Unit 3 - Person Centred Work Ethics
Learning Outcomes for this Unit:
The overall focus for this unit is to demonstrate a practical application of the key concepts of care work. The main focus for all the work undertaken, is to work with others and be part of a team or self sufficient. In all of this, learners need to demonstrate they do everything for the people in their care as part of a person-centred approach. To make this work, they need good, clear communication. They also need to deal with the information they give and take in as carefully as possible to preserve privacy and dignity. The data needs to be carefully stored and managed to help others in their team and other professionals.
Evidence for learning in this unit:
Most evidence here will be demonstrated on the job and witnessed and recorded by assessors and mentors. Learners may also record reflections in a learning journal.
Detailed Guidance for the Delivery of this Unit:
1. Understand person centred values and work within a person centred framework
1.1 I can describe how to put person centred values into practice in my day to day work
Learners will be able to describe how they will use person centred approaches.
Additional information and guidance
It seems an obvious thing to say, but a person centred approach in care is not necessarily straight forward. In many occupations, the focus becomes one of data and paper work and the person at the end of this becomes almost invisible. Learners need to appreciate and begin to take on board the importance of humanity in their dealings with others. They need to be able to describe to their assessor why they think this type of approach is important or useful. Some of these values include:
• verbal and non-verbal communication
• listening skills
• questioning
• manners
• empathy
Learners can say, with clear examples, how they will incorporate some of these into their work.
1.2 I can describe why it is important to work in a way that promotes person centred values
Learners will be able to describe why they think this will help.
Additional information and guidance
Are the principles listed in 1.1 useful? If so, in what way. If you are dealing with someone who is nervous and frightened, would it help them if you are not listening and it is obvious, or if you roll your eyes at everything they say and sigh in annoyance. Simple human responses like these are required to make people feel secure and cared for.
Learners can write some reflections with detailed examples about what they have experienced and why they think it is important.
1.3 I can describe the importance of finding out the history, preferences, wishes and needs of an individual
Learners will be able to demonstrate good listening skills and empathy with people in their care and describe why these are important.
Additional information and guidance
In care work it is easy to deal with perceived problems in a programmatic way and possibly miss the more important underlying aspects that would make care more effective. For example, a person may be very attached to an item of clothing, but the organisation rules say that they have to wear a specific gown or item instead. This may cause them extra anxiety, so knowing what they are most comfortable with will help in other interventions. Some of this will be known via records, but learners should be encouraged to engage with people and find out about them and what makes them comfortable or secure. This also relates to religious or other preferences they may have. They should also find out any previous history to fully understand the people that are caring for.
1.4 I can describe why a care and support plan needs to reflect and support the changing needs of an individual
Learners will be able to show that they can plan ahead and are aware of changes that may alter this.
Additional information and guidance
People are not machines and can change in short periods of time. Someone might get significantly better or worse in an unanticipated way which means that care plans need to have some flexibility built in. Learners should be encouraged to make plans based on possible futures. If someone has a particular illness or disability which will change over time, the care needs to be planned to reflect these changes. For example, they may need to be encouraged to become more self sufficient and helped with activities like dressing and cooking in order to prepare them for a time when they will be doing this without help. If these plans are not built in, people in care may not feel the need to work towards them and may not put in the effort to improve things for themselves. This needs to be a joint process between carers and their cared for.
Learners need to demonstrate the creation of good plans that show thought about progression towards goals and milestones.
1.5 I can identify awareness of the individual’s needs to have discomfort or distress removed or reduced, including reporting
Learners will be able to show awareness of when interventions are required.
Additional information and guidance
There will be times that people being cared for may experience some pain or discomfort, but it may be required in order for them to progress. For example, someone may have an injury and are required to e.g. walk in order to build up their muscles that have deteriorated. There will be some discomfort, but they also need to be supported in doing this for long term benefits. Learners need to know at what point the discomfort needs to be reduced and be aware of this balance. If someone becomes very agitated and distressed, they may need to have some form of medication to calm them down. Learners need to be aware of some of these signs and have sensitivity to them.
