Social Justice, Equality and Vulnerability in Health and Social Care Module Handbook 2026 | OBU

HWSC6002 Introduction

We would like to welcome you to this module and look forward to working with you! To get the most out of this module, it is important that you consistently attend your classes throughout the teaching period. This will enable you to:

• get to know your lecturer and other students to enhance your experience and learn from each other
• benefit from access to the experience of your lecturer and being able to ask them questions directly
• receive ongoing feedback on your progress and support on your assessment.

Please begin by familiarising yourself with this handbook. If you have questions about the module content, ask your lecturer during class or on MS Teams.
Your Programme Handbook contains important information about relevant policies, regulations, and all available student support services, including our wellbeing offer. You will also find key contacts for your programme and a summary of all the modules you will study to earn your award.

Module information

This module is one part of a coherent package of modules that all contribute to the achievement of your programme learning outcomes (see your programme handbook for details) and to your student learning journey at GBS.

This module builds on the learning from the following module(s):

This module builds on the knowledge and skills you developed in earlier modules. In HWSC3005: Care, Compassion and Communication, you were introduced to the principles of care and the importance of effective communication in health and social care practice. These foundations were expanded in HWSC4004: Culture and Society in Health, where you explored cultural values and their significance in delivering person-centred care. Your understanding was further deepened in HWSC5001: Equality and Social Justice in Health, Illness and Society, which examined issues of equity and social justice, and in HWSC5002: Safeguarding Adults and Children in Health and Social Care, where you developed knowledge of safeguarding principles and multi-agency approaches. Together, these modules have prepared you to engage with active citizenship, collaborative working, and the application of ethical and inclusive practices in health and social care.

In addition, this module will prepare you for the following module(s),

Level 6 Module 4 (HWSC 6004) Leadership and management, where you would learn to evaluate leadership approaches and theories behind leadership. This will enhance personal reflection opportunities on leadership in Health and Social care practice.  

Module aims

This module aims to equip you with the critical thinking and leadership skills necessary to manage risk, vulnerability, and complaints in complex health and social care settings. You will apply theoretical frameworks to identify potential risks and assess vulnerabilities among service users, while also reflecting on the professional capabilities required to respond to challenges. Through the analysis of real-world scenarios, you will develop and communicate effective, evidence-based strategies for managing complaints and leading service improvement.

This module aims to:

• Apply risk identification theories to assess sources of patient or service user vulnerability in complex care contexts.
• Critically evaluate your own and others’ professional development needs in relation to complaint management and leadership. 
• Propose evidence-based strategies for leading and managing complaints effectively. 
• Communicate a professional and appropriate written response to a patient or service user complaint.

Module learning outcomes (LOs)

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to: 

Changes to the module

Any changes to this module that are made in response to student and other feedback will be included in this section. Throughout the module you will be participating in independent, peer and guided learning activities to improve your critical thinking, analytical approaches and develop your professional skills.

Module delivery

Learning hour breakdown

The table below gives you a breakdown of the total study hours expected for this module.

What will be covered each week?

Module reading

You have access to the GBS library (see Moodle or library@globalbanking.ac.uk) and specific elements of the OBU library. 
The sections below detail your module reading list. This includes 'core reading', which are the texts you are required to read as part of the module, as well as a list of recommended readings to enhance your learning further.

How will I be assessed?

The module’s assessment is split into two components to capture both analytical depth and the ability to communicate in a professional, real-world context. Both components must achieve a minimum of 40 to pass the overall module.  

Your ability to write clearly and concisely is an important academic and professional skill. While there are no automatic penalties for exceeding the word count, your mark will be impacted if your work is overly long or short, as you will not have been able to show sufficient knowledge or the ability to be able to write a clear argument.

For information on extenuating circumstances, additional support and assessment guidance, please refer to your programme handbook.

Component 1

Task: In the written section of your assessment, you will write a 2000-word essay in response to the complaint letter provided below in order to demonstrate the

learning outcomes of this module:

Specific Guidance on the Assignment

In this assessment, you will write an essay responding to the provided complaint letter. The task requires you to identify and analyse the key issues raised such as safeguarding, communication, and neglect while considering the underlying organisational and systemic factors that contributed to the situation. You must apply and critically evaluate relevant theories of risk and vulnerability to explain what happened and assess how well these theories account for the identified failings. Your analysis should be supported by appropriate legislation, policy, and professional standards (for example, the Care Act, CQC, and NMC/HCPC frameworks), demonstrating an evidence-informed understanding. You will also draft a professional response letter that is empathetic, accountable, and solution-focused, drawing on recognised guidelines such as NICE and CQC standards. The response letter should show evidence of organisational learning by outlining how the issues will be addressed and prevented through investigation, staff training, and policy review. Finally, you should conclude with a reflective discussion on your findings, highlighting the importance of professional, evidence-based communication, and maintain an academic tone with accurate referencing throughout
Suggested Framework to present: not more than 2000 words, including the following sections:

Introduction:

Begin by establishing the central focus of the essay, articulating the relevance of the issue within contemporary Health and Social Care practice. Situate the discussion within a broader professional, organisational, or policy context. Highlight why the issue is significant to practitioners, organisations, and service users, and outline the potential implications for practice and professional responsibility. Identify and briefly justify the theoretical perspectives, models, and legislative frameworks that will underpin your analysis. Demonstrate an awareness of how these frameworks inform understanding of vulnerability, risk, and professional accountability. Provide a concise overview of how the essay will be organised, indicating the key areas of analysis and how they interconnect.

