Unit 03

Promote personal development in care settings

1

Unit purpose and aims

The unit introduces the concepts of personal development and reflective practice

which are fundamental to adult health and social care roles.

The learner will:

1. Understand what is required for competence in own work role

2. Be able to reflect on practice

3. Be able to evaluate own performance

4. Be able to agree a personal development plan

5. Be able to use learning opportunities and reflective practice to contribute to

personal development

2

1.1 Duties and responsibilities

A role is a collection of related activities that is undertaken by an individual. It is

accompanied by an organised set of expected behaviours.

Roles in health and social care are shaped by organisational requirements and

individual needs and expectations. It is these that are used to create a specific job

description.

To fully explore your role within the care team it is important that you have a good

understanding of the job you are expected to carry out, the standards you must achieve

and who you are responsible to. Your job description should describe all aspects of your

job role, in detail. It is essential that you are very clear about exactly what is expected of

you and know when your responsibilities begin and end.

You may identify areas within your job description that concern you, or you feel you need

support with. If this is the case, it is imperative that you report this and discuss your

concerns with your manager. Alternatively, you may wish to discuss aspects of your role,

or responsibilities you develop over time, which do not appear in your job description.

1.2 The expectations about own work role as expressed in relevant

standards

There are several written standards which are relevant to the roles of care workers.

Some of the standards relate to training, some to the responsibilities of service providers

and employers, and some are codes of practice relating to specific professions or

groups of workers.

You have a responsibility to keep your practice up-to-date and to access continuing

education. However, this does not exclude your manager from their legal responsibilities.

The Health & Social Care Act (2008) requires all managers to ensure that training is

provided to care workers, covering a number of aspects of care practice intended to

develop work-related skills and practice.

3

In the UK, training must prepare workers to meet the government’s National

Occupational Standards. These are statements of the standard of performance that

must be achieved within each individual’s job role. The National Occupational Standards

also outline the skills, knowledge and understanding required to work to the nationally

recognised level of competence. Approved bodies such as Skills for Health ensure that

their training (for example the Care Certificate) helps workers to meet the National

Occupational Standards.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult

social care in England. It regulates the care workforce, and protects both the public and

staff from poor and unsafe practice. The CQC’s Fundamental Standards set out

professional conduct and standards expected of all social care workers and employers.

There is a specific standard that relates to continuing education and training, and

responsibilities of social care workers to keep themselves up to date.

4

The organisation concerned with education, training and workforce development for social

care is Skills for Care.

You can find information about training and education on these sites:

www.skillsforcare.org.uk Social Care in England

www.niscc.info Northern Ireland Social Care Council

www.sssc.uk.com Scottish Social Care Council

www.ccwales.org.uk Care Council, Wales

www.skillsforhealth.org.uk ‘Skills for Health’ was established in 2002 and is supported

by health departments of England, Wales, Scotland and

Northern Ireland, as well as independent and voluntary

health organisations and workforces. It is now the

Sector Skills Council for Health which has a

responsibility for the UK overall

Standards

Standards in health and social care are so important that it is helpful to be clear about them.

You may have heard the terms ‘National Minimum Standards’ (which were different from

‘National Occupational Standards’), ‘Essential Standards’ and ‘Fundamental Standards and

be confused about them.

To clarify:

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) came into being as a result of the Health

and Social Care Act (2008). Prior to this, the government’s National Minimum

Standards were the standards required to be met by providers of care home and

domiciliary services

The National Minimum Standards were replaced in 2010 by the CQC’s

Essential Standards. The Essential Standards comprised sixteen regulations

which focused on quality and safety of care

The Essential Standards were replaced by Fundamental Standards in 2015. This

was because from 1st April 2015, the Health and Social Care Act 2008

(Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 (Part 3) came into force. The CQC refers

to these regulations as Fundamental Standards. They are made up of regulations

which the CQC consider to be ‘clearer statements’ of the standards below which

5

care should never fall. Some new regulations were introduced. One of these was

a ‘Duty ofcandour’

The aim of the regulation ‘Duty of candour’ is to ensure that health and social

care providers are honest with service users and their families when care or

treatment is sub- standard, or mistakes are made. This regulation was a

response to the review into the failings of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust where

poor care caused harm and, in some cases, the deaths of patients. In order to

meet the ‘Duty of candour’, providers must encourage an open and honest

organisational culture, report any incident truthfully, verbally and in writing, and

offer an apology and provide the person with post-incident support.

So, what assurances do the Fundamental Standards give individuals receiving health

and social care services?

Please see over page: -

The CQC have summarised this as shown in the table below (adapted from

www.cqc.org.uk/what-we-do/how-we-do-our-job/fundamental-standards):

6

Fundamental standards What they mean for service users

Person-centred care Service users’ care and treatment

must be tailored to their individual

needs and preferences.

Dignity and respect Individuals must be treated with care and

respect, for example with regard to

privacy, equality and support to remain

independent in the community.

Consent An individual (or their legal

representative) must give consent

before any care or

treatment.

Safety Service users must be protected from

avoidable harm. Staff must be

qualified and competent in their roles.

Safeguarding from abuse Individuals must not suffer any form of

abuse during care or treatment.

Abuse includes neglect, degrading

treatment, unnecessary restraint or

restraint which is disproportionate for

the circumstances.

Food and drink Service users must have adequate

food and drink for good health during

care and treatment.

Premises and equipment Premises and equipment used during

care

and treatment must be clean, suitable

and used and stored properly.

Complaints Providers must have proper systems

for handling complaints, including

thorough investigation and appropriate

responses to complaints.

