CHCPRP003 Reflect on and improve own professional practice Welcome In this unit you will learn about how to evaluate and enhance own practice through a process of reflection and ongoing professional development. This unit applies to workers in all industry sectors who take pro-active responsibility for their own professional development. The learning resource will cover the following elements: • Reflect on own practice • Enhance own practice • Facilitate ongoing professional development The assessment for this unit needs to be completed to a satisfactory standard in order to be deemed competent. Reflect © thinstock (used under license) Elements and performance criteria Elements Performance Criteria 1. Reflect on own practice 1.1 Undertake self-evaluation in conjunction with supervisors and/or peers 1.2 Reflect on and recognise the effect of values, beliefs and behaviour in practice 1.3 Share two-way, open and evaluative feedback with co-workers or peers 1.4 Actively seek and reflect on feedback from clients, organisations or other relevant sources 2. Enhance own practice 2.1 Determine improvements needed based on own evaluation and feedback from others P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 1 Elements Performance Criteria 2.2 Identify potential support networks both internal and external to the organisation 2.3 Seek specialist advice or further training where need is identified 2.4 Recognise requirements for self-care and identify requirements for additional support 2.5 Devise, document and implement a self development plan that sets realistic goals and targets 3. Facilitate ongoing professional development 3.1 Access and review information on current and emerging industry developments and use these to improve practice 3.2 Assess and confirm own practice against ethical and legal requirements and opportunities 3.3 Identify and engage with opportunities to extend and expand own expertise 3.4 Regularly participate in review processes as a commitment to upgrading skills and knowledge Unit of Competency Unit of Competency can be accessed via training.gov.au About this unit Adobe connect recording for Reflect on and improve own professional practice. © C Otomancek (with permission) Adobe connect recording Adobe connect recording for Reflect on and improve own professional practice. Listen to the recording, this will help you to get the most out of this resource. P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 2 Your assessment Your assessment is located on the OLS. Successful completion of the assessment tasks demonstrates that you have a sound knowledge of this unit. You must achieve a satisfactory grade in the assessment to be competent in the unit. When you login to the OLS, select the unit and download your assessment. OLS Page © TAFE NSW P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 3 Reflect on own practice Introduction As we will read through this topic we will see how to: • Undertake self-evaluation in conjunction with supervisors and/or peers • Reflect on and recognise the effect of values, beliefs and behaviour in practice • Share two-way, open and evaluative feedback with co-workers or peers • Actively seek and reflect on feedback from clients, organisations or other relevant sources Professional self-management Best practices © Stuart Miles (used under license) Self-evaluation: Being a reflective practitioner Reflecting on your day-to-day work activities is an essential part of your continuous improvement as a community services worker. Once you feel you know everything and you don’t need to learn any more, chances are you will have become stale in your practices and in your own professional development. You need to be constantly learning and open to different ways of doing things and the different perspectives of others with whom you work, including your clients. Always try to: • be self-aware and reflect on your own work performance • be mindful of your job description and focus your energy on completing tasks that are clearly defined as your responsibility. • seek advice/feedback from your manager/board of management. • maintain a system of personal goal setting and achievement • adopt a co-operative/team approach to completing complex tasks. • work within your organisation’s policies and procedures. • observe ethical professional standards P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 4 Once you have this reflective and honest information about yourself, you can begin to develop some goals and strategies for you to work towards in your professional development. It is important to create and maintain a learning culture in your organisation/agency. A learning culture is one of: • reflection • ongoing evaluation • openness to change • openness to diversity • continuous improvement. List your skills, knowledge and qualities A good place to start is to list all of the skills, knowledge and qualities that you consider you have. These are your identified strengths. Then you would list those skills, knowledge or attributes that you know, or think, need to be developed further. These are your identified weaknesses or potential areas of development. Being aware of your strengths and weaknesses helps you know where to start with your professional development. It also helps you prepare for and monitor feedback you may receive from others. You may also find some direction for your professional development by identifying areas that you are interested in learning more about. For eg we will look it the community services industry consists of a variety of services and programs run by or funded by both government and non-government organisations to assist people with specific needs. These services include accommodation and support services for people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless, support services for people who have a disability or are frail or aged, housing and income support for people who are unemployed or on a low income, care and protection services for children and community support services for families and young people. There are also services for people with drug and alcohol addictions, people who are ill (such as HIV or AIDS services) and services aimed at addressing disadvantage caused by sexuality, language and culture barriers, Aboriginality or geographical location. You will probably be working in one of these organisations. It is important that you reflect on where you fit within your organisation and the industry generally, how you and your organisation provide your services and how you can work to improve that level of service provision. One of the manager community services says.. The community often recognises the issues as well. So going out and getting petitions signed isn’t as difficult as one would imagine really. The people in the street are aware of the issues in their area. So the general public support is there. It’s getting the numbers down and getting the petitions and getting the politician support and getting the politicians to write letters on your behalf, and to keep pressure on them. That is where the change gets made. Working with other groups becomes more powerful obviously – linking up with two or three other groups can make a big difference. Am I doing a good job? Reflect on the work you do as a health care worker. Ask yourself how well you are doing your job. It is reasonable to ask yourself ‘Am I doing a good job?’ This is especially true when you are working in a busy environment and dealing with a thousand different things at once, and everybody else is just as busy as you. Even if you do receive feedback about your P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 5 individual work performance from your supervisor/manager, you need to learn how to evaluate it for yourself so that you can take more control of your own work performance. for example a welfare officer centre manager and mentor says.. Students need to understand how important it is to be aware of how they feel, and what they think, and how it affects them. And what to do about it. We have procedures where they’re encouraged to debrief. If there is something they want to do in a more confidential setting we will make the time for a one-on-one to talk. They know who the supervisor is and they can go and talk about it before they go home, so they can offload the issues or feelings that they had before they leave the centre. It is important for them to communicate those issues and feelings. Students and new staff tend to be very eager to assist and they get emotionally involved with the client so it’s important that they know the line between professional helper and friend. another example of a welfare services manager says.. Debriefing and talking about issues is a way of finding out and clarifying those boundaries. Burnout in the industry is a huge issue, so all that is a part of protecting the staff and volunteers and, anyone involved in community and health services. Professional self-management There are three main ideas around professional self-management • self-appraisal and self-management • seeking and receiving feedback • Professional development Self-appraisal and self-management You self-appraise by monitoring your own work performance. You can benchmark your performance against agreed internal or external standards for the sorts of tasks that you perform, such as facilitation, counselling and client assessment. This is usually done using an individual work plan which you have developed in conjunction with your supervisor or manager. You can add to this through observing your colleagues and others outside your organisation who do the same sort of work as you and then evaluating your own standard of work and completion of activities against theirs. For self-appraisal you need to develop Work plan, need to have an access to your job description so exactly know your areas of responsibility, evaluating your key strength and areas of improvement. A work plan combines the goals of the organisation with those of the worker into manageable chunks of activity which can be measured and evaluated. It is about clearly identifying and documenting what each employee is trying to achieve (this is often called an objective) and the desired outcome (what will be the result of the work or intervention). This, of course, must be linked to what has been clearly defined as the worker’s job role and responsibilities. Work plans are applicable at all levels of an organisation. To ensure that your expectations are clarified and that your efforts are focused on what the organisation expects to achieve, organisations develop individual work plans as well as providing more general job descriptions. Both are tools that agencies use to identify and negotiate the responsibilities and specific tasks involved in a job role. P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 6 Job descriptions Given that the kinds of jobs in the Health Care Industry are really varied, and there is such a broad range of skills required, you are probably asking ‘How can I possibly do all that?’ Remember that the skills and qualities you’ve been thinking about and the roles you’ve been describing are probably those required for all the positions in the HCI. If so, that is why these responsibilities, skills and qualities might seem overwhelming. Realistically, you will not be expected to perform all these functions in any one position. Your job will probably have some position specifications, commonly known as a job description or position description. In there you will find the roles and responsibilities of any person in that position as well as some practical requirements such as working hours. It should also provide an indication of the line of management for the position (that is, the hierarchy of positions to whom the position reports). When seeking work in the industry it is important to read the job description thoroughly before accepting a position and, once you do accept a position, you should follow that description. There are several reasons for this. • Accountability to the people who use your organisation—Service users in the HCI are often in very vulnerable circumstances. A job description is a way of trying to ensure they receive a professional standard of service so that, in turn, they will not be taken advantage of. It is a way of protecting their quality of life and empowering them. • Accountability to your employer—A job description lets you know what is expected of you by your employer (your role and responsibilities) and provides guidelines that clarify those expectations. Your employer may use this to monitor your work practices. They may also use it as a basis for negotiating changes to your role and planning for other positions. • Job descriptions are planned to ensure professional service provision. Each position has different requirements. Unless employees adhere to those requirements, the service or agency cannot be sure it is achieving its goals and/or adhering to its liabilities. • Accountability to yourself—There is a high incidence of work-related stress in this industry. A job description is a reminder to you of your limits and provides a way of protecting yourself from exceeding those limits. It is a means of protecting you and preventing employers from exploiting you as a worker. It is also a way of checking that you are, in fact, fulfilling your responsibilities. • Accountability to your colleagues and your profession—By accepting your job description and working according to it, you are agreeing that it is a reasonable set of expectations for all workers in that position. Therefore, if you accept an unreasonable description or if you do not comply with a reasonable description, you are letting down your fellow workers. Benefits of having a work plan Whatever the job you secure, it is important that you are clear about what you are expected to achieve. To ensure that your expectations are clarified and that your efforts as a worker or manager are focused on what the organisation expects to achieve, some organisations develop individual work plans as well as providing job descriptions. As mentioned earlier, a work plan is a match between organisational and employee goals. It is about clearly identifying and documenting what each employee is trying to achieve (this is often called an objective) and the desired outcome (what will be the result of the work or intervention). If each individual has a work plan, the difference between various tasks undertaken in the organisation is clear and individuals can see clearly how their own position and priorities fit with those of others and the overall goals of the organisation. For example, in a supported accommodation service for women and children experiencing domestic violence, some workers would be focused on supporting the women with legal advice or counselling while others would be focused on care and support of the children. But everyone is trying to support women and children experiencing domestic violence. P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 7 Given that any job description includes many tasks, it can sometimes be difficult to determine which tasks should have priority. A work plan helps determine priorities by placing clear time frames on various specific tasks. A work plan is often written annually, outlining what the individual expects to achieve in the next year in terms of service delivery and their contribution to the organisation. It is often in a table format such as the