Essential to me at present,

I can communicate any new Information by way of staff meetings, memos and client omitted meetings, when I feel the service users need to know when any changes are to be implemented which may have a direct impact on them. By undertaking additional training, either credited or unaccredited, will assist me to gain new skills and achieve newgoalswhilst ensuring the skills which I currently possess are up to date with all legislative requirements, so as to carry out my role effectively. 1. 2 – There may be a range of barriers which could hinder my progress with professional development. Which may Include financial pressures, time management, social and intellectual barriers along with work and other commitments. One which has directly affected me in mycareerhas been time management, familycommitments and financial implications. When my children were younger, I was working full time and found it difficult to commence any additional training as I was committed to being a mother In the first instance, but also needed to be In full time employment so as to provide for my family.

I also care for my mother, so trying to pretzel work, trailing and family life proved quite difficult. The E-learning system which Is used a lot doodads would have been a great advantage to me then, as I could have undertaken more from home without having too much of an impact on family life. I am using this system at present and find it easy to use and convenient as I can continue with my studies at a time which suits. 1. – There are a number of sources and systems which may Improve knowledge and support professional development from employment commences. From the outset, having a comprehensive Initial Induction will provide the basic knowledge and skills you need to do your Job. Without this, you could not know what is expected of you in your role. Appraisals, supervision and development plans will help you keep your skills and knowledge up to date by highlighting areas that you need to develop and planning ways as to how you will do this.

Most colleges provide training with the options of full time and part time courses, whichever your own personal timescale will permit, and they now give the options of E-learning, which I personally recommend, as It gives the learner more control over how they manage their time and complete their work. Other sources may be in house training or the use of outside training organizations. 1. – When considering the best resources and training opportunities for staff, it is important to take into account the individual needs of each employee for their Job role.

Day Care services have a mandatory set of training requirements set by IRAQI which care staff assessed, before they commence their role. Any additional training that would enhance the care workers roles, is not classed as mandatory but considered to be good practice such asDementiaAwareness and Continence Care, could be sourced in the first instance to see how cost effective it would be and the relevance it has to he individuals role. As registered manager, I get regular updates from IRAQI via email, which advises of any changes in practices or legislation, which provides some direction as to what additional training to consider. . 1 – There are a number of benchmarks in theHealthand Social Care sector that apply directly to my current position and my responsibilities. The Day Care Setting Regulations ( Northern Ireland ) 2007 have specific requirements which must be met with reference to the suitability of registered managers in regulated services, as do the DISHES Day Care Settings Minimum Standards 2012. These require managers to possess specific sets of knowledge, skills and qualifications to undertake the role.

They specify that managers must adhere to the NCSC Code of Practice for Social Care Workers and ensure that care staff are aware of their responsibilities. I can evaluate my performance against these standards and codes of practice by ensuring my individual training and development plan contains clear goals and expected outcomes in relation to these standards codes of practice and my Job description and susceptibilities, which way to achieve them and expected timeshares for completion.

When undertaking appraisals and supervision with employees of the organization, it is imperative that their personal training and development plan reflects their current job role, any gaps in knowledge or training deficits and gives clear goals and opportunities to improve any shortfalls, so as to assist them in meeting required benchmarks. The care workers progress in meeting set targets will be continually monitored throughout the year through supervision and appraisal. 2. 2) It is important to priorities your development goals and standards so as to ensure the requirements and targets within the Day Centre are achieved.

In addition to the mandatory training required for the organization as set by IRAQI, additional training should be sourced so as to widen my knowledge in the field in which I work, so I can pass this on to my staff. Having an effective personal development plan where targets are measurable with specified timeshares set. Using the S. M. A. R. T acronym ( Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic, Time Related ) as described in November 1981 sue of Management Review by George T. Doran, can be helpful in providing a guide when planning development activities. 3. ) Training is ongoing within the Day Centre which is relevant to my role and that has been included in my personal development plan. I would also liaise with other community organizations and we include each other when outside agencies are coming in to take training. These sessions usually include a written competency assessment on completion. This written assessment is carried out to ensure that I have a good understanding as to what I have been taught, although personally I don’t feel that they are a good way of having an accurate idea of a person’s competency.

