Q 1.1 Explain what reflective practice is?
A 1.1
Reflective practice is when you look over an action, evaluate the action and discover what you can learn or change about your actions to improve them and better your personal and professional development. Reflective practice is looking at it from different perspectives and seeing if you could make any positive changes. Reflective practice can increase confidence and encourage you to become a more proactive professional. Reflective practice in the social care setting should help to improve the quality of care you give. Reflective practice is not always about looking for the negatives in your work it can also be looking at the positives of your work. When using reflective practice we will always look back on any changes to decide if they are working or can be improved again.
Q 1.2 Explain the importance of reflective practice in continuously improving the quality of service provided? A 1.2
Reflective practice is important in order to ensure that high standards are always met. Reflective practice should be met continuously as circumstance, environments, and people can change. In order to reflect you must be continuously aware of approaches used and how they can be changed or developed to improve the services you provide. Continuously reflecting practice benefits both practitioners, service users, staff and management. Without reflection the working link between each experience is lost and therefore left underdeveloped. Also we would not be meeting the service users’ needs and putting the service user at the centre of our care.
Q 1.3 Explain how standards inform reflective practice in adult social care? A 1.3
Standards inform reflective practice by setting care workers guidelines, policies, procedures and legislation to follow throughout their work whether set by government or regulatory bodies, standards are a level we should hope to achieve or improve by using reflective practice. Standards are set to
ensure that everyone is working at the same level and treated equally.
Q 1.4 Describe how own values, belief systems and experiances may affect working practice? A 1.4
Your own values, beliefs and experiences can help your working practice in a positive way or it can have a negative effect on your working practice. It is important to have a balanced view on all situations.
A negative effect on your working practice could be if you find your values, beliefs and experiences cannot be taking away from the situation then you could get yourself into trouble by not understanding a cultural difference and taking your personal views into the situation. This could lead to a warning or dismissal.
A positive effect on your working practice could include your own values, beliefs and experiences may help you to resolve a developing problem.
Q 2.1 Explain how people may react and respond to receiving constructive feedback?
A 2.1
When receiving constructive feedback some people may react badly and see it as a criticism of their work they may become angry, defensive, become anxious, and look for reassurance. Some people may see it as a positive to enable them to develop their skills, may give them a confidence boost or they may appreciate another person’s views and take on board and agree with their feedback. When receiving constructive feedback we should remember that we are care workers and services can always be improved to provide the best level of care possible.
Q 2.2 Explain the importance of seeking feedback to improve practice and inform development?
A 2.2
Feedback is important to develop our own skills and abilities as well as improving the care services we provide. It also gives us another person’s perspective of how they carry out their roles and responsibilities. As well as allowing us to all work together as a team and help each other to improve services. Feedback is always good to consider what changes to procedures, policies, staffing and practice can be made. Feedback is a good way to find out how you are performing in your role, it will also indicate where you may need to improve. It can also raise self-esteem and improve staff morale. When seeking feedback it is important to show that you are willing to listen and learn from others and that you are willing to improve continuously.
Q 2.3 Explain the importance of using feedback in improving own practice?
A 2.3
Feedback in improving your own practice is important to improve your development throughout your job role as it helps you to see your strengths and weaknesses, allows you to set development goals and targets to improve your strengths and weaknesses and general goals and targets that you would like to achieve. Using feedback in improving you own practice also enables you to improve confidence, skills and abilities, understand when you are performing well within your role. Feedback helps improve own practice in many different ways and is always good to receive to make sure your providing the best service for your services users and colleagues, this will also outline what is expected of you throughout your role. You must show that you practice is meeting individuals needs and expectations. Using feedback to improve practice can enable you to develop new approaches and ways of thinking.
Q 3.1 Describe components of a personal development plan?
A 3.1
A personal development plan consists of goals or targets, timescales, actions, people who can help you, success, and review.
Having a Personal Development plan can help you to plan and improve your personal development skills and plan for your future.
