UNIT 4

The Role Of The Health and Social Care Worker

1.1 Using activity sheet 1 identify the differences between a professional working
relationship and a personal relationship.

See activity sheet 1.

1.2 Identify from the list provided the people you work with on activity sheet 2 and
note the factors you need to consider in maintaining the professional working
relationship you have.

See activity sheet 2.

2.1 Using the case study in activity sheet 3 explain why it is important to adhere to
the scope of your job description.

See activity sheet 3.

Job description is a part is a part of a contract of employment. It defined my roles
and responsibilities as a health and social worker. It is important to adhere to the
agreed scope of the job role so I can have a clear role as service users and
colleagues will expect me to work within my job role. I need to ensure that I know
my job role so that I am able to always meet my own responsibilities.
It is important for me to work within the scope of their role so that I:
Do not do tasks for which I am not trained or cannot perform safely;
Spend my time meeting the requirements of my job to make sure that the
service users get what they need;
Do not risk being disciplined or losing my job or being barred from the
profession for overstepping boundaries or job role;
Do not cause needless expense by carrying out jobs that are not in my job role;
Working within my scope means that I focus on what I should be doing, all of
the time.

2.2 and 2.3 Why is it important to implement the agreed ways of working (policies
and Procedures) in your working practice.(Cross reference to legislation and unit
4).

It is important to implement the agreed ways of working in my working practice,

because:
-its a legal requirement (as discussed in legislation);
-keep safe me and others;
-it require training to keep up to date in my knowledge and practice. It ensure my
practice remains compliant with all policies and procedures requirements.
The agreed ways of working are health and safety, equal opportunities,
confidentiality, data protection, supervision, waste management, moving and
handling, managing medication, security and safe guarding.
Working in health and social care I have many responsibilities to the people I
support.
Policies and procedures are essential pieces of information that support me in
my role and enable me to work professionally and safely. They enable me to
provide a good quality service working within the legal framework and most
importantly aim to keep me and the individuals I support safe from danger or
harm.
As discussed in Unit 4 it is important to only carry out duties that I am competent
and confident in under taking the duty and it is important that the task are in my
job description and declining care work that is not. My actions promote the safety,
welfare and interest of all service users by doing the following:
1. Follow the GSCC Codes of Practice and the 8 Core Care Valuesrespect,privacy,choice,rights,individuality,dignity,partnership and
independence;
2. Ensure that I maintain my knowledge and skills up to date by attending
training;
3. Do not work outside my level of knowledge and skills.
4. Follow the Mental Capacity Act 2005-that protect people who are not able
to make their own decision.
I work within the safeguarding policies and procedures and it is important that I
receive adequate training so that I can recognize and understand signs of abuse.
Duty of care and safeguarding work together because its my duty of care to
provide protection and safety for a vulnerable adult whilst at the same time
respecting their needs and choices. It is my duty to record of all relevant
information when an accident or incident occurs in the workplace. It is my

responsibility to report any improper conduct or suspicion that I think may

contribute to abuse.

3.1 and 3.2 Explain the importance of working in partnership with others and
identify 4 factors that help to develop good working partnerships.

Team work is essential in social care and health work practice. No one can
support someone effectively without others. There is no I in the word team.
It is essential that I work in partnership with all of the people surrounding the
individuals I am supporting in order to ensure the best possible support and care
is provided.
This will include carers, families, advocates and other people. It is important to
work in partnership with others so I am able to support individuals to make many
decisions and so they are able to do as much for themselves as possible. Family,
friends and GPs should be sportive and involved to make the individual feel at
ease.
In order to work well in partnership, there has to be good communication and I
will need to have good communication skills.
Other people may be able to provide useful information to support me in my work
and I may be able to provide useful information to support them in being part of
the individuals lives. This is good partnership working. An example might be if
there are communication difficulties. A carer or family member can share
information with me about how I can best communicate with an individual. This
enables the individual to be listened to and supported in ways that they desire
and choose.
I will always need to make sure that I am doing the right things, in the right way,
at the right time, for the right people, openly, honestly, safely and in a
professional way.
Learning from others and working in partnership is important. It will help me to
understand the aims and objectives of different people and partner organisations
as they may have differing views, attitudes and approaches.
Factors which can help improve partnership working are: good communication
skills, confidentiality, decision-making, roles and responsibilities and involving
others who have something to do with the individuals life, team meetings where
everyone gets involved and makes decisions together.

3.3 Using activity sheet 4:

a) identify (with a tick) positive comments which can help to resolve any
potential
conflicts.(put a cross on the negative unhelpful comments).

See activity sheet 4

b) explain the correct methods and approach that helps to resolve any potential
conflict and tension.

The guiding principles behind successful conflict resolution are mutual respect,
effective communication, an open mind and a desire to understand different
points of view, negotiate and compromise. Conflict is not necessarily a bad thing.
If it is dealt with effectively, we can learn from it and develop personally and
professionally. However, if it is not resolved effectively, the results can be
damaging. Conflicting goals can rapidly turn into personal dislike; teamwork
breaks down. There are some steps that can help to resolve any potential
conflict:
1) Effective communication is far more successful at resolving conflict than
aggression. People who are involved in a conflict must be given an opportunity to
express their perception of the problem, and active listening ensures they are
heard and understood.
2) Research
Conflict arises when someone feels that theirs are being ignored or not taken into
account. Try to
understand how the partnerships way of doing things is impacting on them, for
example is it affecting their work performance, disrupting team work, hampering
decision-making.
3) Identify the problem
Everyone needs to have a clear understanding of the problem. Different people
have different needs, interests and concerns, and as a result they perceive
problems differently. I need to reach an agreement about what the problem is
before I can find a mutually acceptable solution.
4) Negotiate a win-win solution
If everyone is to feel comfortable with the way a problem is solved, they need to
be involved in identifying possible solutions. Involvement means being open to all
ideas, including the ones they hadnt thought of. If agreement cant be reached,
consider making a compromise.
5) Problem solving
Action the agreed or compromise solution, and monitor that it does resolve the
problem. Be prepared to try out any of the other proposed solutions, to see
whether they might prove more effective.

3.4 How and when would you need to access advice and support when dealing
with conflict and partnership working.

In health and social care settings, effective work relationships are based on
professionalism and principles of care, which require workers to have respect for
and to promote the rights of everyone with whom they work. This includes team
members, colleagues, other professionals, the individuals who need care and

support and everyone who is important to them, for example their families,
friends and advocates.
Working with other people can present hazards. For example, I may be asked to
carry out an activity that: is outside the scope of my job role or, because of
inexperience, I am not confident to do with competence
First of all, I have to talk to the person concerned (my manager) as soon as
possible and before things get any worse and tell him how I feel and why and I
will not make accusations.
If talking doesnt resolve the problem, or if the person you find it difficult to work
with or with whom I have a dispute is my manager, I have to get advice or
support from a higher level. Most organisations have procedures in place to deal
with disputes and conflicts. They may require to speak with someone in Human
Resources or ACAS.ACAS provides confidential and impartial advice to assist
workers in resolving issues in the workplace.
If I want to complain about being a victim of a dispute or conflict, I have to keep a
record of what happened, when and where as well as anything else I think might
be relevant, for example emails, texts, notes and letters.
Supervision is also an opportunity to seek and receive emotional support for
undertaking what can often be a demanding and stressful role, reflect on my own
professional development.