Good governance ‘Governance’ refers to the way

organisations are governed. Care

providers must ensure there are

7

effective systems in place to check on

the safety and quality of care and to

make necessary improvements.

Staffing There must be enough staff, and of the

necessary competence and

qualifications to be able to meet the

standards. The staff must have access

to the necessary training, support and

supervision to carry out their roles.

Fit and proper staff Only fit and proper staff must be

employed so pre-employment checks

(such as criminal records and

references) must be

completed.

Duty of candour Care providers must be open and

honest, including telling service users if

something has gone wrong,

apologising and providing support.

Display of ratings The CQC rating of the care provider

must be publicly displayed

8

Fundamental standards have considerable implications for personal development and

reflective practice for care workers. The standards make clear that staff need to be fit to

practice and appropriately trained and to give at least adequate care.

You can find out more about the Fundamental standards at

https://www.qcs.co.uk/cqc- fundamental-standards/

Inspection bodies, within the four countries of the UK, have a responsibility to

check that organisations providing a care service are doing so and meeting at

least, the Fundamental Standards.

You can find out more about the inspection bodies at the following websites:

www.cqc.org.uk Care Quality Commission

www.healthcareimprovementsscotland.org The scrutiny and improvement body for

care in Scotland

www.csiw.wales.gov.uk Social Care Inspectorate for Wales

www.dhsspsni.gov.uk Department of Health, Safety, Social

Services and Public Safety

– Northern Ireland

Regulatory bodies

In addition to the Skills for Care and Skills for Health regulatory role, you will be aware of

other professions that have a regulatory body, i.e. nurses, midwives and health visitors -

NMC; Nursing and Midwifery Council. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 addressed

the regulation of healthcare support workers and adult social care workers. The Act

proposed a voluntary register for these workers and that they sign up to a Code of

Conduct.

Regulatory bodies protect the public by ensuring that members work to a code of

practice. They also protect practitioners by providing codes of practice they must adhere

to, in order to ensure a uniform high quality of care.

9

Employer’s responsibilities for knowledge and skills development

Under the Fundamental standards, employers have a role and responsibility in

relation to staff training and development. They must provide opportunities for staff to

develop skills and knowledge, including organisational and vocational procedures and

standards.

You need to be familiar with requirements that are the responsibility of your employer to

promote and ensure safe effective working systems and processes.

Employers must make sure that their staff are sufficiently experienced and trained to

meet the needs of the individuals requiring care and support.

Employees and the code of practice

Employees should abide by workplace policies (which should reflect the latest

legislation) and relevant codes of practice.

The Skills for Health Code of Conduct for health support workers and social care workers

identifies and describes standards that these workers must attain in their day-to-day work

supporting vulnerable adults. Health support workers and social care workers have a

responsibility to ensure they meet the standards in their work, and contribute to protection

of individuals they support by employing safe effective practice. In relation to your own

training and development, the code states that these workers must:

‘Be accountable for the quality of their work and take responsibility for

maintaining and improving their knowledge and skills’.

More recently the Care Quality Commission's (CQC) Fundamental Standards of Quality

and Safety highlighted the importance and value of strong and comprehensive induction.

The CQC will need to be assured that all staff have undergone thorough training and

development.

10

Skills for Care introduced the Care Certificate in 2015, which reflects the Common

Induction Standards. The certificate highlights National Occupational Standards (NOCs),

which must be met by all care workers to bring together skills, knowledge and values.

People working in social care must meet these standards before they can safely work

unsupervised. Further details can be accessed at:

http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Standards-legislation/National-Occupational-

Standards/National-Occupational-Standards.aspx

1.3 How to work effectively with others

In order to meet the required standards, you will need to be able to work effectively with

others. In Unit 01 you looked at the communication skills needed to work well with

individuals who are receiving health or social care services. Now consider the

communication skills and other attributes you need to work with others such as family

carers, colleagues and other professionals. Here are some examples of working with

others:

Working with family carers

Working with colleagues

Multidisciplinary working

Multi-agency working

Working with senior managers, inspection teams and others

Working in extended and senior roles.

Let’s look at these in more detail.

Working effectively with family carers

Care workers are very aware of the need to work well with service users. The importance

of working in partnership with relatives who care for service users is becoming more

recognised. Within mental health services for example, the ‘triangle of care’ model aims

to promote teamwork between the individual, their family carer and the mental health

professional. By respecting the in- depth knowledge the relative is likely to have about

their loved one, the professional care workers can learn a great deal. By supporting the

relative in their caring role, professionals can help the individual as well as their relative.

11

Some health and social care professionals have the responsibility to carry out carers’

needs assessments in accordance with the Care Act 2014. The first part of this Act

came into force in April 2015 and details:

The duty of Local Authorities to promote the wellbeing of individuals who have

significant care and support needs by offering them: a care and needs

assessment, independent care and support advocacy if appropriate, a financial

assessment and personal budget if eligible to pay for their care andsupport

The duty to offer a carers’ assessment to the informal (unpaid) carers of

individuals with care and support needs. This assessment identifies the impact

of the caring role on the carer’s wellbeing and may lead to the carer having a

personal budget to access help to cope with their caring role

There were amendments made to the Care Act 2014. Following the Care and Support

Statutory Guidance 2016, some sections of the Care Act 2014 have been delayed and are

now due to come into force in 2020. These sections relate to financing care; for example,

a proposed cap limiting the amount individuals may have to pay for their care has been

delayed until 2020.

