5.1 Explain why it is important to review own contribution to the development and implementation of the young person’s action plan

This guide will help you answer 5.1 Explain why it is important to review own contribution to the development and implementation of the young person’s action plan.

Reflecting on your own role in both creating and carrying out a young person’s action plan is a central part of working effectively in the children and young people’s workforce. Regular review helps to make sure that you are meeting the needs of the young person and supporting them in a way that promotes positive outcomes. It allows you to identify which parts of your input are working well and which parts may need change.

An action plan is a structured set of steps agreed with the young person and, often, their family or other professionals. It will outline goals, timelines, required resources and who is responsible for each action. Your contribution includes any direct work with the young person, planning and coordination, liaison with other services, and monitoring progress.

Ensuring the Plan Remains Relevant

When you review your own input, you can check whether what you are doing still supports the plan’s goals. Situations change over time for young people. Their needs, abilities or personal circumstances might shift. If your actions were set based on past information, they may no longer be fully suitable. By reviewing, you can spot these changes and adapt your work to keep the plan relevant.

For example, if you were providing weekly skills coaching but the young person has now achieved most of their skills goals, you might need to focus on a new area of development. If you continue with the old tasks without review, the young person may lose interest and progress could slow.

Identifying Personal Strengths and Weaknesses

Reflection gives you a chance to see where you have been effective and where you may need more support or training. You can check if you have been able to carry out agreed actions on time and to the expected standard. This might include thinking about:

• How well you communicate with the young person
• Whether you respond appropriately to their feedback
• How you use resources and time
• How consistent you have been in following agreed steps

By identifying areas where you are strong, you can build on these in future work. By recognising areas of weakness, you can ask for help, develop new skills or adjust your approach.

Supporting Team Collaboration

Action plans often involve several people working together. This may include parents, teachers, social workers, healthcare staff or youth workers. Reviewing your contribution helps the wider team understand how different parts of the plan are progressing. When you share your reflections, others can see which actions are complete, which are ongoing and where more support might be needed.

Clear review also avoids duplication of work. If you have already covered certain tasks, the team can focus on other actions. It promotes consistent communication with everyone involved.

Measuring Impact on Outcomes

Your input must have a positive effect on the young person’s progress towards their goals. Reviewing your contribution means you can measure whether your actions are leading to improvement. This could be done through formal monitoring such as progress reports or more informal feedback from the young person and their family.

Measurements might include:

• Improved attendance at school or college
• Better behaviour within group settings
• Development of specific skills such as communication or problem solving
• Increase in confidence and self-esteem

If there is little progress despite your input, then the review can help you identify changes needed. It may be the method, timing or type of support that needs a different approach.

Maintaining Professional Standards

Reviewing your input helps you maintain professional standards in your role. This includes following policies, meeting deadlines, and keeping accurate records. It ensures that your work remains within legal and ethical requirements, such as safeguarding practices and the Data Protection Act.

If you spot during review that records have not been completed fully or actions are not in line with policies, you can correct these before any issues arise. This protects both the young person and you as the practitioner.

Responding to Feedback from the Young Person

Action plans should be shaped by the young person’s views. They are more likely to be motivated if they see their ideas respected. When reviewing your own contribution, you can check how you have responded to feedback from the young person during the process.

You might ask yourself:

• Have I listened and acted on their comments?
• Have I encouraged them to speak openly about what works for them?
• Have I adapted tasks to reflect their interests or preferred learning style?

This sort of review ensures the young person remains engaged and the plan continues to reflect their voice.

Adapting to Changing Circumstances

Young people’s situations can change quickly. They may move schools, face family changes, encounter health challenges or gain new opportunities. Reviewing your contribution means you can adapt your actions to reflect these changes.

For example:

• Reducing face-to-face support if the young person’s timetable becomes busier with positive activities
• Increasing support if they face unexpected difficulties
• Linking them with new services that suit their current needs

Your input can only be effective if it fits their present circumstances.

