Respect for religious and philosophical beliefs while eating in care
Everyone deserves dignity in care. This belief is why the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vegetarianism and Veganism has launched the report Respect for religious and philosophical beliefs while eating in care.
This report has been produced by V for Life on behalf of the VegAPPG and highlights several examples where individual dietary preferences were disregarded.
Crucially, the report makes four recommendations, with variations for the devolved nations. These can be summarised as:
1 and 2. Strengthening care regulations and related guidance – By recognising that philosophical beliefs are as important as an individual’s religious beliefs or cultural background.
3. Introducing mandatory training – Helping carers to learn more about, and fully understand the importance of, religious and philosophical beliefs.
4. Dietary guides in kitchens – Ensuring that dietary practices arising from protected philosophical beliefs such as veganism and vegetarianism are easy to understand and accessible for chefs.
The full recommendations are contained on pages 8–10 of the report.
What you can do
We still want to hear from people who are affected by these issues, especially if you would be happy to share your experiences with the media. This will help us draw attention to the campaign and show the importance of the recommended changes. If you or someone you know has faced similar problems in care settings, please get in touch with us. You can call us on 0161 257 0887 or email us at inquiry@vegetarianforlife.org.uk.
We still need to get the campaign message out as far as possible. You can also share our campaign video on social media. Create your own caption, or simply copy and paste the caption below to pledge your support.
"The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vegetarianism & Veganism has launched a hard-hitting inquiry report around dignity in care. And we need your help: https://youtu.be/TDM2XeCwCnw"
Campaign update
In January 2022 we held a meeting with officers of the VegAPPG to discuss the report and how to make the changes we want to see. We have developed some plans and will keep you updated with progress.