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:

-it’s 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 Values-
respect,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 it’s 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
individual’s 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 individual’s 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 partnership’s 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 hadn’t thought of. If agreement can’t 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 doesn’t 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.