Embracing cultural diversity at Christmas
20 Dec 2018
A survey by YouGov suggests that one in five people don’t celebrate Christmas - and whether that’s the people you support or your staff, you need to consider this in your service.
A survey by YouGov suggests that one in five people don’t celebrate Christmas - and whether that’s the people you support or your staff, you need to consider this in your service.
There are lots of reasons why people don’t celebrate Christmas, be it personal, cultural or religious beliefs. For one thing they may belong to a religion that doesn’t celebrate Christmas, for example Islam, Judaism or Buddhism. Some people also have personal reasons why they don’t celebrate it. For example they think it’s become too commercialised, find it a stressful and overwhelming time of year, or it reminds them of loss or bereavement of family and friends - and some people just don’t like it! You need to consider all of these things when you’re planning festive activities in your service.
Sara Hornsey is a registered manager at Albany House. She told us how she ensures their festive activities are planned with people’s personal beliefs and choices in mind.
For London-based provider, Jewish Care, the majority of people who use their service don’t celebrate Christmas, but they use it as an opportunity to show appreciation to their diverse staff team. Myriam Browne, Residential and Nursing Services Manager, talks about how they respect and cater for both residents and staff over Christmas time.
Respecting people’s personal beliefs and preferences is all part of planning and delivering person-centred care and support. Our ‘Good and outstanding care guide’ outlines what providers rated 'good' and 'outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) do, to meet their standards around person-centred care. It includes a list of recommendations and practical examples of best practice.
Print this page