1.6 I can identify the needs of the individual for self esteem and personal identity to aid in well-being
Learners will be able to show they understand the need for supporting self-esteem.
Additional information and guidance
For much of the time, many of us take self-esteem for granted and don’t appreciate how destructive it can be. Many people in care are sometimes not sure why they are there or feel abandoned. They were possibly people, until very recently, who were completely independent, strong and able bodies and now are completely dependent on others for help. This is a destructive force and eats away at people. Learners need to appreciate people have a past and give them a decent future.
The following video is useful to evaluate a person’s inner thoughts in this respect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFXirEnjfTI
The video is used by nurse training organisations to show the difference between person centred care and lack of it.
2. Understand the importance of effective communication
2.1 I can describe different ways of communicating and the importance of communication to an individual
Learners will be able to describe and explain how they communicate and why it is effective.
Additional information and guidance
The main ways of communicating are verbal and non-verbal. Within these, you have:
• verbal: speaking, listening, questioning
• non-verbal: body language, facial expressions, eye contact, positioning, posture, voice, gestures
Learners can give descriptive examples about how they use each of these.
2.2 I can identify barriers to communication and how these barriers might be reduced
Learners will be able to list some examples where the above identified methods might not work.
Additional information and guidance
Having identified the different ways in 2.1, learners can list a few possible barriers. For example, speaking and listening will be difficult with someone in care, or giving care, where English is not a first language. Equally, someone in care who is profoundly deaf will need to have instructions given clearly so they can lip read or be shown sign language.
Learners can give their own examples related to their area of care.
2.3 I can identify how to find information about effective communication
Learners will be able to demonstrate they know how to overcome problems associated with communication issues.
Additional information and guidance
This criterion is an extension of 2.2 and learners can expand on what they wrote for the previous section. If they are dealing with young children, for example, who are deaf, they may need to research the organisations and charities that deal with this disability.
https://www.royaldeaf.org.uk/services/for-professionals/deaf-awareness-t...
2.4 I can describe the principles and practice relating to confidentiality
Learners will be able to describe the principles and practices in their context.
Additional information and guidance
Any care work will tend to be working with people who are in a vulnerable situation and therefore the utmost confidentiality in all dealings with them is vital. Learners need to be able to show through discussion or writing that they understand this as it is central to the profession. They should be able to describe and explain the way that it is dealt with in their setting and why they think this is important.
2.5 I can identify and use verbal and non verbal communication and support communication aids or technologies
Learners will be able to demonstrate both forms of communication and explain some of the support equipment.
Additional information and guidance
It is likely that non-verbal communication will form the bulk of communication with people in care. There will be verbal communication in the form of requests, questions and instructions, but it is possible that non-verbal communication will be what the people being cared for will be most attuned to. If learners are dealing with children who have been ill treated, these communications will be vital to portray a sense of care and security. Most learners will demonstrate many of these skills without being aware and assessors can record and comment on these. Feedback is not required for this qualification, but would be useful for ongoing development. If learners reflect on their usage in a journal it would also be beneficial.
In some instance, the people in their care may use aids, such as hearing aids or other technologies such as electric wheel chairs. Learners need to be able to demonstrate familiarity with these and some sense of how to trouble-shoot them if required.
3. Understand the principles that underpin privacy and dignity in care
3.1 I can describe privacy and dignity in a care and how to maintain these in a work setting
Learners will be able to describe and explain these key concepts in terms of how they apply them in their work.
Additional information and guidance
Most care work involves working with people who need a great deal of support and compassion. Many are vulnerable in many ways and susceptible to feelings of being a burden to others. This can really affect their dignity. Some people are treated by others as less than human for something they have no control over and they are daily subjected to inhumanity. It is therefore imperative that the people caring for them show them the respect they deserve for being human. This sort of dignity is the bedrock of all of us and they also need to have privacy. These things are taken for granted by people in the wider society. This sort of treatment will make people feel better about themselves and more comfortable in the difficult situations they might find themselves in.
