Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Equality, diversity and inclusion training delivered at your workplace or live online. Half day or full day. Moving beyond the policy document to the everyday practice that either includes people or quietly fails them.

Course Overview

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training is one of those courses that organisations book because they know they should, and then discover they needed more than they realised. Not because the legal framework is complicated, though it matters, but because the gap between having an EDI policy and actually living it in day-to-day practice is wider than most teams recognise until someone points it out.

In health and social care, that gap has direct consequences. Care that is shaped by assumptions about what an individual wants based on their age, background, religion, disability, or any other characteristic, rather than what the person has actually told you, is not person-centred care. It is care delivered through a filter, and the person on the receiving end of it notices, even when the staff member delivering it does not.

This course moves beyond the policy document. It gives learners a clear, grounded understanding of what the Equality Act 2010 requires, what discrimination actually looks like in practice, including the types most frequently missed, how unconscious bias operates, and what inclusive practice means in the specific contexts where they work. The course aligns with the Equality Act 2010, ACAS equality and discrimination guidance, CQC Fundamental Standards on dignity, respect, and safe care, and Skills for Care workforce values.

Course Details

  • Duration: Half day (3 to 4 hours) or full day (6 hours), depending on group needs
  • Delivery: Face-to-face in-house or live online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams
  • Certificate: CPD-Accredited Certificate of Achievement in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
  • Awarding organisations: CPD-Accredited
  • Validity: No formal expiry. Refresher is recommended every 2 to 3 years, or sooner following changes to equality legislation, a significant workplace incident, or where supervision or audit identifies gaps in inclusive practice.
  • Group size: Maximum 15 learners per trainer

Who This Course Is For

This course is right for anyone working in an organisation where people are treated differently based on who they are, which in practice means every organisation.

  • Care assistants, support workers, and health and social care staff at all levels
  • Senior carers, team leaders, and managers in care settings
  • HR professionals and people management teams
  • Corporate teams, customer-facing staff, and operational managers
  • Education staff and community organisations
  • Employers supporting Personal Assistants through Personal Health Budgets, Continuing Healthcare, or Direct Payment arrangements
  • Volunteers and staff in public-facing roles

No prior knowledge is needed. The obligations under the Equality Act 2010 apply to organisations of all sizes. There is no threshold below which equality law does not apply. Not sure whether this course covers what your team needs? Get in touch and we’ll help you work it out before you commit.

Why This Training Matters

The Equality Act 2010 places clear legal obligations on every employer in Great Britain. It prohibits discrimination, harassment, and victimisation on the basis of nine protected characteristics and requires employers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and service users. These are legal requirements, and failure to meet them carries real consequences. ACAS guidance is clear that employers who fail to take reasonable steps to prevent discrimination, including through staff training, are exposed to greater liability in employment tribunal proceedings.

For CQC-registered providers, the obligations go further. CQC Fundamental Standards require that individuals receive care that respects their dignity and meets their needs regardless of any characteristic. Inspectors look at whether staff can demonstrate an understanding of equality in practice, whether care planning reflects individual identity and preferences, and whether the workplace culture supports staff to raise concerns about discriminatory practice. For care staff completing the Care Certificate, this course supports Care Certificate Standard 4: Equality and Diversity, which covers the equality and inclusion expectations staff must meet from day one.

Workplaces where people feel valued, respected, and safe to be themselves are more productive, retain staff for longer, and generate fewer formal complaints and grievances. In care settings specifically, a culture of genuine inclusion directly improves outcomes for the people being supported, because staff who understand and practise inclusion are staff who provide genuinely person-centred care rather than care shaped by assumptions and shortcuts.

What the Day Covers

All content reflects the Equality Act 2010, ACAS guidance on equality and discrimination, and CQC Fundamental Standards throughout. Topics covered include:

  • The Equality Act 2010: what it requires, what it prohibits, and how it applies in health and social care and corporate environments
  • The nine protected characteristics: explained clearly with practical examples relevant to the learner’s setting
  • Types of discrimination: direct, indirect, harassment, and victimisation, including the forms most commonly missed in care and workplace settings
  • Equality versus equity: understanding why treating everyone the same is not the same as treating everyone fairly
  • Unconscious bias: what it is, how it operates, and how it shapes care delivery, recruitment, and everyday interaction
  • Reasonable adjustments: what the law requires and what good practice looks like in both care and employment contexts
  • Inclusive communication: language, approach, and the habits that either include or exclude people
  • Cultural awareness and sensitivity: understanding differences without making assumptions
  • Supporting diverse teams: creating a workplace culture where difference is valued rather than managed
  • Challenging poor practice: what to do when something is wrong and how to raise it appropriately
  • Reporting, escalation, and whistleblowing: following the correct routes and understanding the protections available
  • EDI in care settings: the link between equality, dignity, person-centred care, and safeguarding

Every course is also built to include your internal EDI policies, reporting routes, and the specific equality challenges relevant to your setting as standard.

How the Course Is Delivered

This course is available face-to-face at your workplace or chosen venue, or live online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Both formats are fully interactive. Online delivery is a live session with the same scenarios, reflective exercises, and trainer engagement as the room-based version, not a pre-recorded module.

