Values, belief systems and experiences affecting working practice

For this assessment criterion, you will be required to analyse your own value and belief systems that affect your working practices and how these have been shaped by your various life experiences.

For example, you may have a strong belief that the primary responsibility for the care of the elderly lies with their family, which stems from your upbringing in Japan, where it is part of the culture for the older generation to live with their adult children. This can affect your working practice because it gives you a strong commitment to work in partnership with the families of the individuals to whom you provide care and support services. However, it can lead to feelings of sadness and anger when dealing with family members that do not seem to have the best interest of their elderly relatives at heart. You must learn to be aware of and regulate these feelings so that you are able to maintain professional relationships with them.

Other factors that may influence your value and belief systems include:

• Environmental factors
• Family/relationships
• Social interactions – how our values and beliefs may be influenced by the people we meet socially and how they may change over time based on new experiences and information
• Culture/Religion – how our values and beliefs are influenced by our childhood culture and religion and how they may change based on exposure to different cultures and religions
• Media – how our values and beliefs can be influenced by news and social media, ensuring that we conduct ourselves in a professional manner when using social media
• Education – how our values and beliefs have been influenced by our education and learning and how they may change based on new data from research and studies
• Professional career/working environment – how our values and beliefs may be influenced by experiences during our working lives and how they may be changed by new experiences and new ways of working