The types of privacy and dignity issues encountered will vary with different areas of the care sector, so learners can describe the ones most relevant to them.
3.2 I can identify the individual’s right to make choices and how to support them in this process
Learners will be able to demonstrate a commitment to rights.
Additional information and guidance
Many people that enter into care will no doubt experience different levels of dependence. This lack of autonomy is something which is portrayed in the media as essential to being a person, and it should be the goal of care to bring people back to this as far as possible, but it should not define us as people. People in care should not be denied what any other person is entitled to just because of their current situation and carers should do all in their power to assist them in maintaining their rights. If people can not make choices for themselves and be supported, then they are not being well cared for.
Learners can discuss with assessors their feelings about people’s rights and their choices.
3.3 I can describe how to report any concerns an individual might have to the relevant person
Learners will be able to describe when they need help themselves.
Additional information and guidance
At this point in their career, it is unlikely that learners will have all of the skills, knowledge and understanding to deal with all eventualities. The nature of the profession dictates that some situations will be extremely demanding and sensitive and at this point they need to be capable of making the right decision to get help and know who and how to ask.
In most cases this should be part of some induction training and learners can discuss this with assessors to generate some evidence. If they are unsure and do not have the local support, they might reach out to their local union.
3.4 I can describe how to support active participation to enable individuals to make informed choices
Learners will be able to demonstrate support for people working towards independence.
Additional information and guidance
The main goal for all care work is to get people back to where they would like to be as far as possible. This will depend on the nature of care undertaken, but all learners should be able to demonstrate how they are supporting the people in their care in an active and supportive way. This gives the people in their care some level of independence and dignity.
3.5 I can identify how to support an individual in active participation
Learners will be able to demonstrate support for people in engaging them in tasks.
Additional information and guidance
Many people in care become rather sedentary and sometimes withdrawn and need to be encouraged to be active, both physically and mentally, as well as socially. Learners should be able to list some of the ways this takes place in the place they work at. It will depend on the type of care, so participation of elderly people may be different in range that people with physical disabilities, but the need for participation and to feel human is the same.
4. Understand how to handle information in a care setting
4.1 I can describe the agreed ways of working and legislation for recording, storing and sharing information
Learners will be able to describe some information management techniques and the laws that govern them.
Additional information and guidance
Care work is greatly enhanced by sharing best practice. If someone has found a particularly effective way to help a group of people with a particular disability, then this is useful for others in a similar setting. This can only happen if the best practice is properly documented and shareable. Learners can discuss how their work situation manages this data. Is it recorded digitally? If so, on what type of system and what details. What types of storage are used and how secure and manageable are these. Do they share with other care providers or is it only used locally. What legal constraints are there, for example, compliance with the GDPR.
Learners can record answers to some of these questions and decide on their own and record them as part of their reflective journal.
4.2 I can explain the need for secure systems for recording, storing and sharing information
Learners will be able to explain why there needs to be data security.
Additional information and guidance
This criterion links closely with 3.1 above. Most of the dealings with people in care are very sensitive and deal with very private matters and therefore need to be properly secured against loss or theft. What are these? Are they governed by laws or local guidelines?
Learners should be working in organisations that have a set of policies and procedures relating to date security and they can discuss these and add their own comments.
4.3 I can identify how, and to whom, to report if I become aware that agreed ways of working have not been followed
Learners will be able to identify the importance of good governance.
Additional information and guidance
In all organisation people make mistakes and usually correct them and make changes to stop them happening again. However, there are also instances where people deliberately do things as shortcuts in order to make more money or similar. In these instances, it may not be possible to report the problem to their line manager as they might be the one undertaking the practice, or worse, people higher up the hierarchy. Depending on the incident, learners need to know that there is someone they can turn to for help. If they are part of a union they can report to their local representative or they can use something like the industry ombudsman.
