Diploma of Counselling: Assessment Task One - Short Answer Questions

This assignment, completed for a Diploma of Counselling, addresses various aspects of professional development within the community services sector. It begins with short answer questions on providing feedback, analyzing negative comments, and the benefits of asking good questions. The assignment then explores workplace training requirements, types of training, and scenarios where advice or further training is needed. It emphasizes the importance of work-life balance and provides insights into how organizations can support employees. Networking strategies are examined, including internal and external networks, and how industry networking enhances professional development. The assignment also covers personal development plans, including factors to consider, key steps, and information sources. Furthermore, it delves into industry regulation updates, research, and benchmarking. The importance of regular skills and knowledge reviews, goal setting, and learning styles are discussed. Finally, the assignment explores reflective practice models, including Gibbs' and Schön's models, providing a comprehensive overview of the key concepts.

Running Head: DIPLOMA OF COUNSELLING 1
Assessment Task One: Short Answer Questions
1. List three strategies you could use to ensure you give open feedback
to co-workers.
 Meetings
 Observing the reactions of colleagues during presentation of new ideas and
performance of tasks.
 Surveys
1. The way you act when receiving feedback can affect the quality of
feedback you receive.
a) How might honest feedback be compromised if you act in a
defensive manner? In your answer, you should list at least two
possible impacts.
 Becoming defensive will inhibit acquisition of enough feedback.
 Negative and generalized feedback will shame and demotivate.
b) Explain the benefits of asking good questions when looking to
get honest feedback from colleagues or clients.
 It creates socially-aware organizations opened up to learning and adaptable to changes
in the industry. Good questions develop friendships and help in creating healthy
relationships. Others are encouraged to develop the spirit of self-awareness and
learning.
 Good questions also reveal the truth that it is okay not to know everything and show
the interest to learn. It is an open method of solving problems and will benefit all the
members of the organization.

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c) You have received ‘feedback forms’ from some of your work
colleagues following a presentation you delivered about some of
the issues you face as a community services worker. The
feedback is anonymous and you discover that there are a few
negative comments. Describe how you would analyse and
interpret this feedback in a constructive way.
 Honest specific and descriptive advice will be analysed to identify the areas of
weaknesses which should be developed and the strengths which have to be
capitalized on. Reflecting on own practice on the uncovered areas will be
reflected to recognise the effects of beliefs, values and behaviours. I will then
share the feedback with co-workers and peers to get shared evaluations.
2. There are a variety of opportunities available to workers looking to
develop their skills, knowledge, and expertise in the workplace.
a) Briefly explain 3 reasons you might be required to take part in
training at your workplace.
 It will enable acquisition of new skill which will help me to progress in achieving
personal growth and self-actualization.
 Training will enhance my social life through having fun and delight in the company of
the trainees. I will make and develop friendly relationships thereby fulfilling my
social needs.
 Through training, I will have a greater self-esteem and be empowered to change and
solve new and bigger challenges.

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b) List at least 3 different types of training that organisations
could offer their employees.
 Mentoring
 Peer support
 Specialist advice
c) Give 2 specific examples of when you might need to seek advice
and/or request further training to help you perform your job
better as a community services worker.
 I will seek expert advice when handling an older man with bipolar disorder in a
nursing home.
 I will also need advice on the requirements of law regarding an abandoned infant who
I have come across.
d) In your performance appraisal, your manager suggests that you
might benefit from further study to help you progress in your
current role.
You enrol onto a short course at a university. Give an example
to explain how this opportunity could help to improve your
performance and career prospects.
 Training will impart in me the necessary knowledge on the project for higher
productivity, proficiency, and responsibility to be able to run the new project. The
skills to be acquired will help me manage a larger team that will be working under my
supervision.

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3. Mark is a colleague you work with who often works long hours to
keep up with his workload. You notice that he has become very
stressed lately and he tells you that he doesn’t get much sleep or
‘downtime.’
a) Explain why a community services organisation should be
concerned if an employee was exhibiting this kind of behaviour.
(Hint: In your answer, you should describe the benefits of
having a healthy work-life balance)
Balancing work and social life will make an employee to be motivated thereby enhancing
productivity. Other employees will also be encouraged by the attitude of a motivated
employee hence benefiting the whole organization.
b) Briefly explain 3 things that Mark’s manager and/or
organisation could do to help support him
 Mark's manager should advise Mark's family to be having a balanced diet to improve
health and vigour.
 The organization should schedule regular leisure programs such as mountain climbing
so that Mark and other employees will have the benefits of doing exercise while
combating stress.
 The manager should identify out Mark’s hobbies as the things that he likes doing and
encourage him to participate during free time.
4. Networking can be very effective in helping organisations to achieve
their business goals.
a) Choose an organisation that you currently/wish to work for.
Look into a range of partnerships/support networks that this
organisation currently has ties with. List 4 networks (2 internal
and 2 external) and briefly explain the benefits each one brings.

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Organization: Lifeline.org
External networks
 Associations have helped Lifeline.org to pursue joint interests from the government
for the good of the industry players.
 Clubs have enabled Lifeline .org to meet with competing organizations and have a
support network in some common issues.
Internal networks
 Groups in the workplace have regular and frequent meetings that have helped in
timely sharing of information.
 Collaboration has developed honesty, respect, and trust through open communication
in the workplace.
b) In detail, explain how industry networking could enhance your
professional development.
 Networking can improve professional development by offering an opportunity for
sharing ideas, referral of clients, recognition, alliances with competing organizations,
learning industry trends, promotion, development of peers and an excellent opening
for learning.
5. Personal development plans help you to clarify what you want to
accomplish in your work role and how you can work towards the goals
that will get you there.
a) Discuss 5 important factors to consider before establishing any
personal development plan.