Encouraging Continuous Improvement

Professional growth is linked to self-evaluation. Every time you review your contribution, you can identify new methods or ideas to enhance your support for young people. It keeps you learning and improving in your role, leading to better practice and better results for those you support.

Continuous improvement might include:

• Trying new delivery methods, such as interactive activities
• Updating resources used in sessions
• Strengthening communication with other members of the team
• Attending training to build your skills in specific areas of need

Building Trust with the Young Person

When you regularly review your work and act on findings, the young person can see your commitment. It shows that you take their progress seriously and that you value delivering the right kind of support. Trust builds when they know you will adapt if something is not working.

This can lead to better engagement, honesty and willingness to try new steps in their plan.

Keeping Motivation High

Both the young person and yourself can feel more motivated when you see progress during reviews. Celebrating achievements, no matter how small, encourages effort. It also helps keep you focused on agreed goals.

A review can highlight successes such as meeting milestones early or overcoming challenges. Recognising these can inspire everyone involved to maintain effort.

Spotting Barriers Early

Reviewing your input can help spot barriers before they grow into larger problems. Barriers could be practical, such as lack of transport to activities, or emotional, such as anxiety when trying something new.

If you notice in your review that the young person is not engaging fully with parts of the plan, you can investigate and make changes. Early action helps prevent setbacks and supports steady progress.

Strengthening Accountability

You have a responsibility to carry out the actions agreed in the plan. Regular review shows you are accountable for your part of the process. It provides evidence that you have completed tasks and that you take responsibility for them.

Keeping records, logs or notes during your review can show clearly what you have done and what outcomes have resulted. This will be helpful for supervision sessions or formal reporting.

Linking Your Work with Wider Goals

The young person’s plan often links to wider organisational objectives, such as educational attainment targets, community engagement aims or health improvement measures. Reviewing your contribution helps you see how your work connects with these bigger goals. It can demonstrate the impact of your role not only on the individual but on the service’s overall mission.

Improving Use of Resources

Effective use of time, materials and other resources is important in your role. When you review your input, you can check whether the resources you use are giving value for the young person’s progress. If something is taking up large amounts of time without much benefit, consider switching to more efficient methods.

Review might involve asking:

• Have I prioritised time on the actions with the biggest impact?
• Do the materials I use support learning or engagement?
• Could resources be shared with others to improve results?

Supporting Evidence for Future Planning

A well-documented review gives useful evidence for any future plans. It can help others see what worked well, what did not, and what needs to be different next time. This can make future action plans more effective right from the start.

Having a clear record of your contribution and its impact means that any future worker with the young person can build on successes and avoid repeating past mistakes.

Encouraging Reflective Practice

Reflective practice means thinking about your actions, feelings, decisions and outcomes. Reviewing your contribution is a practical part of this. It encourages you to look beyond simply following a plan, asking why you do things and how they affect the young person.

Questions in reflective practice might include:

• Did I approach the tasks in the most supportive way?
• How did the young person respond to my methods?
• What changes would improve results?

This type of reflection makes your work more thoughtful and purposeful.

Supporting Equality and Inclusion

When you review your own input you can check whether your actions are inclusive and fair. You can assess whether you have given the young person equal access to opportunities and respected their background, culture and identity.

For example, you might ask:

• Have I provided information in a way that suits their communication needs?
• Have activities been adapted so the young person can take part fully?
• Have I respected personal or cultural preferences in the plan?

This helps ensure the young person feels valued and included.

Final Thoughts

Reviewing your own contribution to the development and implementation of a young person’s action plan is more than an organisational requirement. It is a professional habit that improves outcomes, builds trust and supports your own growth. By taking time to look at what you have done, how you have done it, and what effect it has had, you make sure your support stays relevant and effective.

You encourage better communication, spot challenges early and maintain high standards in your role. Every review is a chance to make small improvements that add up to significant progress for the young person. In this way, reflection becomes a key part of good practice in supporting children and young people.