Different points of view matter when it comes to providing care. That is why self-reflection is good practice for any health and social care professional, including social care workers, as it helps them gain insights into their practice.
To support the social care workforce to do this the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (the Social Care Council), along with employers and frontline workers, is launching a new Learning Zone resource ‘Reflective practice for social care workers.’
The new resource has been developed to support social care workers across all settings and services to understand what reflective practice is, learn how to become reflective social care practitioners and how reflecting on their day to day practice can support their continuous learning and development and better outcomes for the people they support. The resource includes a four-stage model and provides four practical case study examples based on real practice issues to help and support social care practitioners.
Speaking about the importance of this resource, Social Care Council CEO, Patricia Higgins emphasised that reflective practice is increasingly being considered a critical part of professional development for social care workers.
“Reflective practice has always been considered a vital part of quality and safety in health and social care. It is a process of taking the time to stop and think clearly, honestly, deeply, and critically about a situation or any aspect of professional practice. This requires a social care practitioner to make it a priority to find the space to reflect on their work and has long been recognised as an integral part of safety and quality,” she said.
“I would encourage social care workers to take a look at this new resource and use it to reflect on situations that they have witnessed or been involved in to work out why things happened the way they did, and how this can influence them and their practice for the better.’
Check out the new resource on the Learning Zone today!
Oh, hold on! There is more….
Yes, the reflective practice resource is very new, but did you know the Social Care Council also have a Learning Zone full of other resources to support learning and development of the social work and social care workforce.
Take a look at our full list of learning resources and you might just be surprised at what is on there to support your continuous professional learning and development needs and supplement the training you receive through your employer.
If you need any help/support using and or accessing any of the Learning Zone’s digital resources, please email learningzone@niscc.hscni.net.