An example of a development plan could be:
Goal
Action
Timescale
Who can help
Success
Review
To develop knowledge of diabetes for a service user
Research or attend a class on diabetes and its affects. GP’s, nurses and other professionals 1 month
Internet, College or training provider, GP, nurse, other professionals, yourself. TBA
To be reviewed in on month
To complete training and induction
Attend work place for training and induction
2 weeks
Work place, yourself.
TBA
To be reviewed in 2 weeks.
To complete Level 3 Qualification
Attend College and complete assignments and work placement
1 year
Yourself, College, Tutors, Assessors
TBA
Progress To be reviewed regularly
To Find employment
Attend placement and further skills to seek employment. Look on internet for employment and apply for positions 1 Year
Yourself and placement officer, college and careers advisor. TBA
Progress To be reviewed regularly
To complete Functional Skills
Attend College and Complete Exams.
1 Year
Yourself, College, Tutors, Assessors
TBA
Progress To be reviewed regularly
Q 3.2 Identify sources of support for planning and reviewing own development?
A 3.2
Line manager – they help me by answering any concerns I have about work.
Observations – college assessor comes in to watch you do your job and then talks to you about any concerns they have seen they will advise and support you with your performance and development. Also placement line managers do observations on us every few months.
Colleagues – you can talk to other about your work to get guidance on things, and also observe or shadow them to help you see how some things are done improving your development.
Meetings – we have staff meetings every Wednesday at placement, where progress is discussed and you get to know about any new plans and any changes that are going on.
Training – to be able to learn the things that you are struggling with by going on various courses to improve your development.
Mentors – someone who is assigned to you to be able to answer your questions about the job and put you on the right path.
Self-assessment – reflecting on your work helps you to plan different ways of
doing things and helps you see your progression.
Tutors – you can go to them with any concerns about your work and progress and they will regularly feedback to you on your progress and development.
Appraisals – this is a meeting to discuss your development progress where you can ask questions and review the things in your job description to make sure you are meeting them.
Family and Friends- talking to people outside of the organisation or college can help to put your mind at ease and their opinions can help you develop your own opinion.
Other professionals i.e. GP’s, Nurses, Specialists etc.- Can help you understand different subjects i.e. Diabetes, Dementia, learning difficulties, communication barriers etc.
Q 3.3 Explain the role of others in the development of a personal development plan in identifying: Strengths
Areas for development
A 3.3
Line Manager: the line manager would look at the skills you have and your areas for development and tell you how you can develop these skills further.
Colleagues: your colleagues would share ideas with you and tell you how they complete tasks to enable you to take on other perspectives of ways to develop your own skills
Training Provider: Your training provider looks at your strengths and areas for development and trains you in the areas that you need to be training in by putting you on courses or asking you to research certain aspects of your role.
Self-assessment: assessing your own strengths and development areas enables you to progress your skills further and reflect on your own practice and have to improve the practice to provide the best service possible.
Family and Friends: can give you morale support and help you find further training.
Other Agencies: can help you to understand what is required and point out where your strengths and weaknesses are.
Observation: if someone is observing you they can see how your meeting your job role and how yours not which enable you to develop the skills required
Assessment: Assessments can be taken and point out the areas that you need to work on i.e. if you did an assessment for maths it would point out your strengths and your weak areas so that you know which areas you need support in.
Q 3.4 Explain the benefits of using a personal development plan to identify ongoing improvements in knowledge and understanding?
A 3.4
There are many different benefits of using a personal development plan (PDP). A PDP allows you to identify your strengths and areas for development, it would help you improve your knowledge and understanding of your role. Having a PDP keeps you motivated and reminds you of what you have or want to achieve and what path/s you are taking to achieve your final goal. A PDP will improve your skills to better yourself as well as your colleagues and employer as it makes your employer aware of areas for development. You can also find out what training you would need from a PDP. It is always good to have a PDP whether it in your professional or personal life.
