Diploma 3 206

Question DIP 1.1 / TC 1.1 – Explain how a working relationship is different from a personal relationship.

The main difference between a professional and personal relationship is boundaries, that is; the degrees or levels of emotional and physical interaction that is allowed to be expressed.

Professional relationship;
The professional relationship is dictated by the personal-space boundaries, professional codes of conduct, employer policies and procedures. Professional relationship limits actions and conversations to a professional and business interactions. The professional relationship does not involve any emotional connection on private matters.

The professional relationship is formal, and people tend to behave in more-or-less the same fashion all the time. Conversations in professional relationships are more business like and mostly polite and politically correct.

A professional relationship maintains a professional distance, both physically and emotionally, with the people you are working with, these relationships are governed by the laws of the land and the policies and procedures of the company. Professional relations have an legal accountability to them and each person has to take responsibility for any mistakes made.

Personal relationship;
A personal relationship is made through personal choice; it allows people to share interests and feelings with the friends you like and enjoy spending time with. Within a personal relationship there are no 'rules' to abide by, and no accountability and there is an ongoing expression of trust.

A personal relationship is built around affection, appreciation, approval, mutual interests, respect and understanding but it's formed because you like that person and choose to spend time with them and have that relationship with them.


Question DIP 1.2 / TC 1.2 – Describe different working relationships in social care setting

Professional relationships differ from other relationships as the professional relationship serves a non-interpersonal purpose to achieve a specific outcome and task.

The different professional relationships in social care settings are between the the service users, professional bodies, mental health specialists, dentists, advocates, social and event organisers, carers and family members, and also between work colleagues and management. For each of these you would develop a different type of professional relationship.
The different professional relationships in health and social care setting fit into three main categories, which are;

Standards and Policy making
Management and Administration
Hands-on staff

These three work in a professional relationship which starts with the policy making staff who have to ensure all company policies conform to the law. They will then delegate the job of implementing decisions to the administration team, who then will work out the correct appropriate procedures and conduct including the forms and charts for action and reporting back, which then gets passed on to the hands-on staff who will implement these procedures in their daily jobs with the service users.

Question DIP 2.1 / TC 2.1 – Describe why it is important to adhere to the agreed scope of the job role

The scope of a job role is what is expected for any employee in a particular role or job. An individual must first know their own level of knowledge, competence and skills before they can apply for any position.

It is important to adhere to the scope of your job role as this sets out boundaries in your job role. These boundaries are a protection for the employer, employee and the service users as they establish the limits of knowledge and the skill level to be expected from the employee.

The scope of the job role enables the employee to know their role and responsibilities in the company and who you are accountable to for fulfilling those responsibilities. It is the employee's duty to understand the expectations of the job role as-well-as understand the professional boundaries to be maintained.



Question TC 2.2 – Outline what is meant by agreed ways of working

The Policies and procedures of a company are the agreed ways of working.

They set out how the employer require you to work. They incorporate various pieces of legislation as-well-as best practice.

The agreed ways of working are there to benefit and protect you, the service users and us the employer.

The agreed ways of working enable me to provide a good quality service working within the legal framework and most importantly aim to keep you and the individuals you support, safe from danger or harm.

The agreed ways of working cover two main aspects of my job role. The first being the general and overall job role and the second being the specific and individual service user job role.

The General agreed ways of working
I am required at all times to comply with the health and safety policy, care standard act 2000 and following amendments, and safeguarding vulnerable adults policies, manual handling, lone working, CQC best practice standards and the employer's policies and procedures and the code of conduct, which should be kept at the head office, explain what is expected of me in my job role.

The Specific and individual agreed ways of working
The care-plans which include risk assessments, menu planners, weekly activity planners and health action plans lays out the agreed ways of working with each service user individually. These should be kept at the service user home or where they live.

All policies and procedures will be regularly updated, and I am expected to keep up-to-date by reading theses documents when I am notified of updates, by attending regular supervisions, staff meetings and training sessions as required. The Company will ensure I am informed and updated on all new regulations and policies, it is my duty to become familiar with them and work in the agreed way of working both general and specifically.


Question TC 2.3 – Explain the importance of full and up-to-date details of agreed ways of working

It is important to have up-to-date agreed ways of working as there are regular changes in within the law and the employer's policies and procedures which the employer will have to implement to ensure the protection the vulnerable adults I am supporting.

The most common place where new agreed ways of working will be found is in the service user's care-plan where the management of the individual's daily care needs are agreed and documented.

It is also important to ensure I have full knowledge of the most up-to-date agreed ways of working as the requirements, needs and wants of the service users are constantly changing. This can be particularly important when it comes tot something like the administration of medication in both the amounts of medication and the times they are administered.

Question DIP 3.1 / TC 3.1 – Explain why it is important to work in partnership with others

Partnership can be formed between a number of individuals, agencies or organisations with a shared interest. Partnerships are often formed to address specific issues and have a common reason for working together and are often formed to target a short or long term issues. In order to achieve a good partnership, partners need to communicate, co-ordinate, co- operate.

It is important to work in partnership with others for three main reasons, which are;
All the agencies can share information and concerns and create a holistic view about
vulnerable adults in a care setting when any need arises, 
To help to keep the service user safe from harm and promote their welfare.
To diagnose a special need quickly in the service user and get the help that is needed.

The exchange of relevant information about a service user is vital to their care and support. It is therefore, very important that I work in partnership with all staff as-well-as all other people whom the service user come in contact with.