following example. It is generally negotiated with your manager, and can be used as a basis for evaluating your work performance at a later date. For eg: a work plan for community case worker would be like below: Objective Tasks Time frame To develop a Community Resource Index containing relevant, current information on services for clients in the area Contact all local services via Internet, Council Community Services Directory and attending Interagency to collect information • Develop a template for information • Set up an information system (such as index folder and computer disc) [insert date] Monitoring your work plan While a work plan is an agreement negotiated between an employee and their manager, it does not mean that it is set in stone. If it becomes obvious to either party involved that the plan is not working, the specific tasks may need to be renegotiated. How do we determine if there are problems with the work plan? It is important that you and your manager monitor the plan at regular intervals against work performance, organisational objectives and client needs. This could occur in regular sessions between you and your manager, say, every month or quarter. These sessions involve having an uninterrupted meeting to focus on your progress and the tasks you are working on, and also to identify challenges you are experiencing and to develop strategies to address them. It is an opportunity to grow and develop in your role by identifying strengths and weaknesses and areas for further training and skill development. It is also a good opportunity to seek and receive feedback on your progress and performance. for example one of the community counsellor says.. Before our sessions, we sit down with our files and our thoughts, and prepare ourselves to be with that client. After the session, we’ll sit down and reflect on the session and what actually happened with the client – reflect on what was happening for us at the time; where the client was; where we think we’re going to go next with the client. On the Tuesday night meetings, we reflect again. We talk about issues we want to discuss with other counsellors about approaches that might be powerful for a client, or approaches that we’re trying, but we don’t think are having the outcomes. We’ll then sit down and talk and reflect as a group on how that works and whether it’s something about how we’re bringing it in, or whether there’s a way we could actually fine tune it more. By seeking feedback you are showing that you are willing to make changes and eager to perform at your best. By acting on feedback, you will gain support from your colleagues and manager. To make this task as beneficial as possible, here are some guidelines about seeking and receiving feedback. P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 8 Seeking and receiving feedback Ask for feedback as soon as possible after you have done something that you would like feedback about. The only exception to this is if you are very angry, as it may come across as a demand rather than a request. Choose the time and place for feedback. If your manager is obviously very busy or stressed, it may not be advisable to seek immediate feedback. It is also not appropriate, for example, to ask for feedback in front of clients. Sometimes immediate feedback won’t be possible. If that is the case, carefully prepare your questions as close to the event as possible. This way, when you get a chance to ask for feedback, your recollection will be better. Ask for the feedback you want but haven’t received. Sometimes we receive feedback about parts of our behaviour when it is another part we want to know about. Ask for it if you think it will be useful. Ask for formal feedback or assessment from your manager. This is known as performance appraisal. These tools usually directly relate to your job description and will give you feedback that relates directly to the standards expected in your workplace. For example one of the youth worker says.. For a new worker, it’s really important to rely on your team and get to know the team. Debrief and share knowledge, so that someone doesn’t feel solely responsible, which can be quite challenging sometimes – especially for a new worker. If you’re not quite sure about someone it’s always important to ask and say, ‘I’m not sure about this, do you want to come and have a look at this – this is what I’m assessing – what do you think?’ Receiving feedback from supervisors and/or peers/ stakeholders Listen carefully. Don’t immediately reject or respond to the feedback. It is better to ‘digest’ what has been said. Check your understanding of it with the giver. Ask for clarification if you are unsure or unclear. Do with it what you will! The feedback is the giver’s opinion. You don’t have to do anything with it. You don’t have to change. It is your decision. Remember, though, if it is coming from your superior in the workplace, it may be advisable not to ignore it! Check it out with others. If more than one person gives you the same feedback, it is probably worthwhile doing something with it. Make a decision about what you will do with the feedback. Assess the value of ignoring or using it and decide what you will do as a result. Thank the person for giving you the feedback. It may have been painful to hear but it may also have been difficult to give. Also it is a valuable practice worth encouraging. For an example youth worker says.. You need someone to reflect back at you that you’ve dealt with things in an OK way, and to assist you in thinking about what you might do differently next time, if and when it happens again. It’s a bit of a sanity check, making sure that you’re not second-guessing what you’ve done when you go home at the end of the day. You need to leave work at work as much as possible. So that’s why that’s really important. From an organisational perspective, if I can sit down when something has gone wrong, or when something has just happened, and say to my colleagues, ‘This happened to me today and this is how I felt, and this is how I handled it’, then the organisation learns from that. That team learning is so important for the organisation to be able to keep on going. P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 9 Reflect on and recognise the effect of values, beliefs and behaviour in practice While devising a plan for reflecting and enhancing your own practice, it highly important to reflect on and recognise the effect of values, beliefs and behaviour in your practice. Our own values and beliefs have a critical impact on the way we make decisions, design programs and conduct ourselves. It is important to be clear about our personal values and beliefs and those shared as a group when working with others, making decisions that impact on others or undergoing changes. When an individual’s, or the shared, group values and beliefs are challenged by others, we are asked to justify or account for our behaviour or when there is conflict about someone else’s behaviour. What are values? Values are principles, standards or qualities that an individual or group of people hold in high regard. These values guide the way we live our lives and the decisions we make. A value may be defined as something that we hold dear, those things/qualities which we consider to be of worth. A ‘value’ is commonly formed by a particular belief that is related to the worth of an idea or type of behaviour. Some people may see great value in saving the world’s rainforests. However a person who relies on the logging of a forest for their job may not place the same value on the forest as a person who wants to save it. Values can influence many of the judgments we make as well as have an impact on the support we give clients. It is important that