The overall focus for this unit is to make sure that learners understand their roles and responsibilities and can apply these in a practical and professional way. They also need to demonstrate that they can work towards improving their understanding and practical skills through professional development activities.
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:
Learners will be able to describe what they will be expected to do in their day to day activities and what additional responsibilities they may be expected to undertake.
Additional information and guidance
The roles and responsibilities for most learners may vary, depending on what area of the care sector they are working in, but for the most part will consist of looking after the day to day activities of people in their care. The amount and type of care will vary and will consist of making sure that people in their care are comfortable and looked after. This may include feeding and assisting to differing degrees. For example, some people may require assistance in dressing, which others may need less hands on assistance and more in the way of guidance. People who have illnesses or disabilities will need very particular kinds of care and some may need assistance in going to places such as doctor’s clinics or other healthcare providers.
Learners need to describe the roles that make up their working contract, with some clear examples to illustrate, as well as the responsibilities that go along with that role. They can describe how their responsibilities might be met.
Learners will be able to demonstrate through their actions or writings in journals that they know the expectations on them in terms of their employment contract.
Additional information and guidance
All types of employment will tend to come about as part of a negotiated process between an employer and an employee. This usually results in a contract, though not always these days. The contract is a way for both parties to understand each other’s obligations to one another. The employee agrees to carry out their roles and duties and for this they are compensated with an income.
In terms of the criteria, learners need to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of these obligations and that they have done their best to work to meet them. This might mean wearing their uniform or meeting time deadlines such as when to start and stop working. Learners might also investigate joining a union (https://www.gov.uk/join-trade-union [1]) so that if their employer does not meet their obligations they have some support in addressing these concerns.
Learners will be able to describe good working practices.
Additional information and guidance
Working as part of a team or in an organisation requires the ability to both lead and follow, depending on what is required. Learners in the care profession will need to be able to work with a range of people. This will include their colleagues, but also people in their care and the families of those people. Some of the people they will be helping will have profound difficulties or disabilities, so they need to be able to work accordingly and set the right kind of relationships. At times they will need to be firm in their relationships and other times more accommodating. Demonstrating some of these skills and showing a desire to understand and apply them, is essential in this profession.
Learners will be able to demonstrate the ability to work with others in different situations.
Additional information and guidance
Working in the care sector often requires people to work in small teams of perhaps 2 or 4 people. This type of work requires participants to listen and act on what the other people in the team are asking them to do, especially if it involves situations that could be life threatening for them or people in their care. In most cases, the learners should be able to demonstrate that they are responsive to other member’s needs and work to the benefit of the team itself, not just themselves. A good example here might be a group of care workers lifting a patient onto a bed to make sure no harm comes to them and their patient. Other examples might be working with a range of professionals, for example assisting with a physiotherapist or other nurse in their duties.
Learners will be able to create a plan of action on how and what they need to be better at their job.
Additional information and guidance
Many learners will be part of an organisation that has a clear pathway of development towards a particular level of competencies in the care sector. Depending on what part of the sector they are working in, and their personal preferences, learners should be able to work out what courses and training they need in order to meet their short, medium and long-term goals. They can then discuss these with their employer.
The plan should include a rough outline of what type of training they are undertaking, what it will involve, perhaps how it will be assessed and by who and a timeline for milestones and overall completion.
Learners will be able to make a short list of what learning has been offered to them and explain the potential benefits to them and the organisation.
Additional information and guidance
Most organisations will offer a range of training opportunities and local colleges and providers will also offer courses and learning opportunities which will be of benefit to learners on this course.
Learners for this criterion will need to collect and share the courses and learning they are interested in or have been recommended and explain why they have been chosen in terms of benefit.
Learners will be able to describe their appreciation of CPD for their role.
Additional information and guidance
Learners should appreciate that the care sector is very much a life long learning based career and they should be able to talk about this and show evidence that they are aware of the effect it will have on them.
The care sector is an evolving industry and changes in medical science and understanding as well as more broad changes in social sciences and the treatment of people will inform the industry and new training will be needed to keep abreast of these developments. In order to excel and assist in their roles, learners should embrace and investigate CPD wherever possible. They should also push their employers to invest in them through this channel. This will demonstrate their full understanding of CPD.
Learners will be able to demonstrate through their talk and actions their understanding of duty of care.
Additional information and guidance
If learners are carrying out their roles in a way that leads to better care for the people in their charge, it follows that the level of care will be safe for both them and the people they are caring for. A duty of care is the range of procedures and practices that make up the fundamental tenets of the profession and should be central to everything learners do in this profession. Are they looking out for the people’s welfare? This means physically, emotionally and psychologically. Is their practice guided by a desire to ensure that the people in their care are not exposed to anything harmful or potentially dangerous, for example, if someone is suffering from dementia and is not aware of the dangers of gas cookers, making sure they are not left alone with them for too long a period or make sure they always use the lighter and not leave the gas on.
Learners will be able to demonstrate how to ensure good outcomes from potentially difficult situations and the basics of conflict management.
Additional information and guidance
A key aspect of care work is dealing with situations that are very personal and emotional. There will be times when, for example, a family member of someone in their care is not happy with what is being carried out or recommended by the care team. This may lead to a dilemma in what action to take in order to ensure good relations going forward as family support is critical. Equally, a person in their care may require something that is good for them, and the learner knows this, but still needs to administer something that will cause the other person some discomfort or distress. The dilemma here is making sure the outcome is the best for all concerned. There will be many such dilemmas and the learners need to be able to deal with them in a professional and caring way.
Learners will be able to conduct themselves properly at times when they are subject to negative communications.
Additional information and guidance
As with 3.2 above, the nature of care work will often lead to very strong emotional responses from people associated with the people undergoing care. They will likely have their own opinions about what should be happening and will at times vent their anger and frustration. The problem may lie with the care givers, as no-one is perfect, or may lie with an external organisation over which the carer has no control. In all situation, the learners need to be professional. They can not respond to comments or complaints in an aggressive or dismissive way, even if they know they are in the right. They must always look for evidence to support any claims they make and always have the best interest of the people in their care at heart. In many cases, if they explain and descibe why they have carried out a certain action that has caused complaint, they can bring people on to their side.
Learners will be able to reflect on the reasons and potential causes of conflict.
Additional information and guidance
At some point, people will be distressed and angry about some aspect of their loved one’s care and this will spill over into some need for an outlet. In some cases, they will take this out on the people most closely associated with the care. The Corvid-19 pandemic in 2020 has lead to some difficult decisions being made by hospitals because of a lack of necessary resources to treat all people and there will be very difficult decisions being made about people in care and what actions should or could be taken on their behalf. Care work is generally not foremost in people’s minds and not enough people respect the people who carry it out. This can lead to a lack of understanding about the nature of care work and family members might blame the care workers for something they have little control over. As with all the criteria here, the learners need to be professional and try to resolve these situations to the best of their ability. They need to understand what might be driving these actions and look for some solutions. In instances, looking after the people in their care as best they can.
Links
[1] https://www.gov.uk/join-trade-union