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How do social influences create or affect a person's care needs?

How social influences such as family, poverty, unemployment, housing and discrimination can create or affect care needs and the wellbeing of individuals and groups.

An SQA National 5 Care answer on how social influences such as family, poverty, unemployment, housing and discrimination can create or affect care needs and the wellbeing of individuals and groups.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.810 min answer

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

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  1. What this dot point is asking
  2. Social influences create and affect care needs
  3. Why this matters in care
  4. Try this

What this dot point is asking

The SQA wants you to bring the unit together by explaining how social influences can create or affect care needs and a person's wellbeing. Everything from the family to poverty, unemployment, housing and discrimination can change what support a person needs.

Social influences create and affect care needs

A person's care needs are not only about their body or their age. They are strongly shaped by their social situation.

The family

The family can lower or raise care needs. A loving, stable family that provides support, food, security and care reduces the need for outside help. But family breakdown, neglect or a lack of support can increase a person's care needs, for example a child who is not properly cared for, or an older person living alone with no family nearby.

Poverty and unemployment

Poverty and unemployment are powerful social influences on care needs.

  • Physical and health needs can rise, because a person may not afford healthy food, heating or a safe, warm home, raising the risk of illness.
  • Emotional needs can rise, as the stress, worry and stigma of poverty or being out of work harm mental wellbeing.
  • Social needs can rise, because people who cannot afford activities may become isolated and excluded.

Housing

Poor housing (damp, cold, overcrowded or unsafe) damages health and wellbeing, especially for children and older people, and can create care needs around health, safety and emotional support. Good, settled housing supports wellbeing.

Discrimination

As covered in the previous dot point, discrimination lowers self-esteem, causes isolation and denies people jobs, housing and services. Each of these creates care needs: for emotional support, for help to take part again, and for practical help with the resources discrimination has denied.

Why this matters in care

This dot point is the heart of why Care studies social influences at all. A good care worker looks beyond the immediate problem to the social situation behind it, and aims to support both the person and their circumstances where possible. Recognising that poverty, housing or discrimination are driving a person's needs leads to better, fairer care and links directly to the care values of promoting equality and meeting needs.

Try this

Q1. State one way a supportive family can reduce a person's care needs. [1 mark]

  • Cue. By providing care, support, food and security, so less outside help is needed.

Q2. Give one care need that poverty can create. [1 mark]

  • Cue. A physical or health need (from poor diet or a cold home), an emotional need (from stress) or a social need (from exclusion).

Exam-style practice questions

Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.

SQA N5 style4 marksExplain how poverty can create or increase a person's care needs. Use examples.
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A 4-mark explain question wants developed points with examples, so give two ways poverty affects needs.

Way 1 (physical and health). Poverty can mean a person cannot afford healthy food, heating or a safe home, which can lead to poor health and increased physical care needs. For example, a family on a very low income may have a poor diet, raising the risk of illness.

Way 2 (emotional and social). The stress and stigma of poverty can harm mental wellbeing, and people in poverty may be excluded from activities they cannot afford, leading to isolation and a need for emotional and social support.

Markers reward each way poverty is explained and linked to a care need, with an example. Stating "poverty is bad" without explaining the effect on needs would not gain full marks.

SQA N5 style3 marksDescribe how discrimination can affect a person's wellbeing and create a care need.
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This is a describe question worth 3 marks, so make three clear points linking discrimination to wellbeing and need.

Point 1. Discrimination can lower self-esteem and cause anxiety or depression, which harms emotional wellbeing and may create a need for emotional support or mental health care.

Point 2. It can lead to isolation and exclusion, creating a social care need such as support to take part and rebuild confidence.

Point 3. Being denied jobs, housing or services can leave a person without resources, creating practical care needs around income and daily living.

Markers reward clear links from discrimination to wellbeing and to a resulting care need. Describing discrimination only, with no link to care needs, would limit the marks.

Related dot points

Sources & how we know this