As a health and social care practitioner it is important to have a clear understanding of the theories that underpin health and social care, understand the legalities and policies and be aware of the situation that you work within. This allows care staff to provide adequate care to the service users and allow them to feel safe knowing that they are being protected against any harm whilst protecting yourself.

Social processes, such as poverty, unemployment, and disability, can impact users of health and social care services. When assisting service users it is important to have an understanding and a knowledge of various structures. Individuals that are born into poverty more than likely come from a lower socio-economic background or area and have a higher rate of being unemployed, lowering their chance opportunity. Unemployment may contribute to a person becoming poor as they might have lost a job that they already held. Mental and physical disabilities can also have an impact on unemployment as an individual may not have the same opportunities as someone who is more able. This may be the situation if an individual is either born with a disability or acquires one in later life. Poverty, unemployment and disabilities can have severe impacts on a person’s life, including depression, drug or alcohol addictions or abuse, homelessness or may lead to some mental health issues. In some cases a service user might have previous history or emotional poverty and/or domestic violence or they could have history of alcohol and/or drug abuse. This can have an adverse effect on their children or other family members. Children who have grown up in a household of domestic abuse may become an offender of abuse. One of the first steps to break the abuse cycle is for the individual to realise and admit they need help or to recognise they do not want to become an abuser and better