explain power relationships when communicating with vulnerable people?

Answer 1

If a person is vulnerable -anyone will be able to have power over them .
People who have power over a more vulnerable person need to be some of the strongest and, most gentle ,moral people in the world.
What a terrible and awesome responsibility !

Answer 2

In our culture, vulnerable people -- children and vulnerable adults -- are often pushed around by "carers". Simple example: how often do you observe adults talking to each other about a child over the child's head (over, both literally and metaphorically)? People are told what to do, moved arbitrarily and without their consent, restricted in when they can see their friends and family, etc, etc. Things are done to them, such as being sent into residence in mental hospitals..... whereas for the not-so-vulnerable rest of us, we usually get to take these kinds of decisions for ourselves. Management regimes may be geared to the desires of the staff rather than to the residents.

If you listen, genuinely wanting to understand; if you act on their needs; if you explain -- then you are shifting the power towards the vulnerable person.

Answer 3

I work with vulnerable people. Vulnerable means that they lack power, knowledge and you have an advantage over such people. There are different levels of power which can be explained on the link. It can be used to empower the vulnerable or be abused.