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 Time off any necessary activities should be identified to plan the activities that will be
undertaken in personal advancement.
 Extra resources should be available to finance the improvement processes.
 Specialist equipment such as gym apparatus must be acquired before the process
commences.
 The things that cause motivation to a person must be identified because they will be
engaged in effortlessly.
 Mentorship is should be sought to get expert advice and direction in challenging
development activities especially the complicated and risky things to avoid waste of
time while doing something that is not helpful and may even be harmful.
b) You have been asked to create a Personal Development Plan for
your work role over the next 12 months. Briefly describe the 3
key steps you should aim to address in the plan.
 Identifying the necessities of the development roles will require the establishment of
the meaningful relationships with success. The tasks to be performed, communication
requirements in the position, the personal pressures and knowledge requirements
should be linked to the goals.
 The areas of developments are known after identifying strengths through evaluation
and feedback. The strengths will be capitalized and harmonized with growth areas.
 Thirdly, an action for goals is built to be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and
the time factor need to be considered.

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c) Describe at least 3 different sources of information you would
use to help you to establish and develop this plan.
 Books have a lot of information on experiences of others and research already done
and will help with the knowledge needed to improve oneself.
 Events organized by companies are social tools for networking with individuals with
similar and higher roles and will form an outlet for peer supported education.
 Seminars pre-arranged on my field of development should be identified and fixed into
the plan. The short training will enhance special skills and knowledge.
6. In as much detail as you can, explain how the following tools can help
you to keep up-to-date with industry developments and allow you to
do your job better.
a) Regular industry regulation updates
Updates in industry regulations must be identified to stay on best practice. Industry and
business procedures that are prevailing will offer clients the best services. Management
decisions must be streamlined with the current requirements of the industry.
b) Research
Research reveals industry processes giving a superior position to change for the better
through networks, the internet, results of data analysis, relevant publications, conferences and
university research articles. Information must be checked for reliability, currency, validity,
relevance and to have support evidence before being trusted. Research done can be relied
upon to save in time and costs. It is ethical to comply with legal regulations, and every
member of the organization should be encouraged to comply.

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c) Benchmarking
Benchmarking is a way of measuring performance by the standards of industry leaders.
Understanding processes in a successful organization will heighten improvement. It offers
realistic chances of success. The areas to be benchmarked include the environment,
accreditation, continual improvement, management systems, and service delivery.
7. Why is it important to review your own skills and knowledge on a
regular basis? In your answer, you should discuss the benefits of
participating in performance appraisals.
Evaluation of individual performance helps to identify weaknesses and improve in areas such
as communication skills, time consciousness, self-presentation, work-life balance, active
listening non-verbal cues and embracing of mistakes and having a positive attitude.
8. Goal setting is an important process in self-development.
a) Explain a simple strategy you could use to ensure the goals and
targets you set yourself are appropriate.
The current situation must be assessed in comparison with target goals. Professional and
improvement objectives must be done through a review of performance. The goals have to be
measurable, attainable, specific, realistic and timely.
b) Explain how you decide on suitable timeframes for any goals
you set yourself. Provide an example to support your answer.
Development and the professional goals will be timely because time is a limited resource.
Plans should be fixed within the available time. For example, training can be taken when a

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person is not working or with the family. Training sessions to be attended should be balanced
with the steadiness of work and life.
9. List the three types of learning styles. In your answer, you should
state and explain which one you relate to more.
 Visual learning allows a learner to process information by seeing.
 Auditory learning relates to listening and reciting information.
 Kinaesthetic learning is just learning by doing.
I relate more to Kinaesthetic learning because of the hands-on approach. I find it easy to
learn while doing an activity.
10. Briefly explain the processes involved in the following models
related to reflective practice. You need not use diagrams in your
answer.
a) Gibbs’ model of ‘learning by doing’
 The first step of the Gibbs' model is the description process where the things that
happened during placement are identified and accounted.
 The feelings on what happened are stated and described. The next thing is to review
the actions of other people with precise knowledge held. The patterns of thoughts and
the effect they had on the scenario should not be ignored. Finally, the current feeling
of the situation has to be known if it has changed or not.
 Evaluation is done to recognize the usefulness of the experience. Areas of concern
that should not be done again are noted down.

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 Analysis of the sense of the experience is done by use of secondary tools. Knowledge
must be based on evidence.
 Conclusion discusses to what else should be done and to improve the practice
 Action plan denotes how well practice has been enhanced by the experience.
Strengths will show how well a similar occasion will be dealt.
b) Donald Schön’s model of ‘reflection in and on action’
 Teaching and learning session involves developing a self-awareness through
observation and monitoring to review the effectiveness of skills and knowledge. It is
essential to keep notes of the process for reconsideration.
 Reflection on action is the period to think about and have consideration over what and
why the things have taken place and their relation to the knowledge learned. The areas
where the knowledge and skills will be helpful in future are also identified.
 Planning the next session will incorporate identifying gaps that can be learned to
enhance those already learned. Areas in which the anticipated knowledge has
benefited the current learners will show the necessity of taking the new teaching and
learning session.