The extended role of those working in Adult Care in carrying out the assessments

brought in by the Care Act 2014 requires excellent communication skills in working with

both individuals and their family carers.

12

Working effectively with colleagues

Care workers will work directly with many colleagues. In order to work effectively together,

colleagues need to understand their own and others’ job roles and understand the

‘chain of command’. Any problems with colleagues will need to be addressed in a

professional way. Care workers need to take responsibility for raising any concerns

with the appropriate person such as their line manager. Teamwork is crucial in health and

social care to enable effective communication and collaboration, in order to ensure the

care needs of individuals are fully met.

Multidisciplinary working

Multidisciplinary working refers to people from different professions working together for

the benefit of the individual receiving care or treatment. An individual who has had a

stroke, for example, is likely to have input from doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, speech

and language therapists and others during their hospital stay. Once discharged home they

may have support from a social worker, community nurses, social care workers and

others. All these professionals will need to understand and respect the role of the other

professionals to work effectively and to communicate with each other. This may be

through processes such as writing referral letters, attending multidisciplinary

meetings or contacting other professionals by phone to ask their opinion about the

individual’s care.

Multi-agency working

Multi-agency working means different organisations working together. These may be

health services, social services, educational organisations or voluntary organisations. An

individual with severe mental health issues for example, may require help from a NHS

community mental health team, a social worker, a counselling service and a voluntary

organisation’s helpline. There may be times when health and social care workers need to

refer an individual to other agencies or work with professionals from another agency. As

with multidisciplinary working, understanding the role of others and communicating

effectively are essential for multi-agency working.

Working with senior managers, inspection teams and others

Effective working with senior managers, inspection teams and others is a requirement of

care work. You may be required to answer questions about your role or work setting.

This may seem daunting, but is a necessary part of managers’ and others’ responsibility

13

to establish whether or not care is being delivered to the required standard. You may

need to report events or seek support from senior staff. Honest and clear

communication is key.

Working in extended and senior roles

You may now, or in the future, work in an extended or senior role within health and

social care which will require additional skills in working effectively with others.

Examples of extended roles are:

a senior carer in a care home working as a nursing assistant, undertaking

some of the tasks previously carried out by registered nurses

nurses completing further training to enable them to legally prescribe some

medications

Senior roles require professionals to learn new skills and to work effectively with

people in new ways, for example:

- a newly appointed care home manager will need to ensure they know all the

requirements of the CQC and to be involved with CQC inspections in addition

to being accountable to the home owners for the way money is spent within

the home

- a health and social care professional taking on a monitoring role, such as

being part of a CQC inspection team

- a General Practitioner being part of a Clinical Commissioning Group

deciding how health funding should be allocated within their locality.

Clinical Commissioning Groups (CGCs) were created by the Health and

Social Care Act 2012 with the aim of enabling clinicians to be more directly

involved in funding decisions.

These roles require effective working with others at all levels across many

organisations. As always, communication skills are essential, along with other skills

such as managing budgets.

14

2.1 The importance of reflective practice in improving the quality

of service provided

Reflective practice is the process of reflecting/thinking about certain aspects of your

practice, in order to improve and develop your skills and knowledge. You may

consider:

What works well

What could be better

What could you do differently?

How you will do things next time.

Reflection is an essential process in health and social care practice and, if applied to all

areas of your practice, will help you to think more closely about routine day-to-day

activities. Perhaps a small change in the way a daily task is managed could bring about

an improvement in the quality of care and support an individual is receiving. Often it is

too easy to become complacent and do things without even thinking about them too

much. It is relatively straight forward to learn from significant incidents that can occur, but

it is good practice to also think more closely about smaller and seemingly less significant

occurrences which can give a different perspective.

Understanding good practice

To be able to fully understand and appreciate the importance of good practice, it is

vital to be aware of the consequences of poor practice. Inevitably, the result of poor

practice will be the suffering of the individual, your work team and yourself. To be

judged as competent in your practice you must demonstrate a thorough

understanding of your role by:

Applying theory and knowledge to practice

Adopting appropriate communication, attitude and understanding of values that

underpin practice

Developing ‘reflective practice’ skills.

15

2.2 The ability to reflect on practice to improve the quality of the service

provided

You will need to develop analytical and evaluative skills in order to review your work,

identify areas that can be improved, and action plan your personal and professional

development as an ongoing process.

Skills analysis

There are probably a large number of skills required of you. A detailed skills analysis will

provide you with an idea of what knowledge, practical skills and values are required to

complete aspects of your role effectively. Every skill requires practical expertise and

knowledge.

Self-appraisal

This is the process of looking at your work role, and giving your opinions and

judgements about your own performance in the work place. This will probably be

carried out as part of an overall appraisal of your performance. Appraisal is vital in

identifying areas of practice that require improvement and also aspects that you carry

out particularly well.

Your manager will complete their own appraisal of your performance and compare this

with your opinions.

These are responsibilities which must be fulfilled by you, your colleagues, other

agencies, other health care professionals and your employer.

16

Where these responsibilities are documented (written):

Legislation(laws)

Organisational policies and procedures (e.g. Equal Opportunities and Diversity of

People policy)

Contract of employment

Job description

Care plans

Educational material (books, videos, audio tapes, contents of this course).

What these responsibilities are:

Maintain health, safety and security at all times

Uphold the rights and choices of individuals

Behave in a way which does not discriminate against any individual

Maintain confidentiality

Ensure that you or others do not abuse or neglect

Reduce the risk of abuse in your care environment

Report any incident or allegation of abuse or neglect

Communicate effectively with others

Maintain high standards of practice at all times

Treat all individuals with respect, maintain their privacy, dignity and individuality

Contribute to good team working

Report any concerns regarding care or team work issues immediately

Maintain knowledge and understanding through education

Undertake specific aspects of the job role detailed in your job description,

contract of employment and organisational policies.

