Engage in personal development in health and social care

Attach a copy of your Job Description, from the information contained within this;
a) Describe the duties and responsibilities within your role as a carer. Principal Duties
All aspects of physical care, working as part of a team but capable of working unsupervised.
1. Act as key carer to residents, ensuring their needs are met. To contribute to a separate file record for each resident and to participate in the formulation and implementation of individual care plans. (This may involve some shopping, but Carers should not become further involved in the financial affairs of residents unless directed by the Care Leader.) The Carer is accountable to the Care Leader.
2. Assist the Care Leader in the administration of medication with appropriate training
3. Participate in assessments and reviews and contribute to good written and verbal communications while respecting resident confidences.
4. Observe resident wishes with regard to patterns of daily living. Organise and participate in activities and outings involving residents in planning where possible.
5. Act as escort where necessary.
6. Foster good community relations and assist in fund raising. 7. To undertake training as provided.
8. Understand responsibilities in relation to health and safety, food hygiene, fire precautions and emergency procedures, infection control and emergency aid.
9. Attend staff meetings, support colleagues, work as part of a team for the benefit and well-being of the home and residents.
10. Other tasks within the scope of the post as requested by the Manager General Requirements

In addition to the above, there are some general requirements that apply to all jobs in the Home:
1) Participation in staff meetings
2) Participation in training activities
3) Participation in staff supervision and personal development review
4) Participation in quality assurance systems
5) Take responsibility for personal development by keeping abreast of developments in the field of caring for older people.
6) All duties must be carried out to comply with: –
a. Notification of accidents and other health and safety requirements b. Statutory legislation in particular the health and hygiene regulations c. Nationally and locally agreed codes of good practice

d. Fire precautions
e. Equal opportunity and the Trust’s anti-discriminatory policy. Health and Safety
To be responsible for your own health and safety and that of anybody else who may be affected by your acts or omissions.

Organisational Relationships
The Carer is accountable to the Care Leader of the team in which he/she is working.
b) Explain how you will envisage this will help you in achieving competence within your role as a carer. Every job/career has a piece of paper put in place to advise the worker of his/her duties and responsibilities. My duties and responsibilities are somewhat more important in this role as I am on the front line working face to face with the clients. In effect I am the face of my company and so must uphold the working directive, my responsibilities and I must take my duties as a carer seriously. I have a duty of care to my clients and their families – within reason. I also have a duty to take seriously the life and work I put in and the same for that of my colleague.

Job descriptions are put into place to allow the person seeking a job/career to look at them and establish if they are indeed the right person for that job/career. In the care industry it is felt and widely said that you treat your clients how you would wish your Gran to be treated. I strongly disagree with this principal as in most cases Grans are not treated as nicely either or you may not like your Gran. Following these simple rules above can improve your role as a carer as everything you do is scrutinised daily. If you follow the rules and keep it simple then you have achieved what is basically needed as a human being. They are designed to keep you safe and informed and they are designed to keep others safe and informed. If I follow the job description then I should have peace of mind and knowledge in the fact that I am a competent carer as all the guidelines are there for me to follow.

1.2 Please provide a short explanation of how your role as a carer and the expectations of this role are demonstrated against the GSCC standards. Although worded differently, both job description (my Role) and GSCC standards are the same. The Job description is a simplified version of what is contained in the GSCC Standards. In short though – Social Care workers must:

• Protect the rights and promote the interests of service users and carers;
• Strive to establish and maintain the trust and confidence of service users and carers;
• Promote the independence of service users while protecting them as far as possible from danger or harm;
• Respect the rights of service users whilst seeking to ensure that their behaviour does not harm themselves or other people;
• Uphold public trust and confidence in social care services;
• Be accountable for the quality of their work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving their knowledge and skills.
2.3 Give 3 examples of how your own values, beliefs and experiences may affect working practice. I am a Christian, I have been christened – but I do not attend church, neither do I preach to others. I have a belief that when I die I will be committed to the ground and my soul will find its way to an eternal place where I will remain with my loved ones for eternity. I believe there is a heaven and there is a hell. I believe that all good children shall rise and all who commit heinous, disgusting or perverted acts will descend into the gates of hell. These are my beliefs’ as in individual. I am entitled to these as they are of my own choosing.

