2.3 Describe how own values, belief systems and experiences may affect working practice

This guide will help you answer The RQF Level 3 Diploma in Care Unit 2.3 Describe how own values, belief systems and experiences may affect working practice.

In health and social care, understanding how your own values, belief systems, and experiences affect your working practice is important. These elements shape how you interact with service users, colleagues, and other stakeholders. Awareness can help you provide better care and maintain professional standards.

Awareness of Values

What Are Values?

Values are deeply held principles or standards. They guide behaviour and decision-making. Values vary from person to person. They are shaped by culture, upbringing, education, and personal experiences.

How Values Affect Working Practice

Your values affect how you perceive situations and make decisions. For example, if you value independence highly, you may prioritize practices that promote the autonomy of service users. This can be beneficial, but it is important to ensure that your values do not overshadow the needs or wishes of the service user.

Examples

• Respect for Autonomy: You might always seek to empower individuals to make their own choices, even if they disagree with professional opinions.
• Equality: You may strive to treat every service user the same, potentially overlooking individual needs or circumstances.

Exploring Belief Systems

What Are Belief Systems?

Belief systems are frameworks of ideas and values through which individuals understand the world. They can include religious, spiritual, and philosophical beliefs.

How Belief Systems Affect Working Practice

Belief systems influence your approach to care. For instance, if you have a particular religious belief, it may impact how you view health, illness, and end-of-life care. It’s important to respect the beliefs of service users, even if they differ from your own.

Examples

• Religious Beliefs: You may be inclined to follow certain dietary restrictions or healing practices, which could influence the advice you give to service users.
• Philosophical Beliefs: Believing strongly in holistic care might make you more attentive to the emotional and spiritual needs of service users, not just their physical health.

Impact of Personal Experiences

What Are Personal Experiences?

Personal experiences are events or situations that have occurred in your life. These experiences shape your perspectives and responses in professional settings.

How Personal Experiences Affect Working Practice

Experiences can provide insight but can also lead to biases. For example, having a family member with dementia might make you more empathetic towards service users with dementia but could also lead to assuming all cases are similar to your personal experience.

Examples

• Positive Experiences: Having a supportive upbringing may make you naturally supportive and understanding.
• Challenging Experiences: Experiencing a traumatic event could impact your emotional responses, potentially affecting how you handle stressful situations in your job.

Strategies for Managing Influences

Self-Reflection

Regular self-reflection helps you understand how your values, beliefs, and experiences shape your practice. Reflect on your day or on specific challenging situations. Ask yourself why you felt or acted a certain way.

Supervision and Feedback

Engage in regular supervision and seek feedback from colleagues. They can provide an external perspective on how your personal factors influence your professional work.

Training and Professional Development

Regular training can help you become aware of your biases and learn methods to manage them. Cultural competency training, for example, can help you respect and understand diverse value systems and beliefs.

Setting Boundaries

Set clear professional boundaries to ensure that your personal views do not interfere with your professional duties. This involves recognising when your personal feelings might be inappropriate and taking steps to separate them from your work.

Examples of Balance in Practice

• Value of Independence vs. Need for Assistance: A carer values independence and encourages a service user to dress themselves. However, when the service user struggles, the carer recognises the need for balance and offers assistance.
• Personal Experience Informing Practice: A worker who has cared for a terminally ill relative understands the emotional toll of end-of-life care. They use this experience to offer empathetic support but remain aware that each situation is unique.

Example answers for unit 2.3 Describe how own values, belief systems and experiences may affect working practice

Example Answer 1

In my role as a care worker, my personal values heavily influence how I interact with service users. For example, I place a high value on treating everyone with dignity and respect. This belief means I always ensure that service users are actively involved in decisions about their care. For instance, if a service user is hesitant about a particular treatment, I engage them in a conversation about their concerns and preferences before proceeding. This approach demonstrates respect for their autonomy but also ensures they feel valued and heard.

Example Answer 2

My belief system is shaped by my upbringing and cultural background, which emphasises the importance of family and community. This influences my work as I often try to engage family members in the care planning process. For instance, when working with an elderly service user, I make it a point to communicate with their family to gather comprehensive information about their needs and preferences. This helps in creating a more holistic and supportive care plan that includes the family’s perspective.

Example Answer 3

Past experiences have significantly shaped my approach to end-of-life care. Having lost a close family member to a chronic illness, I understand the emotional and physical toll it takes on both the individual and their family. This personal experience makes me particularly sensitive and empathetic when providing palliative care. However, I am also aware that my experience is unique, so I make sure to ask open-ended questions to understand each service user’s individual needs and wishes, rather than assuming everyone will feel as I did.

Example Answer 4

I hold a strong belief in the need for continuous learning and professional development. This value affects my practice by constantly motivating me to update my skills and knowledge. For instance, when I encountered a service user with complex needs related to dementia, I enrolled in a specialised training course on dementia care. This helped me provide more effective and informed care, tailored to the specific requirements of that individual, thereby improving their quality of life.

Example Answer 5

Cultural sensitivity is a key value for me, primarily because I come from a diverse community myself. This has taught me the importance of understanding and respecting different cultural practices and beliefs. For example, I once worked with a service user who had specific dietary restrictions due to their religion. My understanding of these cultural practices allowed me to respect their wishes and ensure their meals were prepared accordingly. This not only met their nutritional needs but also made them feel respected and understood.

Example Answer 6

One of my core values is the belief in holistic care — addressing not just physical health, but also emotional and social well-being. This belief is rooted in my own experiences with healthcare where I saw how neglecting emotional aspects could hamper recovery. Therefore, I make it a point to engage service users in conversations about their hobbies and interests. For instance, I once discovered that a service user was passionate about gardening. By arranging a small garden activity, I noticed a considerable improvement in their mood and overall engagement, which positively impacted their health outcomes.

Final Thoughts

Understanding how your own values, belief systems, and experiences affect your working practice is really important. It allows you to provide high-quality, person-centred care. Regular self-reflection, seeking feedback, ongoing training, and setting boundaries can help manage these influences. By being conscious of how personal factors shape your professional behaviour, you enhance your ability to support and respect the individuality of each service user. Furthermore, recognizing your own limitations and accountabilities is crucial for maintaining professional standards and ethical conduct. Being aware of where your personal biases may impact your decision-making process ensures that you can provide fair and equitable care to all individuals. Taking responsibility for your actions and seeking guidance when needed are essential components of creating a supportive and inclusive working environment.