As you can see, responsibilities you and others have are many and varied. Some of these

will be:

General: Maintaining Health and Safety

or

Specific: These will be responsibilities that are specific to your role, such as

assisting individuals with personal care

17

In order to make sure you remain effective in your role, you must keep up-to-date with

current practices and make sure you are aware of any new initiatives taking place in the

care sector.

As you would evaluate the needs of the individuals you work with, so you will need to

evaluate your own development needs, in relation to your roles and responsibilities, and

plan how you will achieve these outcomes.

The process can be divided into four areas:

Personal reflection and evaluation of your work

Colleague/management feedback through regular appraisals and annual

performance reviews

Evaluation of the feedback given and assessment of any development needs

Assessment of any development opportunities available and information on how

you will access these.

There are many different ways in which reflection can take place.

Schön (1987) in his work identifies two types of reflection. These

are:

Reflection-in-action: the ability of professionals to‘think what they are doing while

they are

doing it’

Reflection-on-action: reflection after the event, consciously undertaken

and often documented.

18

Reflecting on formal learning opportunities

For any training event or study day there is likely to be some written information distributed

beforehand that outlines the event, and identifies intended aims and learning outcomes.

These provide a useful introduction and can be reviewed at a later time. Beforehand:

Identify your learning needs

What you expect to get out of the educational experience

How you feel it would enhance personal and professional development.

During the course you may find opportunities to discuss current practice issues with

colleagues and other professionals, depending on the scope of the particular event:

Any information you obtain should be collected - there may be printed material

available or you should make your own notes

Analyse how well the experience has met your learning needs and develop an

action plan as to how you can move on in your development.

Example 1

When reviewing the information you may identify:

Specific ways in which the learning could be applied in your workplace (within

organisational policy and procedures). Providing feedback to your line manager

is good practice. You may find that this course of action instigates changes in

your organisation

Never implement your own changes just because you consider them a good idea,

but with the support of your line manager and colleagues

Changes in practice or working methods can be monitored and their

effectiveness evaluated.

Example 2

Having attended a study day on communication skills, you can implement new strategies

for more effective communication into your practice immediately.

Example 3

The experience has triggered a specific interest for you and you decide to carry out

your own research, as a result.

19

Reflecting on journal articles

These could be on a variety of topics - practical skills, communication, legislation, Codes

of Practice - and it is advisable to keep a copy of the actual article. Remember, to

always identify your source, if referring to them in any written work

Throughout your career in care, as with your everyday life, you will encounter unfamiliar

circumstances and situations. How you deal with these will affect you and influence how

you feel about approaching a similar situation in the future.

In your work environment only a few situations will have such an impact that they

stay in your memory. This is probably due to the strong feelings aroused at the time.

You may have had a large involvement or been an observer

You may have felt confident that you dealt with the situation well

You may have felt inadequate, anxious or frightened. If this is the case, it is very

likely that the situation has had a big impact on your practice ever since.

Examples include:

Medical emergency

Other emergencies and accidents e.g. afire

The death of an individual

A violent incident.

20

Using a specified system can enable competency in the skill of reflection. It is often not an

easy process to fully apply. The following guidelines can be helpful when reflecting on day-

to-day activities:

1. Describe the experience

2. Identify your thoughts and feelings:

a) Did you have the knowledge and skills required?

b) Did you feel inexperienced?

c) Did you feel confident?

d) What do you think you did best when dealing with the experience?

e) Do you think you could improve on your actions?

f) To what extent do you think previous experience influenced your actions?

g) Do you think personal beliefs and attitude to work influenced your actions?

3. Evaluate - by identifying what was good and bad about the experience

4. Identify what has actually been learned from the experience

5. Could outcomes be improved by taking different action in the future?

Beginning and maintaining a reflective diary

Keeping a record of your practice, and how you think it could be improved, is a way of

monitoring your personal and professional development. A reflective diary of this nature

can be used as an ongoing learning and development opportunity.

Being accountable for your practice

Being ‘accountable’ means that you have an obligation to carry out certain actions, and

that whether these actions have been carried out and whether they are to an appropriate

standard, can decide whether or not you have met your responsibilities to an appropriate

level.

For this reason, it is essential that you are fully aware of your contractual obligations, and

the role and responsibilities detailed in your job description.

21

Employers are also accountable to their employees - they have to provide an appropriate

working environment, equipment and training, so that staff can meet their responsibilities

safely and effectively.

2.3 How own values, belief systems and experiences may affect working

practices

Complex systems of values, beliefs and attitudes exist in all societies, directly influencing

the way people think, feel and behave. These are called ‘value systems’ and are vital for

the making of choices and decisions. Value systems are frequently incorporated into laws,

rules and regulations, guidelines and organisational policies and procedures. They are

based on a belief of what is best for the people of that society, work place, educational

establishment, religious organisation, care establishment etc. Our aims and ambitions will

be rooted in what we believe is right or wrong. It is important that we develop certain

values to be effective in our role as a care worker.

22

Identifying value systems

Self-evaluation

Looking within oneself and examining, exploring and evaluating one’s own values,

beliefs and preferences is never easy and may, in fact, be quite uncomfortable.

Exploring the way we behave and interact with people requires an honest, self-critical, but

positive approach.