Groups are capped at 15 to ensure every learner gets sufficient space for the honest, reflective discussion this course generates. Every session is built around your internal EDI policy, the specific equality challenges most relevant to your setting or workforce, and any incidents or audit findings that need to be addressed. If you haven’t reviewed your EDI standards recently, we can discuss what a refresh might look like during the enquiry process.

Delivery includes:

  • Scenario-based exercises drawn from health and social care and corporate settings
  • Group discussion exploring what discrimination and bias look like in practice rather than in theory
  • Reflective exercises that ask learners to examine their own assumptions honestly
  • Practical guidance on inclusive communication, reasonable adjustments, and challenging poor practice

Certification and Validity

On completion, learners receive a CPD-Accredited Certificate of Achievement in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

There is no formal expiry, but a refresher is recommended every 2 to 3 years, or sooner following changes to equality legislation, a significant workplace incident, changes to organisational policy, or where supervision or audit identifies gaps in inclusive practice. For CQC-registered providers, aligning EDI refreshers with the annual mandatory training cycle is good practice.

For staff working toward the Care Certificate, this course supports Standard 4: Equality and Diversity.

Why Organisations Book With Prima Cura

Most training providers arrive with a course. We arrive with yours.

Before the day, we gather information about your workplace: your incident reporting forms, your internal procedures, the specific hazards your team actually faces. On the day, your trainer works that into every scenario, every discussion, every practical exercise. If your staff work in a care home, they’re not practising on hypothetical office workers. If your team are lone workers, that context shapes how the session runs.

It means the training lands. Not because it was well-delivered in a generic sense, but because it was relevant to the people in the room and the situations they’ll actually encounter.

A few other things that matter to the organisations that book with us:

  • 98.9% learner satisfaction across all Prima Cura courses
  • All trainers hold Enhanced DBS certificates and maintain ongoing CPD
  • We advise honestly on the qualification level at the enquiry stage. If a different course is a better fit for your workforce, we’ll say so before you book, not after

We respond to all enquiries within one working day.

Where We Deliver

We deliver in-house training at your workplace or chosen venue across Manchester, Greater Manchester, and the wider North West. We also deliver nationally across England, including North England, South England, London, and Surrey.

All sessions are led by experienced Prima Cura Training instructors. Groups are capped at 15 per trainer to protect the quality of hands-on learning.

Our associate network means we can deliver across England. You can meet the team on our Associates page.

FAQs

Is Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training a legal requirement?

There is no law that specifically mandates EDI training by name. However, the Equality Act 2010 places a legal duty on every employer to prevent discrimination, harassment, and victimisation. Training is consistently recognised by employment tribunals and the Equality and Human Rights Commission as a reasonable and necessary step in meeting that duty. An employer who cannot demonstrate that staff have been trained in equality obligations is in a weaker legal position when a discrimination claim arises.

What is the difference between equality and equity?

Equality means giving everyone the same. Equity means giving people what they need to achieve the same outcome, which is not always the same thing. A person who uses a wheelchair does not need the same access arrangements as someone who does not. Equity is the principle behind reasonable adjustments and person-centred care. This course covers both concepts and explains why the distinction matters in practice across both care and workplace settings.

What is unconscious bias and why does it matter in care settings?

Unconscious bias refers to attitudes and stereotypes that influence our decisions and behaviour without our awareness. In care settings, it can shape how staff respond to individuals based on age, ethnicity, disability, or other characteristics, often in ways that compromise person-centred care and dignity without anyone realising it. This course addresses unconscious bias directly, including how it operates and what learners can do to recognise and reduce its influence in their day-to-day role.

Is this course suitable for small businesses and organisations?

Yes. The obligations under the Equality Act 2010 apply to organisations of all sizes. There is no threshold below which the equality law does not apply. This course is structured to be relevant and accessible for small teams and single-site organisations as well as large multi-site employers.

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Book or Enquire

Book your training or request a quote

Tell us your team size and your sector. We’ll come back with a quote, the right advice on qualification level, and a straight answer on whether this is the best course for your team.

We respond to all enquiries within one working day.

Our Commitment to Quality and Compliance

At Prima Cura Training, all courses reflect current UK guidance and best practice. All trainers are experienced professionals with relevant qualifications and ongoing CPD. Because many of the organisations we support work with vulnerable individuals, all trainers hold Enhanced DBS checks.

This course is reviewed against updates from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, ACAS, the Care Quality Commission, Skills for Care, and current UK equality legislation including the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998.

You can read more on our Quality Assurance and Compliance page.

Reviewed by Stephanie Austin, Owner and Lead Trainer, Prima Cura Training | 25+ years in health and social care | 15+ years as a trainer | Last reviewed: June 2026 | Next review: June 2027

This page is for general guidance only and reflects current UK equality legislation and best practice as of the date of review. It does not constitute legal advice. Organisations remain responsible for ensuring their equality, diversity, and inclusion policies, procedures, and training programmes comply with the Equality Act 2010 and any other applicable legislation. Where specific legal advice is required regarding discrimination claims, reasonable adjustments, or employment tribunal proceedings, organisations should seek independent legal guidance. For CQC-registered providers, compliance with equality obligations must be considered alongside the specific requirements of CQC Fundamental Standards and sector-specific regulatory guidance.

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