rights and responsibilities Maintaining confidentiality of information

2. Care value base explained

4. Care value base explained 2 Fostering rights and responsibilities This means supporting a client's right to choose their own lifestyle AND helping them to accept their responsibilities . So your client has the right to eat unhealthy food, but you need to tell them about the health risks so they can take responsibility for their choice .

6. Question Look at this person and decide which of these he's most likely to be: Care Assistant Doctor Client Don’t know In fact, there's no way of knowing what someone does, or who they are, just by looking at them, unless, of course, they're wearing a uniform.

7. Fostering equality and diversity As a carer working with clients face to face, you can do a lot to ensure that a client's background or circumstances do not affect the quality of care they receive. This doesn't mean treating everyone the same. It means treating each person as an individual , taking into account their beliefs, abilities, likes and dislikes. This is known as client-centred care . By being open to the needs of others, you yourself will develop a broader understanding of the world around you.

8. Things to avoid Stereotyping If you stereotype someone, you make assumptions about them based on their age, sex, race, nationality or sexuality. For example: Italians are good lovers Women can't park cars Men are only interested in one thing You can’t trust foreigners Just what you’d expect from a man All gypsies are thieves

9. Prejudice This means liking or disliking someone not because of who they are , but because of how you feel about their lifestyle or background. Carers have a responsibility to ensure that prejudice doesn't affect the quality of care given to clients.

10. Discrimination Discrimination is the result of stereotyping and prejudice. It means providing worse (or better ) care to some people because they are of a particular group, like Asian people, lesbians and gays, older people and so on .

11. Discrimination There are as many different ways to discriminate against someone as there are different types of people . Here are some of the most common:

16. Fostering people's rights and responsibilities Rights and responsibilities go hand in hand. So while you have the right to your own beliefs and lifestyle, you need to take responsibility for them and ensure your choices aren't affecting someone else's right to lead the life they choose. Take smoking. A person has the right to smoke , even though it's generally recognised that smoking can damage health. But a smoker also has a responsibility to consider people who don't want to be in a smoky environment. Therefore they have to obey non-smoking regulations at work, on public transport or in restaurants and cafes

18. Confidentiality Maintaining confidentiality of information is an important part of caring. You need to think carefully before you talk about your colleagues and clients , and ask yourself whether this person really needs to know what you're about to tell them. It's just common sense really! You wouldn't expect a tutor to discuss your exam results with anyone but you , and you should treat your client's personal details in the same way. But of course there are times when you need to share confidential information, for example when a client may be a danger to themselves or others.

19. Aspects of confidentiality Clients can expect you not to discuss their details with anyone else without their consent. And they won't trust or respect you if you do Whenever possible, health and social care professionals must respect their client's right to keep certain information private. For example, a 16-year-old has the right to expect a professional not to tell her parents that she has asked about birth control.

20. Data Protection There are also legal requirements to keep personal records confidential. The 1998 Data Protection Act states that data has to be secure , accurate and that it can only be used for limited purposes .

22. Maintaining confidentiality Confidential information stored on a computer can include personal details and medical history. But using individual passwords will allow only certain people access t o your files. Medical notes may be stored in a filing cabinet. So you need to check that all filing cabinets can be locked and that you know who has access to the keys

23. Maintaining confidentiality Don't talk about clients' and colleagues' personal details in public places. And think about who else is in the room before you talk about confidential information over the telephone. Your work diary might contain information on clients' progress, recurring problems and future appointments. Think about who has access to your room and decide how to keep the diary private.