We evaluate our value systems with feedback from others, as well as ourselves.

When identifying value systems, you and others may have identified certain beliefs, values

and preferences which may influence your care practice. It is important that you accept and

build on these. There may be aspects, such as empathy, compassion and patience that you

show to individuals because of certain factors that have influenced your value systems.

However, a self- evaluation may uncover certain prejudices which affect the way you relate

to particular individuals, colleagues and others. These need addressing and you will require

the support of your colleagues and manager to do this.

Diversity policy

All staff should be aware of their responsibility to accept differences and treat everyone

with equal respect.

The philosophy of care

Every care organisation should have a philosophy of care or a statement of its aims and

objectives. Alternatively, a policy or a mission statement may be available. This should be

displayed in a prominent position where all individuals, staff and visitors can see it. The

document will state exactly what standards of care the individuals should expect and how

the organisation aims to achieve this. These standards will be in line with international,

national and local legislation.

23

3.1 Evaluate own knowledge, performance and understanding

against relevant standards

The Common Induction Standards and Fundamental Standards

The common induction standards (Skills for Care 2010) included standards that are

specific to adult social care and ones that are generic to the working environment. They

need to be delivered in a context relevant to the service and job role.

Each standard contains a number of areas of knowledge that care workers need to know

before they can work unsupervised. Managers have a duty to ensure new staff know

enough to meet the required outcomes in each knowledge area. The 2010 standards

were:

Standard 1 - Role of the health and social care worker

Standard 2 – Personal development

Standard 3 – Communicate effectively

Standard 4 - Equality and inclusion

Standard 5 - Principles for implementing duty of care

Standard 6 - Principles of safeguarding in health and social care

Standard 7 - Person-centered support

Standard 8 - Health and safety in an adult social care setting.

Since 2010, the common induction standards have undergone a number of revisions and

by 2016 there were 15 standards. The additional seven are:

Fluids and nutrition

Dignity

Awareness of dementia

Mental health and learning disabilities

Basic life support

Handling information

Infection prevention and control.

24

There are now separate standards regarding safeguarding adults and children. These

standards reflect the ‘fundamental standards’ required of care settings and form the basis of

the Care Certificate.

In order for you to evaluate your own knowledge, performance and understanding

against these standards you will need to know what they are.

http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Documents/Learning-and-development/Care-

Certificate/The-Care-Certificate-Standards.pdf

New care managers should have training based on the latest Manager Induction

Standards identified by Skills for Care.

3.2 The use of feedback to evaluate own performance and inform

development

Feedback from colleagues

It is often useful to discuss day-to-day issues with colleagues. Suggestions made in a

non- threatening manner and environment may improve the outcome of some of the

things you are doing. Having a different perspective can often help to see new or

alternative solutions to problems or difficulties. It is a helpful way of reviewing a

particular situation.

Constructive feedback

Feedback is a valuable way of identifying what is done well, as well as other areas that

may need improvement. To be useful, it must be constructive and be accompanied by

suggestions on how improvements can be made. Feedback contributes to your view of

yourself and your self- assessment. There are several different sources that may provide

you with feedback and it is useful to reflect on the circumstances around it.

If you feel you have done a good job day-to-day, your ‘self-assessment’ would be

favourable and give you a sense of wellbeing.

25

Within your organisation you will be part of the supervision or appraisal process

whereby, with management, you review your progress and action plan for any

improvements. To be constructive, feedback needs to identify the positive, as well as

any development needs.

Constructive feedback from others

The feedback you receive from others can help you to recognise your strengths and

weaknesses. Feedback may be received from a number of sources:

Colleagues

Individual

Individual’s family members

Other professionals

Manager

Visitors.

Delivered honestly and in a non-judgemental, tactful way (focusing on your strengths

whilst also highlighting your weaknesses), feedback can be very constructive. It will

maintain confidence and allow you to build on existing knowledge and skills, therefore

improving the care delivered to individuals. Areas for improvement can be identified and

used as a way to decide what you need to learn.

26

4.1 Identifying sources of support for planning and reviewing own

development

Sources of support may include:

Supervision

Appraisal

Formal support

Informal support

Within organisation

Beyond organisation.

Support and Supervision

Supervisors who work closely with you can give support for planning and reviewing your

own development. They are likely to be aware of your strengths and be able to identify

areas for development. This is also likely to be part of the appraisal process which is an

opportunity to gain the support and information needed for reviewing your development.

Formal support includes that available from colleagues and managers in your

workplace. More informal support may be available from others who know you well

such as friends and relatives.

Within your organisation, training opportunities and networking with others may help

you review your own development.

Sources of help outside your organisation may include careers advisers and websites

which assist with career development planning.

4.2 Identifying your own development needs

To improve and develop your practice, and increase your knowledge, you need to

identify your development needs. In order to do this, you need to carefully explore many

aspects before you can plan your professional and personal development.

Recognising what experience, skills and knowledge you have will help you to prepare

a more detailed plan.

27

Evaluating feedback

Feedback from senior staff, such as managers and mentors, is vital. This may be done

formally during an appraisal, or informally during work activities and discussions.

Evaluation must take place with the support of supervisors. In turn, you must support

these people to evaluate how your new and improved skills and knowledge will enhance

your practice. Feedback is vital to the effective development of your practice.

Obtaining colleague/management feedback through regular appraisals and annual

performance reviews

What is appraisal?