we do not influence client’s decisions based on our values. We should always work from the basis of supporting the client’s values. Values can affect: • what we notice, encourage or discourage • how we prioritise work • what information we choose to give to young people or the options that we provide for them • decision making – criteria for decisions is often value based • relationships with young people • record keeping – what we choose to write down – or not write down. Where do values come from? Our values come from a variety of sources. Some of these include: • family • peers (social influences) • the workplace (work ethics, job roles) • educational institutions such as schools or TAFE • significant life events (death, divorce, losing jobs, major accident and trauma, major health issues, significant financial losses and so on) • religion • music • media • technology • culture • major historical events (world wars, economic depressions, etc). Dominant values Dominant values are those that are widely shared amongst a group, community or culture. They are passed on through sources such as the media, institutions, religious organisations or family, but remember what is considered dominant in one culture or society will vary to the next. P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 10 It is important that you develop an awareness of what you value, as these values will be important in informing your relationships with clients, co–workers and employers. What is a belief? Beliefs come from real experiences but often we forget that the original experience is not the same as what is happening in life now. Our values and beliefs affect the quality of our work and all our relationships because what you believe is what you experience. We tend to think that our beliefs are based on reality, but it is our beliefs that govern our experiences. The beliefs that we hold are an important part of our identity. They may be religious, cultural or moral. Beliefs are precious because they reflect who we are and how we live our lives. Taking into account personal values and beliefs One of the responsibilities of workers is that we do not impose our own values and beliefs on the people we work with. That is, that we don’t provide options and services based on what we feel is right, but that we work with people in relation to what is right for them. We should always remember that it is their life and only they should make decisions about how they should live their life. If you try to impose your own moral values on clients, you are likely to make them feel judged and to damage their self-worth. Moreover, they are likely to reject you and to reject your values too. If you are able to accept your clients, with whatever values they have, you may well find that as time passes they move closer to you in their beliefs. This is inevitable because we are, whether we like it or not, models for our clients and we have a responsibility to be good models. Regardless of who the client is, and regardless of his or her behaviour, he or she deserves to be treated as a human being of worth. If you respect your clients, they will, through feeling valued, be given the optimum conditions in which to maximise their potential as individuals. It is essential that you are aware of your own values and beliefs so that you do not impose them (deliberately or unintentionally) on the people you are working with. Professional values In order to leave your personal values out of the client/worker relationship, you need to aware of the impact they may have when you come across clients that do not behave in ways that you agree with—that is, clients who have different values and beliefs to you. You may find that with such clients you become judgemental or notice that you are encouraging clients to make a decision that reflects what you think they should do (based on your values and beliefs) rather than working with the client to come up with their own ideas about how to resolve the issue. That is why it is so important to have ethical standards, so that we are operating by a professional set of guidelines, not what we personally think is right or wrong. Your behaviour at work makes a difference The way managers, their employees and co-workers behave has a big impact on an organisation. When people behave in a positive, honest and encouraging way, those around them will usually do the same. An organisation made up of positive people will be more successful. On the other hand, people who behave in a negative way can have a negative impact on both their relationships at work and on the organisation. The people who create effective working relationships within organisations are often: • trusting • supportive P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 11 • self-aware • confident • open • committed • tolerant They have knowledge about: • how the organisation works • people’s differences • how to resolve conflict • how to motivate other people • how learning and communication happen. They are able to: • set and achieve goals • evaluate their own performance • evaluate their team members’ performance • clarify people’s roles in a team • manage individual differences • communicate effectively with other people. Respecting diversity In a community services organisation, the people you work with will be diverse in many ways. The uniqueness of each individual client, staff and management member will influence the community services organisation that you work in daily. For an example youth worker says... Each community service is different and unique – so they’re going to have their own way of dealing with a client group and their own way of working together as a team, because of the structure of that team – counsellors, case managers and educators. It’s going to work together differently. To develop respectful workplace relations, we need to develop understandings about individual people through the use of effective communication skills. Through communicating with others, we are able to learn about each individual staff member’s knowledge, skills, feelings, needs and interests. We are developing respect for their individuality and their differences. We are also sharing information that helps us establish and maintain good working relationships that are respectful and equitable. Consider your individual strengths and interests. What aspects of your individuality would you like recognised in the workplace? By having these differences acknowledged, do you feel respected and valued? Good workplace relations also require all staff members to ‘pull their weight’, as there are tasks for each team member to complete each day. Job specifications are generalised statements that do not take into account individual differences. Therefore, in developing respectful workplace relations, all team members need to work effectively in the completion of their duties, while making allowances for individual differences. Individual differences may relate to the feelings of a staff member on a particular day (eg, feeling tired or upset) or it may be an individual difference (eg, their religion or beliefs) that influences their practice every day. P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 12 Body language and cultural differences Different cultures and individuals have different ways of relating and communicating with others. Body language in particular is quite often misinterpreted. Different cultures have different ways of communicating Being aware of differences by observing the actions and reactions of others to our attempts to communicate with them both verbally and non-verbally is essential. Researching different languages and cultural practices as well as asking for information about what is appropriate and