Reflective Account of Developing 6 C's for Health Care Assistant

REFLECTIVE ACCOUNT ON HOW I WORK TOWARDS ACHIEVING THE 6’ C’S AND HOW IM DEVELOPING MY OWN INTERPERSONAL SKILLS,

In my profession as a health care assistant, I find that in my day to day tasks I implement the 6 c’s. The 6 c’s stand for care, compassion, commitment, courage, communication and competence. the 6’ c’s were implemented by the NHS in 2012 (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/top-nurses-announce-new-strategy-to-build-culture-of-compassionate-care-across-the-nhs). I am able to use reflective tools to identify how I work alongside the 6 C’s and how I’m working on developing my own personal skills.

Communication:

When communicating with service users, I will adapt to their own individual needs and make suitable adjustments where needed. I adjust to individual needs by speaking louder to those who are hard of hearing. I ensure good eye contact and always speak directly face to face. I use facial expressions when responding to the communication that I am engaging in. I show active listening by nodding my head, smiling, agreeing and where necessary I use of small words such as “ok. I believe that communication is a vital tool in health and social care. Good communication gives individuals feelings of reassurance, control and being able to consent to the help they are being offered. In order for myself and individuals to effectively send, receive and interpret communication it is important to follow good communication techniques. When trying to gain consent, I ask individuals questions and give them time to respond because each individual will have different communication needs and barriers. These adaptations will be on an individual basis depending on the situation.

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 I am still learning different forms of communication such as the use of hand gestures. Though I may be familiar with a few signs I do not feel fully confident in communicating solely through sign language. In our multi-disciplinary team, we have to communicate effectively to work as part of a team in order to be able to continue to support the individuals in our care. In order to achieve the care that we give and to be able to be fully organised, certain communication tools we use include reflecting on daily notes and making the use of our communication book. I am able to recognise and demonstrate the effective use of verbal and non-verbal communication.

Competence:

I personally feel that it is not only important but mandatory that I am competent when carrying out my day to day tasks. My day to day tasks involve manual handling, handling sensitive information (data protection) and safeguarding individuals. In order to protect myself and my individuals and work in a way that follows national and local policy’s. I take eLearning courses through my employer which are relevant to the tasks that I carry out. I have already studied my national vocational qualification Level 2 and level 3 in health and social care/adult care. I attended face to face training, which involve tasks such as caring for individuals with dementia, pressure area care and prevention and out of house training. I understand that things change from time to time. I am able to renew my knowledge and training in order to continue achieving my own competencies and abilities. I feel reassured that the areas in which I feel I may need a little more support, That I’m able to ask for the help I need. In our health care setting my training is also renewed on a yearly basis. Or when things in the policies may have changed. My competencies are confirmed from management and senior carers. This is done by them asking questions relevant to each task. I also have observations on certain tasks to show that I can implement my knowledge into practice. That I also feel confident with carrying out the task at hand, In my opinion and experience its mandatory to be competent but just as important to be confident.

Commitment:      

I show commitment to my employer every day that I work. I do this by being reliable, punctual, communicating effectively with them and working in the way that has been set out to me. I stick to company policies and procedures and I do what is expected of any employee in our health and social care setting.  I show commitment to myself by requesting further training in my chosen career. I have done this by applying and starting the health and social care course that I am on now and also by continuing to provide the best level of care that I can. That I further my knowledge of my chosen career. My commitment to the individuals that I care for is that I am reliable, punctual, honest, patient and understanding. I show commitment to the individuals I care for by sticking to my word and by keeping them safe on a daily basis. I am aware of and adapt to each individuals physical and emotional needs and I see the individual as a person and not as the illness they may have. I remove any barriers that may arise with their abilities. I adapt the environment to give feeling of security. I also show commitment by having the courage to defend the individuals in my care, where I may feel it is necessary. I support individuals concerns or complaints in a way that coincides with our own complaint’s procedure. In a complaint’s procedure process, I protect the individual.

Courage:

I also have the courage to stand up for what I think is right. Even if that means I have to question someone with a higher ability then myself, (one of our nursing staff). Courage to me is showing that I will go the extra mile for the individuals in my care. I expect the consequences for my actions if I feel the motives are justifiable. To show that I am dedicated and serious about what I do. That the individuals I look after are in the heart and centre of the care that they receive. I have the courage to keep my individuals safe from harm and abuse.

