Differing values, beliefs and personal experiences between people can affect the way they feel around one another and can lead to conflict, however it is important to respect the views of others and try not to let it interfere with working practice. For example, I have a strong belief that fishing is a cruel sport and really do detest it, however I have still supported clients to go fishing on many occasions because otherwise I would be depriving them of the liberty to make their own choices. I have also worked with individuals that have done some very despicable things in their past but I try not to judge them and treat them with the same compassion that I give everybody. It is also important for me not to treat those that do share similar values and beliefs to me more favourably than those that don’t. By being non-judgmental and compassionate, I am able to communicate well with individuals and learn to understand other people’s point of view, which in turn helps reduce conflict and increase compromise.
302: Engage in personal development in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings (SHC 32)
Explain how the people identified above can help you appreciate your strengths and areas for development.
The individuals above can help me to appreciate my strengths and weaknesses because they may be more experienced than me or have had more training in a particular area. They may also provide ideas and insights that I do not notice myself or explain something from their point of view that I may not have even considered without their input.
Identify people who can help you develop your knowledge, understanding and practice.
As mentioned previously, my manager can help develop my knowledge, understanding and practice by giving me feedback in my supervisions, appraisals, observations and professional discussions. Other members of my team are also a good source of information and the individuals I support and their families can also offer me insights into what I need to improve. Other professionals can also offer advice about the way I work.
Identify Sources of Support for Planning and Reviewing Your Development.
Support for planning and reviewing your development can be obtained from many sources. Asking for feedback from colleagues, clients, client’s families and other professionals can help identify areas of development to consider. Quarterly supervisions and annual appraisals can also be used and mutually agreeable targets between yourself and your manager can be set. Quarterly observations and professional discussions can also be useful. Team meetings are also a great forum to discuss the service provision. Externally, you can get support online from a myriad of Internet sites as well as formal training on personal development.
Explain how a PDP can help a social care worker identify improvements in their knowledge, understanding and practice.
A Personal Development Plan (PDP) is a record of a social care worker’s professional achievements over time. By keeping an up-to-date PDP, a social care worker can see how their knowledge, understanding and practice has progressed as well as the current objectives and goals. Also, writing a PDP forces a social care worker to think about any gaps in their knowledge or areas where they would like to perform better and design a roadmap to get to their objectives. In addition, it provides evidence of continuous improvement to others.