what is not is a valuable method of ensuring that we are able to communicate with all people in a respectful, welcoming and accepting manner. Behaviour that promotes cooperation Working cooperatively requires team members to complete their individual responsibilities and duties, and also to use their initiative to assist and support the other team members within the workplace. These behaviours are regarded highly within community services organisations and demonstrate an individual’s ability to be an effective team member. Other behaviours that should be assessed in relation to promoting cooperation in the workplace are: • maintain confidentiality when information has been shared with team members • ensure decisions and practices are fair and equitable • discuss issues and concerns openly. P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 13 Enhance own practice Introduction As we will read though this topic we will learn to: • Determine improvements needed based on own evaluation and feedback from others • Identify potential support networks both internal and external to the organisation • Seek specialist advice or further training where need is identified • Recognise requirements for self-care and identify requirements for additional support • Devise, document and implement a self-development plan that sets realistic goals and targets Evaluate © Stuart Miles (used under license) Evaluating the feedbacks and Renegotiating work plans Problems that may arise regarding the work plan include: • The plan is based on client or agency needs that have been previously identified but are no longer relevant. For instance, you may have been given the task to develop policy and procedure, but since the plan was developed, the funding body has announced that it will be providing a new policy and procedure package to funded services. • You may not be feeling confident to complete the tasks, and therefore require training to further develop your skills. • You may not have the time to complete tasks, due to other work commitments. • You may not have the resources necessary, such as computer programs or access to a vehicle for outreach work. The main issue to be aware of is that it is not up to you to change your work plan. You need to negotiate with your supervisor to ensure that the tasks are completed by giving you more time or resources or by delegating a P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 14 task to someone else. (Think about who else could help you to complete the tasks. Don’t forget that you are all working towards common goals and are making decisions that are in the client’s best interests.) Using your communication skills is the key to successfully resolving any difficulties—remembering your active listening, non-verbal communication, non-judgemental approach and open questioning. Based on your colleague’s feedback you can further develop a professional development plan for your selfimprovement. For eg: Plan for your self-improvement Co-worker feedback Evaluative/action to take as per the feedback customer service officer Too many delays on getting jobs through for shipping Yes, but there are other factors that also need to be reviewed: • Need to talk to manager • Review current processes and reasons for delay • Feedback from related staff in the shipping job to find out the issue Identify potential support networks both internal and external to the organisation Developing support networks To be influential inside or outside your organisation you need to be connected to other people and have access to relevant information. Networking means using your connections or contacts to stay informed about what is happening inside or outside your organisation, and to convey this information to others who will need it. You may be dependent on literally hundreds of different people to get things done and to support you in your work. And not only will there This places a premium on your ability to build effective and influential relationships. This is where building and maintaining effective networks becomes important. Networks can be of great support during difficult periods. Why build and maintain networks? Some benefits of having networks are: • social support — the people in your networks can be a 'friendly ear' when you need one • job support — the people in your networks can help you to achieve your work goals and can support you when you need help • achieving common goals — you can cooperate with other people to achieve things that benefit both of you • lower cost to develop opportunities • more sources of information and ideas to improve work practices • more opportunities to circulate information you want others to have • the chance to influence situations that affect your work or benefit your clients. How to build networks • Identify the people you can get to know, inside and outside your organisation. For example, think about other community service workers doing similar work to yours, team leaders, your own team members, P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 15 referrers, industry specialists and people in government and non-government organisations that you relate to. • Actively build your networks. Attend more social functions, meetings, work lunches, conferences. Be ready to interact and be friendly with the people you meet. Ask them questions about what they do, and listen with interest to what they say. Everyone has a story to tell! • Talk to your clients. Your clients may know a range of other people who have helped them. Developing contacts with them may assist you with your work – but remember confidentiality. • Talk to your referrers. Referrers can be internal and external — think of them as anyone you obtain work from. It is important to know about the situations and circumstances your clients come from. It is also important they know something about you so that they can support you if you are supporting their clients too. • Get to know the opinion leaders. They are the people who influence others — managers, researchers, academics. This way you’ll be up with the latest. Exchanging information with people in your networks Networks are all about creating a two-way flow of information. To get the most from your networks think about both: • the information you gather for yourself and your organisation, and • the information you circulate or provide to others. When you gather or provide information, try to focus on what you or the other person needs. Here are some tips. • Why is the information needed? Knowing why helps you to gather or provide the correct information. • What information is needed? Knowing what helps you to ensure that the information is correct and complete. • When is the information needed? Knowing when helps you to organise your own priorities and manage your own time. • How will the information be conveyed? For example, by phone, in person, by email, by post? Build effective relationships through your networks Remember, when you build and maintain your networks, you are doing so in order to help your whole team achieve their goals. Therefore you need to have effective relationships — both inside and outside of your team. Here are some strategies to keep in mind. 1. Recognise, respect and value individual differences. All people are different and have something unique and valuable to contribute. 2. Support and defend your peers and co-workers, and be loyal to your boss. 3. Communicate openly and honestly with all people. This can include giving relevant information to management and sharing important information with your peers and colleagues. You also need to be able to admit to and learn from your mistakes. 