Learning outcome 1 – Understand how to reflect on practice in adult social care1.1 To practice reflectively involves being able to think about an event after it happened, critically evaluate your actions and make adjustments if necessary. In reality the people you work with are all different. Some find it harder than others. This is largely connected to the need to be seen to be doing the right thing.
Reflective practice is not criticism. It is being open and honest about your strengths and areas for development.1.2 Reflective practice is imperative in order to ensure that high standards are kept continuously as circumstances and environments change. In order to reflect, one must continuously be aware of approaches used and how they can be changed or developed to improve further.
The carer benefits as his/her skills grow and develop, enabling the highest standards of care. It also promotes a better level of understanding and acceptance of those different from us, taking on board the opinions, cultures and attitudes of others to ensure a diverse and productive daily experience that enables higher levels of understanding from all. Carers that deem experience alone as a credential to good practice are not developing, learning and reaching their fullest potential. Instead they are stuck in practices and habits that may be over used, bad practice or practice that has not reached its full potential.
1.3 Reflective practice is the process in which you critically think about and analyze your actions with the goal of improving and changing (where necessary) your actions and practice. Best practice standards in adult social care, are the most effective standards that are widely agreed upon as providing the most current thinking and practice against which you can measure what you are doing. The basis for best practice standards may be derived from various sources including statutory, regulatory, research, or industry specific.
Most importantly that you, as an individual, routinely monitor your processes, practices and outcomes and then make changes based on your evaluation compared to the "best practice standards" for adult social care. It can be compared to doing your own annual evaluation at work, but on a frequent basis, always striving for improvement. For example: I monitor my processes, practices and outcomes of my work, evaluate my own performance. I reflect on my interactions with others. and share my reflections with others and incorporate their feedback in my evaluation1.4 Own values; you may come to find that you’re working shifts you don't like etc.
and not be able to do anything about it. Such events happening often lead to disagreements with how your boss sees things and how work is managed. Belief systems; Many times people have been told not to bare a cross about their person whilst on duty or have a symbol showing. Many companies now feel this form of self-expression is off putting and it's even been stated by companies that religious symbols are not part of their uniform.
Lots of people are better suited to working for themselves, which isn't always about an inability to follow orders, it can be for many reasons.Learning outcome 2 – Understand the importance of feedback in improving own practice.2.1 Constructive feedback is feedback that is helpful. Some people might not like what they hear and choose to ignore it; others might take on board what they have done poorly and the advice on how to improve their practice.
People may lose their composure and lash back or respond defensively to criticism. Others may become depressed or very anxious that they are not doing the job properly.2.2 You might think that you have done a good job and carry on in your own way without changing anything. Feedback from those you work with or those who were there to see you work can give you another perspective.
They might agree that you did well, say that it was good but perhaps needs some changes in certain areas or that it was poor. You can listen to what they say and consider their opinions and perhaps make changes that will have a positive affect on your work.2.3 Using feedback you can both correct mistakes and improve service. Often the advice contains good recommendations.
Feedback is important to the ongoing development of learners in healthcare settings. Many care settings involve the integration of knowledge, skills and behaviours in complex and often stressful environments with time and service pressures on both teacher and learner. Feedback is central to developing your competence and confidence at all stages of your career.