However I do not influence my ideas on others as they may not agree with me. The majority of wars established in most countries have resulted of an incessant need to prove that one God is better than another, or that one ruler has more gold than another. In the most extreme of wars Women have been the sole reason for millions of men women and children dying unnecessarily. So in short I keep my opinions and my beliefs to myself. This enables me to have a good relationship with my clients and co-workers.

Describe ways in which you can ensure that any personal attitudes or beliefs you may have do not affect the quality of your work. I have been drawn in to heated debates before on many occasions. These are healthy to a point as some clients believe their word is the law. However when they are introduced to the correct legislation or the law in its entirety then they are surprised and in most cases willing to change their attitude. I adopt a hair dresser style of chit chat when I am working. I ask the client about themselves and their families. I ask what their plans are for the future and let them know the weather or the routine for the day.

It may sound boring but keeping it simple and focused on the client is the best way to avoid conflict. If asked your opinion you can be honest but again keeping it light will deflect any combative stance. People will always look to gain an interest in your life. So yes you can talk about yourself but personal issues should never be brought to work. If you have had a bad day, DON’T tell your client, a) because they don’t want to know and b) because it is not their fault and they would rather hear good things in most cases.

4.1 Identify formal or informal sources of support available to you within your organisation to enable planning and reviewing your own development. Eg supervision etc.

1.Informal review with employer/Appraisal
2.Internet
3.Files in work which cover legislation/development/training
4.Talking to other senior carers/Nurses/carers
5.Team meetings
6.Magazines/Media i.e. newspapers

Give examples of ways in which you use the different support networks and how you feel they support your development. I can have an informal chat with my employer or an appraisal and can come out with a perspective that may not be what I had expected I would then chat to a senior carer if I was not sure of the outcome or if I was confused by it and see if they had the same conclusion as me. I would then check the internet for legislation or framework to help me to establish what I need to learn so that I can be readily advised for my next meeting. I could also locate legislation or training needed to cover these aspects.

Have you identified any gaps in these support systems? If so, what are they and how could they be corrected? Personally speaking I have not come across any gaps. I have always been blessed with good common sense and general knowledge and If I cannot find the answer to a question then I will hunt for it until I do.

3.1 Please complete the following self evaluation.
Please see additional paperwork (hand written)

2.1,2.2,5.1,5.2
2.1 Think about 2 activities /tasks that you have done at work, one which you found a) fairly easy to do, the other which was b) more difficult or challenging; For both a & b write down:- The knowledge, skills and attitude you have when carrying out the task The knowledge, skills and attitude that you could acquire that would improve your ability to undertake the task more effectively How you are going to gain the knowledge, develop the skills or adopt the new attitude The importance of reflective practice to continuously improve the quality of service provided

Activity 1 (Easy)
Dry shave using electric shaver.
When using the electric shaver it is always best practice to refer to the instructions first. Ensure the shaver is correctly used and is free from clutter. Ensure you have ample space to work in and ensure client and yourself are happy to continue. Always work within a clean and dry environment and make sure client has a clean and dry face. Continue to use the shaver in an upwardly motion and make sure to keep within the direction of the grain of the hair. Pull the skin tightly but gently around the neck area to ease this area of shaving. When complete and shave has finished apply a balm if necessary and show client what has been done using a mirror. I have learned all of the above over the years and can honestly say I give the best shave to all of my clients.

People have actually noticed when I have been. I apply this knowledge daily to all my clients in all aspects of care. My attitude is and always will be neutral to each individual client. I will always ask if they would like this done. I would never assume this is normal. If I wanted to find out more about shaving I would ask my Dad, My Husband or a barber for that matter. If following the directions of the leaflet provided with the shaver then you should apply the best shave wherever you go. However some techniques can be learned through experience. I do not profess to know everything about shaving. I would like to learn how to use a cut throat razor.