4. Recognise and reward the contributions of others. Say 'thank you'. Tell your boss about the good work a team member has done. 5. Trust people to do a good job – most people are worthy of your trust. But to do a good job they need to know what's expected. 6. Be assertive. You need to be able to resolve conflicts, negotiate with suppliers, management and other staff Productivity in an organisation is related to how people feel about each other, about their jobs and about their organisation. Positive attitudes lead to high morale and usually to an increase in productivity. P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 16 Seeking specialist services for further training For your self-development you may choose to seek specialist advice or further training where need is identified. Specialist services may include: a trainer/mentor or industry representative or professional colleague, or representative from union, HR /industrial relations officer For eg: In most agencies in the HCI, you will work within a team including workers with similar qualifications to you and/or workers with related backgrounds such as social work. What may vary is the experience of workers (how long they have been in the job and expertise they have developed over time). Other workers can be a valuable resource when you are faced with challenges or are not sure how to go about completing specific tasks. Don’t be afraid to seek help when you are unclear about what you should be doing. It is not a crime not to know something, as long as you are prepared to speak up and ask before you act. Developing, documenting and implementing a self-development plan The best way to approach your own professional development is to write your own professional development plan. Writing a professional development plan will help you clarify your goals, evaluate training options and monitor your progress. To write your plan you will need to assess your own skills and knowledge and determine which areas you need to develop. You might do this in conjunction with your supervisor or manager. You will then need to find training which meets your skill gap needs. Finally you need to consider what tasks you should be competent in after you complete the training so that you can measure whether your goals have been met. Assessing skill gaps Before constructing a professional development plan for any position it is important to identify: • the skills and knowledge required by your duties • the standards required by your workplace • what skills and knowledge you need to meet these standards. Do you have a Statement of Duties for your position? If not you will need to write a list of your main duties. You can check this list with your supervisor. Do you know the procedures that you should follow to complete your workplace tasks? You may have written procedures to follow or you may be able to check with your supervisor. Knowing the procedures that should be followed will assist you to understand the standards that are required. You will need to consider your skills in the following areas: • communication skills including negotiation and conflict resolution skills and writing skills (eg workplace reports) • technical skills such as the use of computer equipment and software • organisational skills such as time management, record keeping and project/case management • personal skills such as team skills, decision-making, self-analysis, cultural awareness and the ability to work under pressure. Seeking feedback It is important to seek feedback to help you identify the skills you need to improve. Make a time to talk to your supervisor to discuss this. To keep a clear focus for your discussion take a list of the main duties required P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 17 by your position and your ideas on skills that you need to improve. If your supervisor has suggestions ask for ideas on training that would help you improve your skills in that area. Professional development options Having identified skills gaps you will need to think about the specific outcomes that you need from further training. You will need to ask yourself: “What exactly do I want to be able to do when I have completed the training?” This is an important point. If you are not sure about this you may select workshops and courses that do not meet your needs. This can be frustrating and a waste of time. You will need to research training options. Possible sources of information include: • your colleagues, your supervisor, other personnel in your workplace • trade journals • newspapers • internet/intranet sites for organisations such as TAFE. The types of training available include: • Training on the job. If you can identify a skill that you could learn on-the-job talk to your supervisor and your colleagues. One of your colleagues may be prepared to act as your mentor. • A workplace workshop. You may identify a skill that you and your colleagues could learn in a workshop at your workplace. Talk to your supervisor about arranging the workshop. • Training through a training organisation such as TAFE, a university or professional association completed either in or outside work time. Assessing training options There are usually a number of training options to choose from. You need to make a careful choice and consider the following options: • What are the stated outcomes of the training? What are the specific skills that you will learn? • What is the cost of the training? • Are the venue and time convenient? • Is the training accredited? Will you receive credentials that you can use in this and other positions? • Is your organisation likely to approve your attendance? Professional development plan You might want to start developing a professional development plan by: • choosing two skills that you need to improve – one that you can learn on-the-job and one that you need to learn through a course provided by a training organisation • researching training options for those skills • determining when you aim to complete the training • deciding how you will measure your progress • writing your findings into tables like the ones in the appendix document below. Download the attachment fill them in for each of the skills that you think need development. Check these with your supervisor. These then become you overall professional development plan. P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 18 Document: Your development plan Professional Development Plan Development activity Details (Provider, location, etc.) Objective of development activity Timeframe Cost Professional Development Checklist On-the-job training Skill required What task/s I need the skill for Who will teach the skill Date when I aim to complete the training One or more specific tasks that I aim to be competent in after training (my measurement of progress) P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 19 Formal training Skill required What task/s I need the skill for Name of training organisation Name of course Is there a credential for the training? If so, what is it? Date that I aim to complete the training One or more specific tasks that I aim to be competent in after training (my measurement of progress) P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 20 Facilitate ongoing professional development Introduction In this topic you will learn to: • Access and review information on current and emerging industry developments and use these to improve practice • Assess and confirm own practice against ethical and legal requirements and opportunities • Identify and engage with opportunities to extend and expand own expertise • Regularly participate in review processes as a commitment to upgrading skills and knowledge Introduction © Stuart Miles (used under license) Need to be updated with current and emerging industry developments Bob has just had