Professional Practice – Year 3 – CA Brief – Reflective Journal – CA1

This reflective Journal is worth 50% of the module and has 5 main components. 

Notes:

· There are 5 questions – you must complete all questions.

· Each question 1-5 has two options – you must complete either ‘a’ or ‘b’ for each question.

· ‘a’ questions –are based on your practice experiences, you can draw on your experiences from 3rd year and/or 2nd year placement, or from other social care practice experiences you may have had.

· ‘b’ questions – are based on hypothetical, general information or case studies rather than your own direct practice experiences.

· While referencing academic sources is essential for all answers it is particularly important to support your writing if you are completing the ‘b’ questions as you are not drawing on your own practice experiences.

Word Count: 2,500 – 3,000 words (500-600 words per question)

1a. It is essential that social care workers exercise a professional duty of care. Explain what is meant by ‘professional duty of care’. Drawing on the CORU Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Social Care, describe 3 specific examples of how your social care practice within your practice experience has demonstrated a professional duty of care. (This links with CORU proficiency 1.6 – Be able to exercise a professional duty of care.) 

Or

1b. t is essential that social care workers exercise a professional duty of care. Explain what is meant by ‘professional duty of care’. Drawing on the CORU Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Social Care, describe 3 specific examples of how a social care worker might demonstrate a professional duty of care.. (This links with CORU proficiency 1.6 – Be able to exercise a professional duty of care.)

2a. Making professional decisions is a key part of social care work. Identify a decision that you have made in practice and indicate how this decision was made and how you took personal responsibility and professional accountability for your actions. You may write about a decision which was made by a team. (This links with CORU proficiency 1.17 – Recognise personal responsibility and professional accountability for one’s own actions and be able to justify professional decisions made.) 

Or

2b. Making professional decisions is a key part of social care work. Identify a decision in a case study that you have read about. What was the decision-making process? What went right or what went wrong in relation to decision making in this case? Your case study should be taken from an academic source (book, report or journal article). (This links with CORU proficiency 1.17 – Recognise personal responsibility and professional accountability for one’s own actions and be able to justify professional decisions made.) 

3a. Social Care workers need to take responsibility for managing our own health and well -being. Write about an incident or situation which may have posed a challenge to your health and/or well-being in your placement and detail what you did to manage your own health and well-being in this situation. (This links with CORU proficiency 1.20 – Be aware of and take responsibility for managing one’s own health and well being.)

Or

3b. Social Care workers need to take responsibility for managing our own health and well – being. Write about how social care work can pose a challenge to a social care workers health and/or well-being and detail some strategies to manage our own health and well-being as social care workers. (This links with CORU proficiency 1.20 – Be aware of and take responsibility for managing one’s own health and well being.)

4a. Discuss what is meant by practicing in a ‘non-judgemental manner’. Show how you have been able to maintain a non-judgemental attitude with one particular service user over the course of your placement. What were the challenges involved in this and how did you overcome such challenges? How have you communicated this non-judgemental attitude? (This links with CORU proficiency 1.22 – Be able to see the world as other’s see it; be able to practice in a non-judgemental manner and be able to understand another’s feelings and be able to communicate that understanding.)

Or

4b. Discuss what is meant by practicing in a ‘non-judgemental manner’. Why is it important to practice with unconditional positive regard and empathy? What are the challenges to maintaining a non-judgemental manner? How can a social care worker communicate this non-judgemental attitude?  (This links with CORU proficiency 1.22 – Be able to see the world as other’s see it; be able to practice in a non-judgemental manner and be able to understand another’s feelings and be able to communicate that understanding.)

5a. Identify 3 specific examples of how your own values, life experiences, attitudes and personal characteristics have had an impact on your interactions with service users over the course of your placement. Talk about where these aspects of your ‘self’ originated. Explain the impact on your practice. Identify how you have managed this impact appropriately within your placement.  (This is linked to CORU proficiency 4.4 – Understand and recognise the impact of personal values and life experience on professional practice and to be able to manage this impact appropriately.)

Or

5b. Identify 3 specific examples of how your own values, life experiences, attitudes and personal characteristics may have an impact on your interactions with service users over the course of your social care career. Talk about where these aspects of your ‘self’ originated. Explain the possible impact on your practice. Identify how you plan to manage this impact appropriately in your social care practice. (This is linked to CORU proficiency 4.4 – Understand and recognise the impact of personal values and life experience on professional practice and to be able to manage this impact appropriately.)

Marking Scheme

Overall 50% 

Significantly   exceeds expectations

Exceeds   expectations

Meets   expectations

Does not meet   expectations

Academic   Writing 10%

Writing is   clear, concise, and well organized with excellent sentence/paragraph   construction. Thoughts are expressed in a coherent and logical manner. 9-10% 

Writing is   mostly clear, concise, and well organized with good sentence/paragraph   construction. Thoughts are expressed in a coherent and logical manner.   6-8%

Writing is   unclear and/or disorganized. Thoughts are not expressed in a logical manner. Difficult   to follow arguments. 3-5%

Writing is   unclear and disorganized. Thoughts ramble and make little sense. There are   numerous errors and it is impossible to follow your arguments. 0-2%

Drawing on   appropriate literature and referencing 10%

Excellent use   of a wide range of appropriate literature. Excellent standard of referencing.    9 -10%

Good use of literature.   Some errors in referencing, but clear effort made. 6-8%

Use of some   inappropriate sources or insufficient use of literature. Poor standard of   referencing. 3-5%

No attempt to   draw on literature, no effort at referencing.  0-2%

Application of   academic learning to social care work. 15%

Excellent   account of a range of social care practice. Insightful application of theory   / academic learning to social care practice. 

12-15%

Good account   of social care practice although writing is sometimes general. Good links   made between academic learning and social care practice.   8-11%

Reasonable   description of social care practice, although writing is general. Limited   links made between academic learning and social care practice.   4-7%

No real   description of social care practice. Very limited or incorrect links to academic   learning.   0-3%

Depth of   reflection  on practice and/or   academic learning 15%

Deeply   reflective. Insightful self awareness shown. Ability to stand back from the   event and analyse rather than describe. Ability to question and acknowledge   your own values and vulnerabilities.  12-15%

Moves beyond   descriptive towards analysis. Good evidence of reflection, with some self awareness   demonstrated.  8-11%

Descriptive   with some limited reflection. Some evidence of considering the experience,   limited self awareness.  4-7%

Descriptive   only, writing simply tells the story with no analysis. 0-3%