Compassion:

I always show compassion when caring for individual’s by showing emotions of empathy which is putting myself in the shoes of my individuals and caring for them in a way that I would wish to be cared for myself, It is trying to understand how a certain situation, task or activity makes an individual feel and how I can adapt any negative barriers (such as environment in a way that suits them and makes them feel more reassured and positive, Being empathetic shows that you are aware of not only your own but other individuals emotions. I can work on achieving compassion more by expanding on my knowledge on certain areas that I may not be as familiar with such as certain illness’s or physical/emotional impairments. “When we feel compassion, we find it easier to listen deeply, understand more fully and demonstrate empathy” (Bikker et al, 2014. p.25)

Care:

I care for individuals by being consistent with the care I give them. By working alongside their own plan of care, and by supporting and working with them and their own personal choices. I respect individuals and their own identity but also support individuals on an equal basis. I give care and care for people in the most dignified way possible. By supporting an individual in a way that best suits them and their individual needs. I’am familiar with individuals own identity’s and uniqueness and not their illness. “Caring defines us and our work. People receiving care expect it to be right for them consistently throughout every stage of their life” (https://www.england.nhs.uk/6cs/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2015/03/introducing-the-6cs.pdf) to add on to this quote in my personal opinion its all any of us want for ourselves and our families.

Development of my own interpersonal skills:

  In order for me to develop my own interpersonal skills. It is important that I am self-aware and aware of them. In my opinion I believe self-awareness is important in all aspects of my personal and professional life. I believe this because being self-aware means that I am familiar with my own personal strengths and weaknesses and what makes me different and unique to others. “Being aware of yourself, your abilities, your strengths and your weakness’s enables you to develop all of them into practice” (Sapin, 2013,p.67). I understand the importance of my own interpersonal skills and how they may affect others. I am currently learning more about interpersonal skills and how they play a role in my chosen career path. I’m doing this by reading academic literature, attending lectures and also by asking my family and friends about what interpersonal skills and approaches they feel I am stronger and weaker with.

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I’m becoming familiar with different tools that can help with personal and professional reflection. I’m familiar with what motivates me to achieve which is my family, myself and my career goal and also, what distracts me from achieving. I am aware that my own self-confidence and lack of self-belief can affect my own abilities to achieve, I’m self-conscious that I will get things wrong. I am starting to understand how motivation plays a significant part in one’s own ability to achieve. I’am working on developing my interpersonal skills by facing the fears I currently have. I am starting to believe that as I do achieve my own self-confidence will rise. I’m aware of my own emotions and the emotions of others.

 The importance of recognising emotions and in some situations how best to manage my own emotions. In certain situations where I may be faced with a task or situation that I could find upsetting, Maybe due to personal history or current circumstances. according to Koprowska (2014, p.15.) “knowing your role, within the setting you are in and the people you work with will help you manage your own personal feelings when they maybe involved in a situation”. It is important that I recognise the emotions of others in order to be able to help them and make sense of a situation. Not just through verbal communication, But by other ways in which individuals may express their emotions. such as tears to show sadness or quietness to highlight a shy mood. Recognising this use of paralanguage can complement the words individuals are expressing. Especially in individuals that may be unable to express how they are feeling. Or individuals who may have advanced dementia or physical, emotional or sensory impairments. This could give you a good indication that an individual may feel agitated or upset with certain situations and this enables you to be able to change the outcome or task to be able to provide assistance in the best way possible and suitable to the individual. Also, what you could do differently next time. Recognising the emotions of others has an impact on how we do our job and how we react to certain situations.

I can develop my interpersonal skills around this by reading academic literature relevant to emotional management and by being put in a difficult situation. By then using a reflective account tool such as (Johns, 1994. model for structured reflection [10th edition]). I would be able to reflect on how that made myself and others feel. Then highlight how I would change the outcome next time and what I need to improve on. I show flexibility to my university course, my employer and my home life and I’m organised to ensure that I give my best to all three. Since working as a health care assistant, I also understand that in order to care for others I need to care for myself too (Self-care) I’m dependable to my family and the service users that I support. I can develop certain interpersonal skills by doing more training, for say how I work in part of a team and by liaising with other colleagues on strategies we can implement to build and strengthen our team. Such as trying new ways of working. Being self-aware is a key tool in my personal and professional life. It is important to understand emotions and emotions expressed by others. being able to assess a situation to be able to separate empathy and sympathy to know how to respond. Doing this in a way that is based on the individual and not your own past or present circumstances that may be almost the same.

