Understanding the Social Care Sector 1 Assignment Brief 2026 | MTU

Understanding the Social Care Sector 1 Case Study : Oakplace

Oakplace prides itself on having an excellent regime of care and service provision. Regularly the manager can be overheard saying how no one in his establishment complains. Staff appear happy but can be a little distant when discussing care plans and practices with other professionals.

A member of staff has transferred from Oakplace to work at Chestnut Grove (Oakplace and Chestnut Grove are part of the same organisation).  In the team room, the staff member begins to talk about the care practices in her previous place of work (Oakplace). She talks about the emotional and physical intimidation (including examples of hitting, rough handling, teasing, and taunting) that took place to service users. The member of staff describes institutional practices that cause others present in the team room to be concerned for the residents in Oakplace.

The staff member is very clear that she did not tell the manager of Oakplace and is not planning on telling the manager of Chestnut Grove as she doesn’t want to be a troublemaker. She needs this job. She said she would deny all the information if her new colleagues tell the manager of Chestnut Grove. She says she is glad to be out of Oakplace. She doesn’t want to meet the manager of Oakplace under any circumstances as she is afraid of him.

Assignment

For the purpose of this assignment, you are a student social care worker on placement in Chestnut Grove.  Consider how you might respond to what you have heard in the team room. Please support your answer with academic reading and reference to the following documents:

HSE. 2014. Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons at Risk of Abuse – National Policy and Procedures.  Dublin: Health Service Executive

Social Care Workers Registration Board: Standards of Proficiency for Social Care Workers

Social Care Workers Registration Board: Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics

Instructions

You are required to answer all three questions below. All questions carry equal marks.
Submission via Canvas (electronically).

Continuous assessment – 40% of overall marks

Questions

Question 1.

Please answer part (a) and (b)

(a) If you have concerns that abuse has taken place, what categories of abuse do you have concerns about? Explain the indicators that give you cause for concern. What action will you take?

(b) Describe the procedure for responding to concerns or allegations of abuse in a service setting, and the role of the relevant statutory services that will receive the concern.

Standards of Proficiency: 1.6, 3.15, 5.1                                                      (450 words)

Question 2.

Discuss the aspects of confidentiality that you will need to take into consideration in this case study. Standards of Proficiency: 1.1, 1.4, 1.10, 1.11, 1.12, 1.14, 5.1

(300 words)

Question 3.

Discuss how a Human Rights Based Approach will improve the quality of care, support and safety of people who use social care services. Standards of Proficiency: 1.5, 2.10, 3.13, 5.3, 5.15 (450 words)

Assignment Presentation Guidelines

• Assignments must be typed, using double spacing. Please use font ‘Calibri’ with font size 12. Allow uniform margins on all sides.  The standard margin is 2.5cm.
• If an assignment deadline cannot be met, the student must ask for an extension, in writing, from the lecturer who has set the assignment.
• All students must adhere to the MTU Harvard Anglia Ruskin Referencing Style Online Guide.
• Plagiarism (the submission in whole or part of work not originating from the student) will be dealt with through the formal University disciplinary procedures.