This will include family members, advocates, doctors, mental health specialist, nurses, occupational therapists, other health professionals, social workers, voluntary organisations, teachers, youth workers, support workers, carers and other people.

Every person whom the service user comes in contact with may be able to provide a valuable piece of information which gives a complete picture of the needs of the individual being care for and supported. This can be especially true if there are communication difficulties with service user. A family member or regular carer can share information with you about how you can best communicate with an individual.

Question TC 3.2 – Identify ways of working that can help improve partnership working

The most important element to improving working partnership is open, clear and honest communication which has at its core the support and care of the service user. It is through this free flowing honest communication that all parties in the working partnership are empowered to understand the service user fully.

The next way to improve a working partnership is to have a clear understanding of the role, objectives and reason for each parties involvement in the service users life. Once we have a clear understanding of every persons and organisations role we can then know who to contact at specific crossroads of the service user's life.

It will help you to understand the aims and objectives of different people and partner organisations, as they may have different views, attitudes, supporting the individual to achieve goals and to be as independent as possible, to respect and maintain the dignity and privacy of the service user.

Other ways we can improve partner working is;

Have regular meetings, with either individual organisations or people or with all of the people involved with decision making about a service user, to ensure we are all involved in decision making to contribute to the growth and development of the service user.
Provided staff training for those involved with the service user highlighting the importance and need for partnership working so the staff do not become insular and only see their way as the best way.
Ensure all staff understands the importance of seeking advice not just from your supervisors and managers but other organisations and people involved in the service users life.



Question DIP 3.3 / TC 3.3 – Identify skills and approaches needed for resolving conflicts

As everyone has an opinion and a particular style of working and dealing with various situations, disagreements and conflict are bound to occur. It is the handling of this conflict which can make or break a staff team.

You should approach conflict situations with professional care and not to let your personal 'feelings' affect your professional judgement or manner. This is essential as being able to remain calm and rational can often defuse an escalating conflict situation.

The skills and approaches required to resolving conflict are;

Gather as much information about the conflict before you have a meeting.

Find a quite, private location to openly discuss and air all the views of parties involved.

All parties involved must be reminded that the conflict and the resolution is not about 'winning' or being 'right' but is about coming to an agreement about what is best for the service user to ensure the vulnerable adult is fully protected from abuse.

All parties must be reminded they should avoid rising to challenges or suggestions that you are 'wrong.'

All parties must be asked to extend to the work colleague the same empathy and understanding they extend to the service user.

Set the boundaries of the discussion, such as the specific topics and also the approaches used to express their views.

All parties are to remain calm and respectful of the other opinions and always be professional in your behaviour and attitude.

Shouting and becoming verbally and/or physically aggressive toward each other will end the meeting and another date and time will be set for another meeting.

All parties involved must be allowed to openly express their opinion and differences in a calm and rational manner and each party must demonstrate active listening skills to the others side.

If the conflict cannot be resolved immediately then inform the parties that the matter will be passed onto the line manager, seek advice, support and guidance from a manager or supervisor.
The rules of conflict resolution can be summarized as the following;

Step One: Set the Scene
Make sure that people understand that the conflict may be a mutual problem, which may be best resolved through discussion and negotiation rather than through raw aggression. If you are involved in the conflict, emphasize the fact that you are presenting your perception of the problem. Use active listening skills to ensure you hear and understand other's positions and perceptions. And make sure that when you talk, you're using an adult, approach rather than a submissive or aggressive style.
Step Two: Gather Information
Here you are trying to get to the underlying interests, needs, and concerns. Ask for the other person's viewpoint and confirm that you respect his or her opinion and need his or her cooperation to solve the problem. Try to understand the motivations and goals, and see how the opinions and actions may be affecting these areas;

Is it affecting work performance?
Damaging the service to the client?
Disrupting team work?
Hampering decision-making?

Be sure to focus on work issues and leave personalities out of the discussion. Listen with empathy and see the conflict from the other person's point of view.
Step Three: Agree the Problem
This sounds like an obvious step, but often different underlying needs, interests and goals can cause people to perceive problems very differently. You need to agree the problems that you are trying to solve before you find a mutually acceptable solution. Sometimes different people will see different but interlocking problems – if you cannot reach a common perception of the problem, then at the very least, you need to understand what the other person sees as the problem.
Step Four: Brainstorm Possible Solutions
If everyone is going to feel satisfied with the resolution, it will help if everyone has had fair input in generating solutions. Brainstorm possible solutions, and be open to all ideas, including ones you never considered before.
Step Five: Negotiate a Solution
By this stage, the conflict may be resolved: Both sides may better understand the position of the other, and a mutually satisfactory solution may be clear to all. However you may also have uncovered real differences between your positions. This is where a technique like win-win can be useful to find a solution that, at least to some extent, satisfies everyone.


Question TC 3.4 – Explain how and when to access support and advice about;
Partnership working
Resolving conflicts

I need to access support and advice when I have come to a place where I do not have a knowledge or experience to handle the situation I am facing or I need conformation that the decision and action I am going to take is the correct one.

I can access support and advice about partnership working and conflict resolution from the following people:

Work colleagues:
Their experience may be invaluable in directing you to understand working partnerships and conflict resolution.
Supervisors:
They can offer you professional advice and support you in making decisions when handling conflict
Managers:
They will be able to assist you on legal and professional matters and can also support you in the following of organisational procedures and policies when dealing with conflict
External agencies:
CQC, Social Services, unions and carers organisations who have a wide range of support available. You can access the support via website or by contacting them directly
Michael James Diploma 3 Assignment 206
Page 5 of 8