Critical Reflection on Professional Development and Self Care Skills

This report is a critical reflection on professional development and self care skills while working as a community services worker at Smithtown community centre. It discusses the challenges and stresses faced by workers, the behavior and attitude of families at risk, strategies to manage professional differences, potential risks in the workplace, and strategies to minimize burnout and compassion fatigue.

CRITICAL
REFLECTION
1

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
1 Challenges and stresses that are faced by worker at centre experience....................................3
2 Behaviour and attitude of families at risk that was difficult for me to face.............................3
3 The way I can manage difference of professional opinion with other staff member regarding
families at risk..............................................................................................................................3
5 Potential risks with workplace..................................................................................................4
6 Strategies that can be used to minimise risk of burnout and compassion fatigue and other
suggestion....................................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCE..................................................................................................................................5
2

INTRODUCTION
Professional has high knowledge and skills to perform different task in effective manner
so that better outcome can be gained. Individual develop new skills throughout the live span that
helps in getting best opportunities in future career.; This report is critical reflection on
professional development and self care skills while I was started working as community services
worker at Smithtown community centre.
1 Challenges and stresses that are faced by worker at centre experience
As per my point of view there were different challenges that were faced by worker at
centre experience such as it was located at large low socio- economic suburb. At the same time it
have limited facilities such as transport link and recreational facilities that have created for
worked to effectively perform their task. They have to live in small space that has limited
resources and facilities so they are unable to provide proper services to people (Iquize and et.al.,
2017). I have also noticed that total staff requirements is more than actual present that has
another challenges for staff member as each individual have to work hard. Difference of opinion
in different staff professional that has come various backgrounds had lead to ineffective
coordination and cooperation among individuals.
2 Behaviour and attitude of families at risk that was difficult for me to face
While working at community services worker I have found certain difficult in living and
providing accurate services to people as there are less availability of transport and recreation
facilities. Some of the behaviour and attitude of families at risk are drug and child abuse,
domestic or family violence such negative working environment have created lot of problem in
providing better and effective health care services to people (Loizou and Recchia, 2018). There
is no interaction between people despite of culture diversity so ineffective coordination another
behaviour attitude that create difficultly for me in delivering services. Most of individual are
involved in crime or there is regular conflict between adolescent gangs that have caused problem
for me while working at care centre.
3 The way I can manage difference of professional opinion with other staff member
regarding families at risk
As each staff profession belong to different culture, family background so there is high
difference of opinion and view between each individual. I have planned to manage difference of
profession opinion through developing trust and better understanding about each other opinion so
3

that common decision can be taken for effective care. Each individual need to listen to view
point of other staff professional so that better ideas can be framed for reducing families risk such
as mental health issue, alcohol and domestic violence. I can also manage difference between
opinions through explaining each individual about what other wants to share information that can
help in better care services. Therefore as per my view all such strategies may helps in managing
profession difference between staff member related to families risk.
5 Potential risks with workplace
There are potential risks for me for burnout, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma in
workplace such as it leads to effects on health issues. The workplace of community services
centre is negative that create lot of potential risk on my mental health as most of the people are
drug abuse. There is high domestic and family violence in workplace so such background and
behaviour can effect on mental and behaviour of me (Ruddy, Thomas-Hemak and Meade,
2016). There are histories of childhood trauma so such risk can also affect on mental and
physical health of me thus causing difficulty in facing various problems. Due to less interaction
between people has lead to reduce social belongings feeling which might cause depression or
unhealthy habit such as use of drug and alcohol. Compassion fatigue is a serious occupational
hazard that cause due to poor work life balance and problem in personal relationships or high
violence in the society. Therefore all such factors of families risk and issue are potential risk for
health, safety and wellbeing of myself.
6 Strategies that can be used to minimise risk of burnout and compassion fatigue and other
suggestion
There are various strategies that can be used to minimise risk of burnout and vicarious
trauma and compassion fatigue through provide better and supportive environment to people so
that they can avoid unjust practices. As per my point of view most of the people are drug abuse
so through reducing the amount of intake of alcohol and drug can lead to reduction in burnout.
Another thing that can help in reducing domestic violence is that building of strong relationship
between people so that they can respect each other and minimise domestic violence. All such
Professional and personal self care strategies will helps in better minimise of risk of families
such as burnout, vicarious trauma (Mlinac and Feng, 2016). Child abuse and neglect need to be
reduce as per my knowledge so that they can have strong mental and physical health. Other
method that can be used to enhance my professional and personal care while working in care
4

centre is that I can improve my creative and innovative skills so that better strategies can be
suggested for minimise various families risk. I would like to learn the way positive and better
environment can be created for families so that they can live better live in centre (Winn and
et.al., 2018). I would also liked to learn about different techniques that can be used to reduce or
minimise burnout, vicarious trauma in childhood and compassion fatigue. Friendly environment
and respecting each other can help in reducing all such issue that are faced by families.
CONCLUSION
From the above reflection it can be concluded that reflection helps in identifying key
challenges that I and another staff member that face while working in care centre. It can also be
illustrated that reflection has also explained with about potential risk of burnout and vicarious
trauma in workplace of for me. At last it can be stated that various strategies that I have planned
will helps in minimising families’ risk.
5

REFERENCE
Book and journals
Iquize, R. C. C. and et.al., 2017. Educational practices in diabetic patient and perspective of
health professional: a systematic review. Brazilian Journal of Nephrology, 39(2).
pp.196-204.
Loizou, E. and Recchia, S. L., 2018. In-service infant teachers re-envision their practice through
a professional development program. Early Education and Development, 29(1). pp.91-
103.
Mlinac, M. E. and Feng, M. C., 2016. Assessment of activities of daily living, self-care, and
independence. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 31(6). pp.506-516.
Ruddy, M. P., Thomas-Hemak, L. and Meade, L., 2016. Practice transformation: Professional
development is personal. Academic Medicine, 91(5). pp.624-627.
Winn, A. S and et.al., 2018. Promoting resident professional development using scholarly
academies. Academic pediatrics, 18(4). pp.477-479.
6