to shut down one of his department's production lines, while he re-engineers a key process to comply with new safety legislation. This change in legislation has been expected for well over a year, and, while it's only now coming into force, other people in Bob's industry have been prepared for the change for months. Needless to say, Bob's boss isn't happy, particularly when she hears how this is going to affect profits and delivery times. Many of us work in changing competitive environments. If we don't keep up with news and trends, we can miss key opportunities and can be caught unawares. That's why, for some of us, it's important to keep-in-touch with news and trends in our industries. Benefits of Keeping Up-to-Date • Although keeping up with industry news may seem to be just one more thing to add to your To-Do List, there are several important benefits. • First, you'll make better decisions, and you'll spot threats and opportunities early on, which can give you a competitive edge. This is especially important if you contribute to shaping your organization's strategy. It's also important if you're involved in sales and marketing, where it helps you identify and take advantage of the sales opportunities that come your way. P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 21 • Secondly, keeping up-to-date with your industry is key for building expert power . By developing expertise in your job and your industry, you'll earn the trust and respect of the people around you. From a leadership perspective, this is invaluable! • Finally, it will alert you to changes that you need to think about. This is the sort of information that would have saved Bob his embarrassment. Sources of Information To keep up with news and developments in your industry, the first thing you need to do is identify the best sources to use. Traditional Sources: Find a Mentor A great starting point is to find a mentor within your organization. Not only can mentors help you solve career issues and develop your career, they can provide you with a wealth of insider knowledge, as well as with the insight needed to understand it. Trade Organizations Your industry may have one or more trade organizations that you can join. These are useful, because they can help to keep you informed with their newsletters and publications, and they provide networking opportunities with meetings and conferences. Trade Shows and Conferences Trade shows and conferences are great for learning about competitors, new products, and industry trends; and they can provide ample networking opportunities. Face-to-Face Networking Face-to-face networking can be one of the most rewarding ways to stay on top of industry news and trends. Often, professional relationships can develop into deep friendships, especially when you meet on a regular basis. Keep in mind that you have a wide pool of people you can network with. People directly related to your industry are an obvious choice, but so are industry suppliers, customers, and people working in related fields. • Getting professional memberships: like AAPM, AIM Online Sources Blogs Blogs aren't just for personal journaling anymore. Many bloggers are respected for their high quality work and honest opinion. Do a web search for keywords that are commonly used in your industry – it might take a bit of time, but you may find some high quality blogs relevant to your job and your industry. Twitter Twitter can be a great place to find industry leaders and organizations, and to stay on top of relevant news and trends. P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 22 Use it to find people in your industry who are in-the-know, by searching Twitter for relevant keywords. (You may get more out of Twitter if you start a dialogue with those who you're following.) LinkedIn Using LinkedIn is a wonderful way to connect with colleagues, trade groups, and industry leaders. You can join industry-specific groups, and get the latest updates from individuals and organizations. Google Alerts The Google Alerts service notifies you when resources featuring certain words are indexed by Google's search engine. For instance, if you're a pharmaceutical rep, you might want to get notified about articles containing the words "pharmaceutical industry," or the names of your clients, your organization and your competitors. You can be notified once a day or once a week. Links can be contained in one email, or you can get updates via an RSS feed. The advantage to using Google Alerts is that you no longer have to surf the web looking for industry news. However, you might find that you simply get too much information this way – if this happens, tweak your settings or use a longer keyword-string. Also, be aware that not every new resource will be indexed by Google – this is especially true for subscription-only content. Forums Membership sites and discussion forums can be full of insider-information tailored around specific topics or industries; and talking with other professionals in your industry can help you network and grow your skills, especially if you're in a technology field such as IT. If you're unsure of which forums to use, ask colleagues, have a browse online, or ask your Twitter or LinkedIn connections for recommendations. Facebook It is a great way to connect with people. Look at our Health Services Facebook page. Ethical and legal requirements and opportunities Assessing and confirm own practice against ethical and legal requirements and opportunities. It also covers social, ethical and business standards and legislations and its requirements. It is a very important part of your job in a health care sector to be clear about your organisation’s social, ethical and business standards and related legislations and its requirements. You should practise these standards in your day-to-day actions, and you should expect your colleagues to do the same. Organisations often state their standards in a ‘code of conduct’, or you may be able to infer them from your organisation’s vision or mission statement, or from departmental goals. P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 23 Legislation © Stuart Miles (used under license) Ethics and ethical standards Firstly, we need to define what these terms mean. Ethics is not easily defined. At its highest level, ethical behaviour consists of universal principles—that of doing unto others as we would like them to do unto us. Ethics is the set of moral values held by an individual or group. As you can see, ethics is closely tied to values. Values may be defined as the ‘moral principles or accepted standards of a person or group’. Legislation and professional practice Over and above these professional and service codes of ethics can be legislative Acts (legislation) with provisions outlining precisely what behaviour is required by all employees in certain community services. For example, any services working with children have legislative responsibilities in relation to protection of children from sexual assault; and within the disability service there are similar legal requirements. There is also a common law responsibility of a duty of care towards clients. This duty exists and is owed at all times by all workers and professionals catering for the needs of others. As workers/managers in the health care industry, you will need to be familiar with the requirements of the particular field in which you are involved. You will need to be aware of the governmental requirements for your behaviour within your chosen field (the legislation), your own professional code of conduct (e.g. nursing), any professional code of conduct applicable to the field of work you are in (e.g. disability) and your employing agency’s code of ethics. For e.g.: Requirements under the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Continuing professional development registration standard are: 1. Nurses on the nurses’ register will participate in at least 20 hours of continuing nursing professional development per year. 2. Midwives on the midwives’ register will participate in at least 20 hours of continuing midwifery professional development per year. 3. Registered nurses and midwives who hold scheduled medicines endorsements or endorsements as nurse or midwife practitioners under the National Law must complete at least 10 hours per year in education related to their endorsement. P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 24 4. One hour of active learning will equal one hour of CPD. It is the nurse or midwife’s responsibility to calculate how many hours of active learning have taken place. If CPD activities are relevant to nursing and midwifery professions, those activities may be counted in each portfolio of professional development. 