Appraisal is a management tool used to promote continuous learning and improvement

through a process of self-assessment and reflection. An appraisal centers upon improving

an individual’s performance and development by means of a well-prepared, honest and

open discussion between the appraiser and appraisee. Appraisals provide a formal,

recorded, regular review of an individual's performance and a plan for future development.

Purpose of appraisal

The main purpose of appraisal is to improve the performance of individual members of

staff and thereby improve the performance of the whole institution. An appraisal gives rise

to an action plan of continuous learning and improvement. It also ensures that an

individual's performance is in tune with the organisation's strategic objectives. Through the

establishment of individual development needs, appraisals are essential for facilitating

career and succession planning.

It is vital that you identify sources of support within and outside your workplace. These

may include:

Managers

Colleagues

Other health professionals

Tutors, Mentor, Lecturers

Individuals, their carers and families.

28

Sources of support for learning and development

Sources of support may include:

Supervision

Appraisal

Formal support

Informal support

Within organisation

Beyond organisation.

The benefits of staff appraisal

Individuals have the opportunity to:

Have their contributions recognised and achievements acknowledged

Receive constructive feedback on performance, and support to deal with

work-related problems

Identify training to improve performance, and support in developing their careers

Provide upward feedback on the management of the department or section.

For departments, staff appraisal:

Helps communicate and clarify the goals of the department/section and

the roles individuals are expected to play in achieving them

Provides a means to systematically develop the capabilities of staff

Contributes to departmental planning

Improves the quality of management information through feedback from staff.

For the institution, staff appraisal:

Helps inform strategic planning through staff feedback

Ensures that staff development is related to the strategic requirements of the

institution

Helps meet the external requirements for effective performance management

throughout the institution.

29

SWOT analysis

A ‘SWOT analysis’ is a way of exploring your own strengths and weaknesses, and the

opportunities and threats that are present. This requires self-evaluation and an honest

approach.

4.3 How to work with others to agree own personal development plan

Personal development plans

A personal development plan may have a different name, but will record information

such as agreed objectives for development, proposed activities to meet objectives

and time scales for review and evaluation.

Who could be involved in the personal development plan process?

There are a number of people who could be involved in the personal development plan

process. These may include:

The individual

Carers

Advocates

Supervisor, line manager or employer

Other care professionals.

Planning your personal and professional development

Prior to planning your personal and professional development, you will need to

have a clear picture of what your development needs are.

In order to develop your plan, you need to identify:

The sources and support mechanisms for skills and knowledge development:

- Educational opportunities, specialist courses and qualifications

- Employer’s training, learning whilst working, and learning from others

30

The planning of personal development:

- Producing a personal development plan which:

o Builds on strengths

o Addresses weaknesses

o Addresses identified development needs

o Recognises limitations of own role

o Identifies sources of support

o Identifies available learning opportunities

o Includes realistic target dates and timescales

Evaluating the effectiveness of personal development:

- Ability to apply new skills and knowledge to work practice

- Appraisal

- Self-assessment

- Feedback from others (i.e. supervisor).

It is essential that you identify the support you require, both from within and outside

the care organisation. Planning can be undertaken by:

Discussion, negotiation and agreement with the work team, manager and other key

people. This is very important. You cannot undertake training, especially if this

involves members of the work team covering your work, without the co-operation of

the team. The team will also need to be agreeable to any extra responsibilities or

activities you wish to take on. You must discuss, develop and review with

appropriate people, the usefulness to your workplace of new and improved

knowledge and skills you wish to have developed. Certain skills and knowledge

may be valuable to you, as a care worker, but of no use in the care setting in which

you work. Your professional development cannot adversely affect the work team,

as this may directly impact on the team’s ability to meet the needs of individuals

Identifying and balancing your development needs against the demands of your

work role and any personal commitments you have is vital. Be realistic - goals

should beachievable

- don’t take on toomuch

Setting goals for yourself which are set at a level to suit you

31

Focus on what you are realistically able to achieve, in relation to setting

dates and timescales

Evaluating feedback from others, to improve futureperformance

Recognising the limitations of your own role (certain learning opportunities may

notexist

e.g. if your role does not include administering medication, the opportunity to learn

and become competent in this skill may not exist)

Building on your strengths

Minimising and resolving weaknesses

Devising a personal and professional development plan

Identifying learning opportunities, resources and support that are available

in your workplace

Planning how and when you are going to study

Working to overcome barriers to development.

To overcome the barriers that you have identified:

Ask for help, where this is needed

Report discrimination

Review goals and re-set if necessary. Look at time spans to ensure that

development is achievable within the time allowed

Engage in honest, open communication

Recognise constraints; discuss, negotiate and reach a compromise

Do not over-burden yourself. It is better to take on manageable development

that is achievable.

32

Evaluating your personal development plan

It is important that the benefits of your personal development plan are evaluated.

Initially, you must evaluate whether you have the ability and the opportunity to apply

your new skills and knowledge to the workplace. This is a very important first step, as it

is impossible to evaluate the benefits of your personal development plan if, for whatever

reason, you will be unable to apply your new skills and knowledge to your work practice.

5.1 Evaluate how learning activities have affected practice

Education and training

Education and training from a variety of sources contributes towards developing your

value systems and your care practice. Recognising the many types of sources of

education will enable you to decide what has benefited you, and the individuals you care

for, the most - and help you to plan your learning for the future.

Specialist courses

These are courses which will provide you with a greater understanding of individuals’

needs and how they can best be met.

Health and safety training

Health and Safety training is vital in any workplace and will help to ensure that you,

as a care worker, take appropriate action to keep yourself and others safe and

healthy.

