Example of The Duties and Responsibilities of My Own Role

1.1 Describe the duties and responsibilities of own role

My duties as a care worker involve giving clients personal care, such as assisting with washing, dressing, toileting requirements including catheter and convene care. Assisting with nutritional requirements such as meal planning/preparation/feeding, prompting/administering medication, shipping, cleaning. It is my responsibility to ensure that the client maintains an acceptable level of health and to promote the clients well-being. It is also my responsibility to ensure that all company policies and procedures are carried out and to maintain records for the service delivered, along with responsibility for ensuring that my training needs are kept up-to-date so that I am at the level of standards required to undertake my role. Finally, it is my duty and responsibility to treat clients with respect and dignity at all times.

Question: Identify standards that influence the way the role is carried out

The standards I have identified that influence the way I carry out my role as a carer working in domiciliary care are:

• Care Standards Act 2000
• Domiciliary Care Regulations 2002
• Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
• Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• Codes of Practice
• National Occupation Standards
• Care Quality Commission Standards

These make up the standards to follow for good working practice within Health and Social Care.

Question: Describe ways to ensure that personal attitudes or beliefs do not obstruct the quality of work

To ensure that personal attitudes or beliefs do not obstruct the quality of work carried out a carer should dedicate themselves to excellence, develop good work ethics and be professional at all times. It may also be possible to change personal attitudes through further training.

2. Be able to reflect on own work activities

Explain why reflecting on work activities is an important way to develop knowledge, skills and practice

Reflecting on work activities can help a care worker gain a better/clearer understanding of social, cultural, personal and historical experiences. Reflecting is learning through experience, so by deliberating in an orderly fashion we can learn from our own (or others) mistakes, and conversely from what we (or others) have done well and use this new knowledge to help us in future situations. Therefore, reflection can help us to find an awareness of our thoughts and feelings which may relate to a particular area of our working practice. Thus enabling a link between theory and practice, so allow ‘integrated’ learning.

Assess how well own knowledge, skills and understanding meet standards

Since starting work in the care industry I have undertaken a considerable amount of formal training, along with practical ‘on the job’ training/learning. I now have knowledge and understanding of many health and social care policies and procedures and undertake my role in a professional yet empathetic manner. I respect each clients diversity and equality, ensure a high level of confidentiality and promote their independence and well-being by maintaining a high level of personal respect.

Demonstrate the ability to reflect on work activities

The ability to reflect means to look back on something and think about it in a logical manner. So in a work capacity reflecting on what went well, what didn’t go so well, what could be changed and why this change would be necessary all helps regarding possible outcomes of future client calls. For example, in my own work practice when I am on a client call I try to fit my personality to the individual client and work in a way that will enable them to interact well with me. However, sometimes the communication isn’t as effective as I would hope for it to be upon working with a new client, I therefore tend to go away and reflect on how I can change my communication strategies with that particular client and approach the situation from a different angle on the next visit to help ensure that the call runs more smoothly on this occasion.

3. Be able to agree a personal development plan

Identify sources of support for own learning and development

The first point of support regarding own learning and development should be your line manager. Between the two of you you can discuss and agree further training possibilities and a personal development plan which may include accessing company and possibly external training. Discuss options with colleagues/team members/other professionals. Finding a mentor to work alongside of, and gain further support/skills and knowledge from.

Describe the process for agreeing a personal development plan and who should be involved

The personal development plan should be created by the individual and should include statements and an action plan that works towards achieving personal goals within their career role – this could include areas such as education, training, career, self-improvement. This plan should then be discussed with the line manager to check whether the goals are in line with the organizations expectation of the individual and then regular meetings should be arranged to ensure that the personal development plan stays on an achievable track.

Contribute to drawing up own personal development plan

A personal development plan is unique to each individual and tailored to suit the individual’s personality and goal aspirations. When developing my own personal development plan I would do the following:

• Determine the strongest aspects of my personality traits.
• Determine my goals
• Create a ‘mission statement’ to help me focus on my plan
• Create the plan, which will include how my goals will be accomplished – by breaking them down into smaller tasks and into timescales
• Keep a planner/schedule to track my progress
• Re-assess and update my personal development plan at regular internals as necessary. In line with regular management appraisals.

4. Be able to develop own knowledge, skills and understanding

Show how a learning activity has improved own knowledge, skills and understanding

I attended a one day dementia awareness course within my organization, which gave me a much greater understanding of the functioning of the brain and the areas of the brain involved in different kinds of dementia. This gave me a much greater understanding of why clients with dementia behave in the manner that they do and why they react as they do, which ultimately has enabled me to be pro-active in my actions and reactions to clients with dementia.

Show how reflecting on a situation has improved own knowledge, skills and understanding

Actively reflecting on a particular situation enables me to evaluate the pros and cons of a situation that has already happened. By taking into account other peoples perspectives and viewing from all sides in an objective way I gain further knowledge and understanding, which enables me to subtley alter my own manner for a beneficial outcome to both myself and the client.

Show how feedback from others has developed own knowledge, skills and understanding

Receiving feedback from managers, colleagues and clients helps me to gain a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses in my job role. It then enables me to reflect on the comments and act on them accordingly. So, for example, if a colleague should feedback that I do not work well as part of a team I could integrate this comment and work on my team building skills. If my line manager should feedback that a client has commented on my high quality of care I will also use this as a positive marker of my abilities as a care worker. Thus, with either positive or negative feedback it gives me an understanding of others perspectives of my work and I have therefore gained the knowledge that will facilitate me with honing my skills accordingly.