5. The CPD must be relevant to the nurse or midwife’s context of practice. 6. Nurses and midwives must keep written documentation of CPD that demonstrates evidence of completion of a minimum of 20 hours of CPD per year. 7. Documentation of self-directed CPD must include dates, a brief description of the outcomes, and the number of hours spent in each activity. All evidence should be verified. It must demonstrate that the nurse or midwife has: a) identified and prioritised their learning needs, based on an evaluation of their practice against the relevant competency or professional practice standards b) developed a learning plan based on identified learning needs c) participated in effective learning activities relevant to their learning needs d) reflected on the value of the learning activities or the effect that participation will have on their practice. 8. Participation in mandatory skills acquisition may be counted as CPD. 9. The Board’s role includes monitoring the competence of nurses and midwives; the Board will therefore conduct an annual audit of a number of nurses and midwives registered in Australia. The importance of professional ethics In order to leave your personal values out of the client–worker relationship, you need to be aware of the impact they may have when you come across clients who do not behave in ways that you agree with—that is, clients who have different values and beliefs to you. You may find that with such clients you become judgmental or notice that you are encouraging them to make a decision that reflects what you think they should do (based on your values and beliefs) rather than working with them to come up with their own ideas about how to resolve the issue. That is why it is so important to have ethical standards, so that we are operating according to a professional set of guidelines—not by what we personally think is right or wrong. Ethical codes of practice and guidelines Each professional discipline or its professional association—e.g. social work, psychology, nursing, welfare work, etc.—has its own particular code of ethics and/or code of conduct. All members are required to abide by their own professional code of ethics and sanctions may be applied by the professional body for breaches of these codes. Ethical codes are usually broad and encompass key areas of concern for the particular type of work being performed. Professions show commitment to a moral standard of behaviour by clarifying what ethical conduct is supposed to be. As well as professional codes of ethical behaviour, some services also require their workers to comply with additional and more specific guidelines in keeping with the needs of that particular community and/or agency. For example, childcare services and services for people with disabilities have particular requirements, as does the aged care industry. All ethical code requirements are based on respect for the client, care and protection for the client where required, and appropriate behaviour towards the client at all times. Identifying and engage with opportunities Identifying and engage with opportunities to extend and expand own expertise and regularly participate in review processes as a commitment to upgrading skills and knowledge. P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 25 In order to facilitate ongoing professional development, you must engage yourself in self-development opportunities like: Some examples of active continuing professional development includes: • Reflecting on feedback, keeping a practice journal • Acting as a preceptor/mentor/tutor • Participating on accreditation, audit or quality improvement committees • Undertaking supervised practice for skills development • Participating in clinical audits, critical incident monitoring, case reviews and clinical meetings • Participating in a professional reading and discussion group • Developing skills in IT, numeracy, communications, improving own performance, problem solving and working with others • Writing or reviewing educational materials, journal articles, books • Active membership of professional groups and committees • Reading professional journals or books • Writing for publication • Developing policy, protocols or guidelines • Working with a mentor to improve practice • Presenting at or attending workplace education, in-service sessions or skills workshops • Undertaking undergraduate or postgraduate studies which are of relevance to the context of practice • Presenting at or attending conferences, lectures, seminars or professional meetings • Conducting or contributing to research • Undertaking relevant online or distance education For eg: It is vital that nurses increase their knowledge and skills in nursing practice, using a system that values and measures the time and effort they invest. National registration for health professionals, including nurses working in primary health care, commenced 1 July 2010. As part of the national registration scheme the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) has published a draft Standard on what the requirements may be for nurses and midwives. Ongoing learning is now recognised as an essential component of Registration by the Nursing & Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). The NMBA has developed registration standards that apply to numerous measures and requirements of nursing competency. One such requirement of all practicing nurses and midwives is an annual commitment to at least 20 hours of continuing professional development (CPD). CPD requirements provide a framework against which nurses can test their commitment to ongoing training. Similar to CPD requirements expected of professionals in other industries, nurses are provided with a significant degree of autonomy and self-regulation. Appropriate CPD activities can range from continuous self-development tasks, (e.g. maintaining a journal on findings in workplace experience) to broader duties that may contribute to the profession as a whole (e.g. becoming a member of a professional group, council or committee). See below for some more examples of professional development activities for nurses. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) is the organisation responsible for the implementation of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme across Australia. P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 26 Additional resource Reading Professional management A practical approach to promote reflective practice within nursing reading © dreamstime (used under license) Completing this unit Congratulations You have now completed your study of this unit. Go to the OLS and complete the assessment. © Stuart Miles (used under license) P0053566 - Reflect on and improve own professional practice Page 27