Social Care Values, Equality and Diversity Assignment

Part A – 1,500 words
Using the knowledge gained from this module describe and evaluate a range of issues in the case study. You should consider issues around equality and diversity, personal and professional values, ethical and other theories that are examined in the module and any relevant legal context.
The case study for Part A
Patrick is an 18yr old white man who lives with his parents and younger brother in a house owned by his parents. The area is mixed with some social housing and some privately owned. Although the area does not have a high crime rate there have been several instances of hate crime against vulnerable disabled people in the area. Patrick has learning disabilities and has difficulty with reading, writing and processing information quickly. He attended a mainstream primary school but spent his secondary years at a special school, and has been on a basic skills course at his local college for the past 12 months. He would like to find some form of training or employment and is interested in working with cars. He used to go out with people from his college course. Staff at the college arrange for them to go to out once or twice a month. Patrick enjoys the cinema, bowling and going out for meals. Although Patrick sees his friends, Ali and Sean, outside college there is always a parent or family member with them and it’s not as much fun as when they go out with the college staff.
You are an advocate/support worker, working for a local disability, charity and are based at the college. Your role is to support people, such as Patrick, in becoming independent young adults. You have been asked to meet Patrick and discuss his options as he has expressed an interest in becoming more independent and would like to move into supported housing with his friends from college.
When you meet Patrick you discover that he is in a sexual relationship with Ali who is also 18. Ali is one of the friends that Patrick would like to move in with. They have known each other since they were at school and the friendship developed into a relationship when they started college together. When Patrick tells his parents, Bob and Margaret, of his wish to move out they are initially concerned but supportive. They are worried about his ability to manage, even with support from staff, and are concerned that he could be vulnerable to exploitation. The nature of his learning disability means that he can be quite suggestible and he has been taken advantage of in the past. For example, he started at mainstream secondary school but moved to a special school when he was found to have been badly bullied by people he thought were his friends. You have met Patrick’s parents, Bob and Margaret, and discussed their concerns about him moving out but not mentioned his relationship with Ali.
A local housing association is able to offer a supported living property to the three friends and Patrick tells his older sister that he is happy to be moving in with his boyfriend. Bob and Margaret are very angry that you did not tell them that Patrick was in a relationship with Ali. As strict Catholics they believe that sex before marriage is sinful and that homosexuality is wrong. They demand that you stop the whole process and tell you that Patrick will continue to live at home with them. Patrick is distraught and runs away from home. He is found two days later at Sean’s house. Sean’s mother, Karen, knows about Patrick and Ali and thinks Bob and Margaret need to relax and allow Patrick to grow up.
Bob and Margaret put in a complaint about your unprofessionalism in the way you handled Patrick’s case especially withholding information from them. Your manager knows Bob and Margaret as they attend the same church and tells you that your actions have made things very difficult for her.
Part B – 500 words
Write a reflective account of your learning and development from this module. In particular, you must discuss and reflect on your own ethics and values as well as including some reflective theory in your work.