This page is designed to answer the following questions:
- 2.1 Professional behaviour (Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care, Managing Self)
NOTE: This page has been quality assured for 2023 as per our Quality Assurance policy.
For this assessment criterion, you will be required to analyse the link between personal and professional behaviour and values and the vision and function of the service. Your analysis must include the management of situations where team members are not acting in a manner that promotes the vision of the service.
Part of the obligation to professional practice by all members of the care workforce is to promote values and behaviours that are befitting of a healthcare worker – and this applies to both their personal and professional lives. Behaviours and attitudes outside of the boundaries of the work setting and work schedule must not bring the profession into disrepute or undermine public trust in health and care services.
Attitudes and behaviours that can be expected of a healthcare worker can be found in the Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England and your organisation should also provide guidance to employees in their employment contract and employee handbook.
For example, healthcare workers should not disclose confidential information about the individuals to whom they provide care and support services. They should understand the difference between professional and personal relationships and not share personal information with service users or form inappropriate relationships within the workplace. They should also acknowledge the power imbalance in the working relationships that they have with service users and not abuse it – your organisation’s policies and procedures should also provide safeguards to reduce the likelihood of care workers abusing their power.
The vision and function of your service will include many aspects of professional practice and so unprofessional behaviour will not only affect the profession’s reputation but also the reputation of your own organisation.
Therefore, unprofessional behaviours must be managed swiftly and efficiently. For example, if an employee breaches confidentiality on their day off via social media then you will wish to talk with them to explain why their behaviour was inappropriate and arrange for them to have additional training. You must ensure that they understand that this must not happen again and you may need to invoke the disciplinary procedure depending on the seriousness of the breach.