Personal Development Plan (PDP) for Health and Social Care Students

This Personal Development Plan (PDP) reflects a student's experience in higher education, specifically within the Health and Social Care field. The PDP addresses the challenges encountered upon entering higher education, such as selecting a university and managing tuition fees. It highlights the student's self-assessment using a SWOT analysis, identifying communication and interpersonal skills as areas for improvement. The plan outlines specific actions for Semester 2 to develop these skills, including interacting with tutors and peers, reading articles, and seeking feedback. The conclusion summarizes the challenges, identified learning needs, and planned skill development initiatives. The document also includes a reference list and an action plan appendix detailing the strategies for skill enhancement. This PDP serves as a reflective tool for the student's professional development journey.

Running head: PDP
Personal and Development Plan

PDP 1
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Principle challenges faced when entering into higher education...............................................2
What do you plan to do in Semester 2 to develop your skills and competencies as a student of
Health and Social Care/ Policy?.................................................................................................2
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................3
Reference list..............................................................................................................................5
Appendix....................................................................................................................................6

PDP 2
Introduction
This personal development plan will cover the Principle challenges that are faced by me
when entering into higher education. It will also demonstrate specific learning needs that I
had an address in semester 1. This personal development plan will also present the action
plan of my skills and competencies that I will develop as a student of Health and Social Care/
Policy in Semester 2.
Principle challenges faced when entering into higher education
There are several challenges faced by me when entering into higher education. These
challenges are a selection of Higher Education University; identify their strength to choose
the course, and a small number of colleges who provides a master course in Occupational
Therapy (Nelson and Staggers, 2016). I have also faced the challenges regarding high tuition
fees when entering into higher education.
Specific learning needs have you identified (what did you do during Semester 1 to address
these needs)
During semester 1, I did SWOT assessment to address my strength, weakness, opportunity,
and threats as it was beneficial for me to improve my weaknesses and threats. From the
SWOT assessment, I have addressed that I have lack of communication skills and lack of
Interpersonal skills (Busse, Aboneh and Tefera, 2014).
What do you plan to do in Semester 2 to develop your skills and competencies as a
student of Health and Social Care/ Policy?
Weakness to improve in
Semester 2
Initiates that will apply by
me in Semester 2
Time period

PDP 3
Communication skills Interact with tutor and
friends regularly to improve
the communications (Leigh,
and Blakely, 2016).
Read more newspaper and
articles to increase the
knowledge as it would also
aids to improve the
communication skills
(Bowling, 2014).
Week 1-3
Interpersonal skills Get feedback from my tutor
and friends regarding what
needs to improve in me
Week 4-6
As a student of Health and Social Care/ Policy, I am planning to develop different skills and
competencies in semester 2. These skills are communication skills and interpersonal skills. I
will also develop my further competencies like increase understanding of health and social
care/policy. It would be beneficial for me to develop my career in health and social care
sector.
Conclusion
From the above personal development plan, it can be concluded that there are different
principle challenges faced when entering into higher education such as selection of Higher
Education University; identify their strength to choose the course and a small number of
college who provides a master course in Occupational Therapy and high tuition fees. It can be
summarised that there are two specific needs to develop such as lack of communication skills

PDP 4
and lack of Interpersonal skills. It can be also concluded that I will develop my different
skills in upcoming 6 weeks by using certain initiatives. These skills are communication skills
and interpersonal skills.

PDP 5
Reference list
Bowling, A., 2014. Research methods in health: investigating health and health services.
UK: McGraw-Hill Education.
Busse, H., Aboneh, E.A., and Tefera, G., 2014. Learning from developing countries in
strengthening health systems: an evaluation of personal and professional impact among
global health volunteers at Addis Ababa University’s Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital
(Ethiopia). Globalization and health, 10(1), p.64.
Leigh, N.G., and Blakely, E.J., 2016. Planning local economic development: Theory and
practice. USA: Sage Publications.
Nelson, R. and Staggers, N., 2016. Health Informatics-E-Book: An Interprofessional
Approach. UK: Elsevier Health Sciences.

PDP 6
Appendix
Action Plan
Weakness to improve in
Semester 2
Initiates that will apply by
me in Semester 2
Time period
Communication skills Interact with tutor and
friends regularly to improve
the communications
Read more newspaper and
articles to increase the
knowledge as it would also
aid to improve the
communication skills
Week 1-3
Interpersonal skills Get feedback from my tutor
and friends regarding what
needs to improve in me
Week 4-6