Training resources of your organisation

Your organisation may have a carefully planned training and educational programme of

‘in-house’ training courses which you will be expected to take advantage of. If you are

unsure or need advice, ask your manager or training co-ordinator. Remember that

trained and senior colleagues are an excellent educational and training resource which

enables you to learn whilst you are working. Support and guidance will enable you to

become a safe and effective practitioner.

33

Networks and support systems

Strong support systems and networks are vital to ensuring that individuals receive the best

quality care from a well-informed, well-supported professional care team. Colleagues

within your care team and those teams that support the work you do (e.g. primary care

team, catering team, maintenance team etc.) provide a network of support, guidance and

expertise during times of crisis and on an ongoing basis, to enable care services to

function effectively.

Keeping up-to-date

Monitoring developments in practice

It is important that all care workers keep themselves up-to-date. This may seem a

daunting task, as practice appears to change so rapidly. There are so many advances

throughout medicine and nursing, it is important that you concentrate on areas relevant

to your area of practice.

Introducing evidence-based practice

It is vital that you are able to discuss research knowledgably. This is particularly important

if you wish to introduce your new knowledge into your practice, and influence the practice

of others. For many years, traditional practices were not researched; people just assumed

they were of benefit, without any scientific evidence.

In the last 20 - 30 years, practices have been researched, which has resulted in

some being abandoned because either they were of no benefit or were, in fact,

harmful e.g. certain lifting techniques.

Evidence-based research has also shown practices that were previously abandoned

simply because they were thought to be ineffective or too ‘old fashioned’ to be of benefit.

One example of this is the use of maggots to treat wounds, such as leg ulcers and

pressure sores. It must be remembered that all research must be viewed carefully and

objectively, and evidence produced must be measurable and the results consistent.

It must be recognised that although, ideally, care practices should be developed using

evidence- based research, all ‘traditional’ practices must not be abandoned unless

34

evidence recommends that they are no longer used.

Ways in which you keep your knowledge and practice up-to-date may include:

Technology - computers and related technology i.e. medical equipment and

communications systems, hoists, beds, equipment to measure vital signs,

temperature, pulse etc.

Approaches to working – prioritising; changes in ways of working; moves away

from task orientation

Concepts, models and theories - holistic care; various models ofnursing

Strategies and policies - policies linked to legislation and guidelines impact on the

methods care workers use e.g. moving and handling policy andprocedures

Legislation - directly affects strategies and policies; Health & Social Care Act(2008).

Sources of information

These days, people quite rightly have high expectations of care services and the people

employed within them. Consequently, these issues are discussed and reported in the

mass media. This can be a very useful source of information and may include:

Television - news items, documentaries and educational programmes

Radio - Radio 4 broadcasts programmes that cover a range of health issues

Newspapers-

‘broadsheets’suchasTheTimesandTheGuardianhavecolumnswrittenby

healthcareprofessionalsandin-

depthreportsaboutdevelopmentwithinthehealthservices

Publications - professional journals are available from newsagents and

through local libraries. Your workplace may also subscribe to a particular

publication

The internet - an excellent source. Always ensure that information is accurate by

checking it has been approved by a UK professional body such as the BMA

(British Medical Association) or RCN (Royal College of Nursing). This will increase

the chances of information being reliable.

It is therefore vital to ensure that you take full advantage of the wide variety of support

available, in order to enhance your own learning and development.

35

5.2 How reflective practice has led to improved ways of working

Reflective practice enables improved ways of working by both by individuals and by

organisations as a whole. By ‘reflective practice’ we mean thinking about and discussing

with colleagues the way care and support has been given, what worked and what could be

improved. Reflective practice can help to ‘shine a light’ on the individual’s or an

organisation’s practice, challenging their assumptions and potentially enabling new

insights and ways of working to be developed. Nurses are specifically required to be

‘reflective practitioners’ as part of their revalidation requirements (in other words to be

eligible to remain a Registered Nurses).

Steps in reflective practice typically start with reviewing a specific situation or process,

looking at how it was handled and why. Next practitioners consider alternatives and

these may lead to improved ways of working in that organisation. ‘Ways of working’

means a particular approach which everyone in that workplace is encouraged to follow,

either informally or formally as described in writing by workplace policies and

procedures.

Excellent care practices can arise from reflective practice. The Inclusion Healthcare

Social Enterprise in Leicester for example, provides primary healthcare services for

homeless people. The CQC rated the service ‘outstanding’ in all areas and praised

their ‘innovative and proactive methods to improve patient outcomes’. They gave the

example of the training for staff and changes in practice that followed from an incident

of a patient’s drug overdose. Evidently reflection and action had led to improved ways

of working. This is an example of reflective practice leading to improved ways of

working in an organisation.

You may sometimes hear the term ‘reflective practice’ used more specifically to refer to

the process of reflecting on the emotional impact of care work on staff. This was the

subject of a study by counselling psychologist, Sarah Knight published in the Nursing

Times (Knight, S. (2015) Realising the benefits of reflective practice. Nursing Times; 111:

23/24, 17- 19). This was about the need to reflect on the emotional impact of nursing but

could be applicable to anyone working in health and social care. In the study, an example

of reflective practice was provided about a nurse reflecting on her evasive responses to a

relative asking about her mother’s cancer prognosis (in other words whether or not her

mother would recover). The nurse noted that she was unsure how to respond which led to

36

feeling trapped and anxious. As a result of reflection with colleagues the nurse realised

that she associated ‘having all the answers’ with ‘being a good nurse’. This insight led her

to realise that a better approach would be to be open about the uncertain prognosis,

accept that she couldn’t protect the relative from the feelings this may cause but that she

could let her know she empathised and was there to support her. This is an example of

reflective practice leading to an improved way of working for an individual.