Rapport building by the use of non-verbal and verbal communication skills:

I personally find that when I am trying to build a rapport between myself and others, I use a range of different verbal and non-verbal communication. “non-verbal behaviour is as important as, or even more important than, your words” (Egan, 2014.p.76) in my opinion this means that it is your non-verbal behaviour that express’s emotions behind the words you use and emphasises the messages you are sending. The non-verbal communication I generally use when communicating with individuals is, showing interest in the conversation we are engaging in. I do this by making the use of my own body language such as hand gestures, I have the correct posture (not slouching or leaning away from the sender/receiver) I look directly at the individuals I am communicating with and I do not allow myself to be distracted while communicating. “I make use of certain facial expressions such as smiling and nodding”. according to parris (2012, p.125) these are known as “nonverbal prompts”. I put my mobile phone away and switch off to the environment. I give response by shaking or nodding my head, by answering questions when they are asked and responding when prompted to do so. One of the main forms of non-verbal communication is active listening/effective listening. Another tool that is used with non-verbal communication is “SOLER, this stands for facing the sender squarely, with an open posture, leaning towards the other, making good eye contact and remaining relatively relaxed or natural in these behaviours” (Egan, 2014. p.77-78)

 When verbally communicating with individuals I use tools such as the (cbc) approach which stands for chat-business-chat it highlights the significance of trying not to be to formal when communicating. To much formality could cause ill feeling or confusion between sender and receiver of communication. Other skills of verbal communication I use is the correct use of the English language and the way in which I say the words I am using. “Spoken messages are like a braid of which only one strand is the word themselves” (koprowska,2014, p.8.). Communication is a broad area to which spoken words are accompanied by emotions, body language and para language to express the message that you are trying to send and to also show feeling of sincerity and empathy. Para language is a form of verbal communication it emphasises the words we are saying by how we tone our voice (e.g.) when we say we are angry our paralanguage would be a stern tone it accompanies the messages we are sending by the use of our own emotions.

Reference list:

• “6 c’s implemented by the NHS in 2012”-
• Department of health and social care (2012) Top nurses announce new strategy to build culture of compassionate care across the NHS. Available at:  
• (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/top-nurses-announce-new-strategy-to-build-culture-of-compassionate-care-across-the-nhs )(accessed:09/12/2019)
• “When we feel compassion, we find it easier to listen deeply, understand more fully and demonstrate empathy”-
• According to (Embracing empathy in health care, London, radcliffe publishing, Bikker et al, 2014. p.25)
• “Caring defines us and our work. People receiving care expect it to be right for them consistently throughout every stage of their life”-
• Definition of care according to website- National health service- (2012) The 6 c’s. Available at:
• (https://www.england.nhs.uk/6cs/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2015/03/introducing-the-6cs.pdf) Accessed on the 09/12/19
• “Being aware of yourself, your abilities, your strengths and your weakness’s enables you to develop all of them into practice”
• According to (Sapin. 2013. Essential skills for youth work practice, 2nd edn, London, sage publications ltd)
• according to (Koprowska. 2014. communication and interpersonal skills in social work, 4th edn, London, sage publications ltd)- “knowing your role, within the setting you are in and the people you work with will help you manage your own personal feelings when they maybe involved in a situation”
• By then using a reflective account tool such as (Johns, 1994. model for structured reflection [10th edition]).
• “non-verbal behaviour is as important as, or even more important than, your words” (Egan. 2014. The skilled helper, 10th edn, Belmont, Cengage learning)
• is “SOLER, this stands for facing the sender squarely, with an open posture, leaning towards the other, making good eye contact and remaining relatively relaxed or natural in these behaviours” (Egan. 2014. The skilled helper, 10th edition, Belmont, Cengage learning, inc.)
• I make use of certain facial expressions such as smiling and nodding according to (parris. 2012. An introduction to social work practice, maiden head, McGraw-Hill Education) these are known as nonverbal prompts.
• “Spoken messages are like a braid of which only one strand is the word themselves” (koprowska. 2014. Communication and interpersonal skills in social work, 4th edition, London, Sage publications Ltd).