This is not something I would use on a client but my husband is a willing participant. As for reflection I find myself always second guessing and evaluating myself. I have also noticed this practice with my other seniors. I don’t know if this is because we have experience but I do know we all go home and say to ourselves how could this be improved or how can I make that client more comfortable. We do not get much sleep some nights as we are constantly striving to make out clients lives more accommodating and this shows in our approach and practices in work.

Activity 2 (More difficult)
Applying a hoist sling under a person who has a right/left sided stroke Advise client of your intentions and ensure you have full and undivided attention. Advise client of rolling technique using Wendy Lett sheets or slide sheets. Involving the help of your colleague roll the client from back to left side. Position sling under client rolling the edge nearest to the client to the middle of the sling. Roll client gently from left to back and from back to right side. Pull out remaining sling from under client. Assist other carer to attach sling to hoist ensuring legs are connected underneath client in a hammock style manoeuvre. Always reassure client and gain complete compliance and attention at all times. Watching what you are doing and what client/carer is doing at all times. This task requires more knowledge as it is a technical manoeuvre which requires experience and a good trainer who is encouraging and reassuring.

You get to know certain techniques in your initial training but on the job experience grows in each clients home. Learning to use the hoist/sling safely is something we all as carers should be aware of. From the very beginning – checking the date of the last inspection of the hoist and making sure all the parts are in good working order – to checking the sling fits onto the hooks and the client is happy. If I was unsure of the requirements surrounding the hoist or the sling then I would adopt an inquisitive stance and ask a member of my team, my manager or an occupational therapist. Again reflection is an ongoing thing in my mind. I take my work home with me and try to adopt different ways of doing things.

I play them out in my head and even result to drawing or writing them down. I then pass on any suggestions to my seniors before I carry out any practical work. Once we have reviewed/reflected and worked out any bugs, then we can play with what we have got using equipment in the office and practice using different techniques. When we are all happy with what we have achieved then we relay to the management and clients and of course to all carers in the support network. We also update the care plan to support our findings.

Obtain a copy of your last Supervision and Appraisal reports Taking into account all the details contained in these reports and the self evaluation form you have completed: write an account of the process you have gone through to agree a personal development plan using the supervision and appraisal system to assist you in this, who else is involved in this process?

How has feedback during supervision and appraisal helped to develop your knowledge, skills and understanding?

Fro example; what training have you completed, is it up to date and do you keep records of this; are there skills and ways of working that you have learnt from senior members of staff, how has this helped you in your role?

Have you reflected on your practices and identified areas of weak practice where you could benefit from further training or something perhaps you have no or very little experience in?

Do you feel there are specific ways of learning which suit you better; have you discussed this at supervision?

2.2,3.1,51
Describe a training session you have attended recently and explain how this is relevant to your care role and how, by reflection, it has improved your knowledge, skills and understanding and therefore practice? I recently had a training session for slide sheets. This was more of a refresher for me but a good training tool for the newer carers coming on board. We have a particular client who had used a dangerous manoeuvre in the past to get into bed. This was frowned upon from myself and other senior members of our company.

It was decided, together with the client, to adopt a different, safer and ultimately a more effective way of getting this client positioned into bed. The training sessions involved using a slide sheet to position, and then slide the client up the bed to a sitting position. The training was paramount to our client getting into bed safely and for carers to avoid injury to backs or other areas of body. Upon reflection it would appear that other companies involved in the care of this client have also adopted this manoeuvre. It has also improved my memory and therefore I can possibly use what I already know and share with others who have the same or similar issue.

5.3 How do you record your progress to show personal and professional development? 4.3 Self-development plans
These should follow the SMART principle;
Specific – identify a specific task or activity to be achieved Measurable – Can be measured/proved eg achieved a pass mark at first aid course Achievable – Within your capabilities eg doing a level 2 NVQ Realistic – Relates to your job role

Timed – a set time limit for achieving the task/activity
Think about the areas you identified previously and using these, complete the Personal Development Plan for both the short and long term goals. Who would you usually complete this with?