5.3 Why continuing professional development is important

Continuing professional development (CPD) is an ongoing process of maintaining and

updating work- related knowledge and skills by a professional person. CPD may take the

form of:

Classroom-based training courses

Distance learning courses

On the job supervision, shadowing or mentoring

Practical skills training

Updating knowledge by reading job-related information online or in

professional journals or textbooks

Reflection on workplace experience with senior colleagues.

The requirements for CPD vary somewhat between professions in health and

social care. Here are three examples:

1) Care and support workers

Skills for Care published a CPD guide for employers of care workers in adult social care in

2010. The guide (called ‘Keeping Up the Good Work’) emphasises the importance of CPD

in recruiting and retaining skilled and effective staff. Health support workers and social

care workers benefit from CPD in many ways: CPD helps with professional and

personal development, boosting confidence and self-esteem. Care workers are likely

to feel more confident in their roles if they have the benefit of relevant training and CPD. A

care worker who supports individuals whose behaviour may challenge for example is

much more likely to be able to do so effectively if they have ongoing training and support

with this complex area of practice.

37

2) Nurses and midwives

Registered nurses and midwives in the UK have very specific requirements for

continuing professional development called revalidation set by the Nursing and

Midwifery Council (NMC). They must:

Complete at least 35 hours of CPD every three years between renewals

of their registration - of which at least 20 hours must be ‘participatory

learning’ (which means involving other people).

Keep an accurate record of CPD undertaken which shows the CPD method,

the dates and number of hours, evidence and a description of the topic and

how it relates to practice.

Have completed 450 practice hours (or 900 if renewing as both a nurse and a

midwife)

Have 5 pieces of practice related feedback

Have 5 written reflective accounts

Have reflective discussion with another NMC registrant

Have a health and character declaration

Have appropriate cover under an indemnity arrangement

Have a Confirmer who will look at the evidence they have collected and

confirm that they have met the revalidation requirements.

These strict rules on CPD are designed to protect the public as nurses and midwives

need to be seen to be competent and up to date in their practice for public safety and

confidence.

3) Social workers

Social workers must undertake continuing professional development in order to remain

registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). There has been a shift

in Social Work from an ‘input’ model of CPD (such as 15 days training or learning) to an

‘output’ model whereby social workers are required to consider what their organisation

requires them to know and how it will impact their practice. The HCPC standards require

that a registered person ‘must seek to ensure that their CPD has contributed to the quality

38

of their practice and service delivery.’ So in social work there is an emphasis on putting

learning intopractice.

The College of Social Work has a ‘Professional Capabilities Framework’ which

sets out professional standards for social workers. CPD enables social

workers to meet the requirements of this framework.

5.4 How to record progress in relation to

personal development

Example personal development plan

Recording your professional journey. Use portfolios, observations, reflections, appraisals

and training information to build a plan unique to you

Personal

Aim

Objective -

why learn

Is there a

specific

target?

Cost and

Location

Duration

How long

will the

course/

training last

Review

date

Certificate

expiration

Completion

date

£

Postcode

£

Postcode

£

Postcode

£

Postcode

£

Postcode

Using SMART to guide your development plan.

Using the objectives of SMART, you can examine, evaluate, reflect and assess

how your professional knowledge and understanding is able to move forwards,

and progress.

39

Specific Be clear about what you want to

achieve

e.g. I want to complete and pass my

level 2/3

Measurable What is the value of this

training/workshop in relation to

your role, professional career

path, impact on knowledge and

understanding?

How can you track

progress and

development?

e.g. The level 2/3 is the next

qualification step in my

personally chosen professional

career choice.

Achievable Ask if what you’re thinking of doing

is achievable i.e. How can it be

done? Do you have funding,

transport, support, access to

resources, time to commit to

training?

e.g. My work colleagues think I am

capable of achieving this

qualification and give their support

to help me achieve it.

I have funding from a local training

initiative, can loan books from the

library and work.

Relevant Consider if the training or

development opportunity will

benefit you and your

professional role.

e.g. The level 2/3 is the

recognised qualification to work

competently within health and

social care. It will help me

understand the role I play and

how I can support the

individuals in my care.

Time-

bound

Set a realistic time-frame to

help keep you focused

e.g. The course lasts for one year.

I have made a study schedule that

will help keep me focused.

Colleagues have also made time

to help me with research and to

look at the practice happening in

my setting.

40

Example of SWOT

Analysis

Strengths

(Positive personal aspects)

Willing with a positive and

pleasant attitude to others

Reliable and trustworthy

Dedicated to my work

Weaknesses

(Negative personal aspects)

Shy

Not sufficiently assertive

I allow people to ‘take

advantage’ of my good nature

Opportunities

(Positive aspects of work / learner

role)

I enjoy m yjob/studies

There are plenty of

opportunities to learn

I am part of a good team

which communicates well

Threats

(Negative aspects of work/learner

role)

Poor pay/income

Little opportunity for

progress/ promotion/work

experience

Staff shortages/lack of resources

Strengths

(Positive personal aspects)

Weaknesses

(Negative personal aspects)

Opportunities

(Positive aspects of work /

learner role)

Threats

(Negative aspects of work /

learner role)

41

Conclusion

The information you have read within this unit should increase your knowledge and

understanding which will benefit you, the individuals you care for, key people and others.

Now complete the assessment questions for this unit in the workbook section.