Part A:

• Critically explain why key issues raised in the complaint letter led to a particular outcome, evaluating the interplay of underlying causes and wider systemic factors in health and social care practice.
• Compare and integrate different risk and vulnerability theories and analyse how combining them provides deeper insights into the situation described in the letter,
• Analyse the patient/service-user rights and responsibilities of professionals, evaluating which are most probable, beneficial, or feasible and provide reasoned justification based on evidence when forming a response that adheres to legislation and policy.

Part B:

• Draft a professional, evidence-informed response letter to the complainant, using an appropriate tone, structure, and language. Organise your ideas into a coherent, logically structured argument. Ensure that each point builds on the previous one, supported by evidence, and that the overall narrative demonstrates critical reasoning and depth of insight
• Ensure your response addresses the concerns raised in the original complaint while demonstrating empathy, accountability, and commitment to safeguarding and improvement.
• Incorporate evidence of professional standards and good practice (e.g., NICE guidelines, CQC regulations, organisational policies).
• Demonstrate how the organisation will acknowledge, investigate, and address the identified failings, linking back to theories of vulnerability and risk where appropriate.
• Determine which actions should be immediate, medium-term, or long-term. Justify this sequence by critically evaluating likely impact, risks, feasibility, interdependencies, and how progress would be monitored and adapted.

Conclusion:

Summarise the key findings from your analysis.

Reflect briefly on the importance of professional, evidence-informed communication in maintaining trust between service users, families, and Health and Social Care providers.

References

Please check that you have used the OBU Harvard Referencing system and make sure that all references in the main body of your work are in the list at the end of your essay and vice versa.

NOTE: The title and the reference list are excluded from the word limit.

Formatting guidelines

This assessment should be submitted as a complete document:

• Use Arial font.
• Set the font size to 12pt for the main text.
• Apply 1.5 or double-spacing throughout the document.
• Clearly indicate each part of the assessment, following the suggested structure.
• OBU Harvard referencing should be applied throughout the assessment.
• Wherever possible, submitted work will be marked anonymously to ensure impartiality; therefore, please ensure that you include your student ID on your submission instead of your name.

Component 2

Individual work

Specific guidance to complete oral assessment (40% of marks)

In the oral section of your assessment, you will focus on learning outcome two .To meet the learning outcomes, you are required to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of key concepts related to risk and vulnerability, as well as how these inform professional responses to complaints within health and social care settings. Your work should show awareness of the relevant legislation and policy frameworks that guide practice and accountability. In addition, you should consider the influence of different leadership styles and examine the roles and responsibilities of the services involved, as outlined in the complaint letter. Finally, you should evaluate effective complaint resolution strategies, highlighting how they contribute to improved service quality, professional learning, and the protection of service users.

Suggested content Framework to conduct 40% - 8–10-minute Oral interview:

Service Roles and Responsibilities

• How do different Health and Social Care services contribute to managing complaints, and what are the challenges of ensuring effective multi-agency collaboration?

Leadership in Complaint Management

• Reflect on your own leadership capabilities: how would you approach managing a complex complaint involving vulnerable service users?

 Evidence-Based Strategies

• Which evidence-based strategies, models, or frameworks can be used to improve complaint handling? What skills do you have as a leader that would be needed to implement them

Personal Reflection and Development

• What personal leadership strengths and areas for development have you identified in relation to managing complaints and use of evidence-based strategies, and how will you address these in future professional practice?

Formatting guidelines

Both parts of the component should be submitted as one document.

File type: You must save your Essay in MS Word format using the template provided. Please note that if the file type is unreadable by Turnitin, it will receive a grade of 0

• Font: Arial
• Font size: 12
• 1.5 line spacing

Please reference your work according to the OBU Harvard style.

Wherever possible, submitted work will be marked anonymously to ensure impartiality; therefore, please ensure that you include your student ID on your submission instead of your name.

Submission instructions

All files should be submitted before 23:59 on Monday 12th October 2026 via Turnitin on Moodle.
We recommend that you aim to submit well before the deadline in case you encounter any problems. This video shows how to submit your work on Moodle. You should retain your digital receipt in case of any issues.

How will my work be marked?

Your work will be assessed on the extent to which it demonstrates your achievement of the stated criteria in the level-appropriate marking rubrics provided in this document.

Once the submission date has passed, your module tutors will begin to mark your work. There are a number of phases to this to ensure fairness is maintained across the whole cohort. Following this process, a sample of work is reviewed by a subject expert at Oxford Brookes University and an External Examiner for the programme to ensure that the standards applied are comparable to those at other institutions.

How will I get feedback?

Feedback on your work will be provided in a range of ways at various times throughout this module to support your learning and help you to improve subsequent work.

Feedback provided throughout the module will not be limited to the assessed tasks but will include areas such as your contribution in class and formative assessments.
Assessment feedback will normally be provided within 15 working days of submission. All marks are provisional until they have been ratified by the Examination Committee and are visible in your Oxford Brookes student record.

If you would like further information about feedback, or how to use it, please talk to your module leader on this module or your level leader.

Marking rubrics for:  HWSC6002