I find myself to be more of a visual / auditory learner. I tend to pick things up more quickly when I have seen how they are done, either by way of DVD, in handouts, doing practical tasks and taking part in group discussions. 3. 2) Currently, the main focus of my personal development plan is to complete CUFF registered manager in this organization, I have to carefully balance my role, studies and family life so as to achieve this goal. I have had to prioritize my targets so as to ensure they are completed in order of importance, and I have based it using the SMART technique as a guide.

My line manager has been very supportive of me undertaking this qualification, as has my assessor. Training opportunities are in abundance within my organization and my line manager strives to ensure that the employees are given the opportunity to improve their knowledge and future potential within the health and social care sector. Although there have been a few non- essential training opportunities since my employment commenced that I was very interested undertaking, I have committed myself to completing this diploma, with the view of picking up additional training once complete.

I am using the Portfolio system for this diploma which I was slightly nervous about, as I thought it would prove more difficult because I would not have as much face to face interaction with my assessor or receive the support I required. This has not been the case and have found her to be Just as supportive, if not more than previous assessors that I had when completing other qualifications and this has alleviated some fears that I was having. . 3) I have monthly meetings with my line manager and quarterly supervision sessions where my personal development plan is discussed and reviewed.

This helps to identify where some of my strengths and weaknesses lie, what I have achieved and areas for improvement. I also receive feedback from my assessor on work which I have submitted, which helps me greatly as it gives me a better understanding as to where I am in relation to meeting my most important target this year which is completing my diploma. 4. 1) Reflective practice is a way of studying your own experiences to improve the way you work. There are a number of models which can be used, which are quite similar when reflecting on practice.

Some examples of a reflective cycle include Donald Scion’s model and he suggested that ” the capacity to reflect on action so as to engage in a process of continuous learning was one of the defining characteristics of professional practice” . I find this quote to be a very clear description of reflective practice. Other models include the Gibbs reflective cycle ( 1988 ) and the Atkins and Murphy reflective cycle, which are slightly different, but till have the same aim 4. ) Reflective practice can be an important tool in practice- based professional learning, where an individual can learn from their own experiences, rather than from formal teaching. Reflecting on real events which have taken place is important in my role as it will help to identify my strengths and weaknesses. It is important that when I carryout out any tasks, either successfully or unsuccessfully, that I take the time to review what I have done and find ways to improve throughself evaluation. This will help with my growth within the industry by ding my professional development 4. ) I can use reflective practice within a number of ways within my current role which will assist me in improving my performance. Feedback from my line manager regarding any changes I have made since my employment commenced, both positive and negative has proven useful. It has given me the chance to take a step backwards and look at new things and different ideas that I wouldn’t normally have had. Seeking opinions and ideas from our members or their representatives on ways in which to improve the service is one. It is important recourse.

Another way would be receiving feedback from my staff on how things may not be working within the centre and get their opinions on what would. Using the staff for feedback is essential to me at present, as all the organizations employees have been working here long before me and have a good idea of the members themselves and their preferences. As a new member to the organization I would generally use different methods of doing things. This has made me reflect on things a lot more than I normally would have and I have realized that I need to be more open indeed about things, and it has helped me prepare for change. . 4) Reflecting on best practice helps me to review my goals and achievements to date and identify ways in which to improve. My career has progressed quite rapidly over the past five years and it has been imperative for me to reflect on the things that I have done so as to push forward with new challenges. I started off in a supervisory role five years ago and since then I have been deputy manager, registered domiciliary manager and now registered day centre manager so it is necessary for me to reflect on my goals ND consider new challenges.

Reflecting on failures and mistakes is so important in this industry because I am not only responsible for myself, but for the members and employees within the organization. Having a written account of what went wrong, why it went wrong and ways in which to improve is essential. This can highlight how the issue has impacted on working practices and inform staff or members of ways in which to avoid the situation again. This may include sourcing additional training so that they can improve their working practices if deficiencies have been identified.