in relation to health and social care, and underpinning values that enable a good social care practice, why can values be political, social, cultural, spiritual and moral?

If you are saying that political, social, cultural, spiritual and moral values affect the care you receive within the health care system, in a negative way, that would be a negative on the system, as discrimination should not take place because your values may be different than those providing care.

It would be helpful if you could be a little more specific with your quesiton.

its part of my assignment brief, I didn't really understand the question myself :/ the brief says.. a) identify and describe the main care values that affect relationships between social care workers and service users (describe the values that underpin social care practice)... go on to explain why values can be Values can be political, social, cultural, spiritual and moral, remembering to relate it to health and social care.

OK, that makes more sense.

Overall, you are dealing with individuals, no matter which part of the care comes from, whether it be a medical doctor, or a social worker for example. As individuals, their own prejudices, political points of view, and social, spiritual, and cultural values, make up who they are.

But, that should not preclude a code of ethics and practise behaviours, for ALL people, regardless of what their own perspectives might be.

For instance, if you are a drunk 'regular' who the police drag into the emerg because you cut your head open during a bar fight, their initial observations of you may be disgust, anger, indignance, feelings of superiority, and a judgment that is less than professional. That in turn might put you at the bottom of the list to see a Doctor (who may also have the same impressions), as they don't see your medical emergency as being a greater emergency than another person, because of who you are. But, if you were in a suit and tie, and slipped on ice, and had the same identical injury, and were taken to the hospital by ambulance, instead of by police car, clearly you would be seen differently.

It is only the most professional of those in these positions of power and the most professional among them, to see you, assess you, and see only the injury. Not the person.

It is the same in the social services. A single mother who shows up at the Welfare office to apply for more assistance because she's pregnant with twins, may face discrimination of all kinds from the worker assigned to 'help' her. While she cannot (likely) deny her due consideration for her situation, the person (worker) doing the 'helping' will likely be facing her own cultural, political, and particularly moral, prejudices.

I had a prescription refused once by a pharmacist because HIS religion forbit women to use birth control. You can imagine what he thought of me.

Thus, the professions you describe all have similar codes of ethics. Check out Canon Code of Ethics, for health care professionals. In my profession, I have to sign that code every year. It pretty much addresses the level of professionalism you must provide to every single individual, regardless of opinion.

But there is discrimination on any of the traits you mentioned, in any profession. We are all human, after all. But the difference between quality care, and care that is poor, you will often find that it is the individual providing the care, who is not seeing or recognizing their own prejudices, that will cause the lack of quality care to individuals who's care, should not be judged or compromised, by who they are.