Enhancing Skills: A SWOT Analysis for Career Development in Healthcare

This report explores essential skills and knowledge crucial for personal, academic, and career development in the health and social care sector. It emphasizes the importance of self-assessment for developing these skills and the use of targets and goals for professional growth. A SWOT analysis is conducted to examine strengths and weaknesses, aiding in future planning for academic, personal, and professional development. The report also reflects on the practical application of these concepts, particularly focusing on enhancing communication skills and addressing weaknesses in areas such as resource management and vocational qualifications. The ultimate aim is to improve performance and maximize opportunities within the healthcare profession.

SWOT
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
skills and knowledge which are important for personal, academic and career development.....1
Importance of self-assessment for the development of skills and knowledge............................2
use of targets and goals for personal and professional development..........................................3
SWOT analysis to examine strengths and weaknesses as a way of planning for future
academic, personal and professional development.....................................................................4
Reflective practise............................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6
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Introduction
Skills and knowledge base is one of the crucial requirement for a individual that is need
to perform the assigned roles and responsibility in order to perform their professional duties.
There are different job roles and job profiles that need some of the specific skill sets that are are
very important to perform the assigned job duties. In the present scenario there is analysis of the
specific skill sets that are needed to perform the job roles in the health and social care sector. It is
the chosen career path based on which further there is evaluation of the way it can assist in the
course of performing such duties (Edwards and Nuttal, 2019). Present reporter is based on
analysing the skills & knowledge base that is very important for the purpose of personal,
academic and overall career development. That is important for self assesses for developing the
knowledge and skills. It is used for considering of goals and targets for future profession
development. Based on it there is SWOT analysis for examining weaknesses and strength for
planning of future development.
SWOT analysis to examine strengths and weaknesses as a way of planning for future academic,
personal and professional development
For the purpose of planning overall future growth and development it becomes very important to
analyse the overall strength, weakness that is important for future academic, personal and overall
professional development. In the present scenario this SWOT analysis section is mentioned
below:
SWOT analysis:
strength weakness
 Offering high quality of support and
care
 having social care qualifications that
includes care certificate
 Meting all the regulatory requirements
and sector standards that is required for
having high amount of social care
commitment (Gould and Taylor,
2017).
 Difficulty in understand some of the
written policies, procedures and written
information in some instances
 Difficulty in estimation of quantities,
timings and cost that results into
mistakes
 Lacking of confidence for writing of
accurate reports or records that leads to
low amount of self confidence.
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 Difficulty in achievement of vocational
qualification
 Difficult in process of having proper
verbal communication
Threats Opportunities
 Struggling in understand the written
information that is very important, it is
related with the health and safety
instructions, policy guidance and care
plans which may affect the overall
functioning of a individual in terms of
performing their assigned job roles.
 Vocational qualification and lack of
communication skills may result into
high amount of barriers to manage
overall working.
 Difficulty in dealing with complaints in
professional manner.
 No proper verbal instructions provided
to subordinates may result into
duplication of work, difficulty in
having a proper understanding level, no
clarity on the tasks to be performed,
wastage of resources and duplication of
assigned tasks by various subordinates
in the overall process of functioning
(Warda, 2021).
 No proper production of risk assesses
logs or case record of having a
professional standard of working.
 Enhance the present communication
and skills required for having effective
communication (Harithuddin, 2021).
 Dealing with complaints in more
professional manner
 writing content and then working
towards improving the present skill
gaps
 Timely communicating with superiors
and discussing with them about the
deviations that are taking place in the
present skills level and the required
skill sets to be developed to achieve
higher level of performance.
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Reflective practise
As per the above made analysis it can be said that there are some of the skill sets that are
specially required to be develops to maximise the present performance level while working as a
health and social care worker. It includes verbal communication skill without which the working
cannot be managed. For this purpose I will be attending various training sessions on the way
verbal communication skills can be developed in the organisation. There will be selection of a
tool that will assist in integration of effective communication in daily activities and daily job
performance (Bruno and Dell’Aversana, 2017).
From the above made analysis it is said that there are some of the skill sets that are very
important to perform the job roles where presently there is lower performance level. In some of
the situations while instructing the subordinates and various other team members there are lot of
issues that arise in Difficulty in dealing with complaints in professional manner. In these
situations it becomes very important to manage the situation by as per specific requirements. As
per the needs of present working there will be creation of vision that is to improve the
communication skills. After that a plan will be developed which is related to attending of various
webinars and training sessions to develop such skill sets. While working on this there will be
proper track of all the progress and development that will be taking place. For this there will be
will be review of plan for the purpose of understand the various deviations. In this process
further working will be on analysing the opportunities that are available in the professional
working context.
In the present context I have analysed my weak areas that is required to be developed to
achieve higher performance level. That includes management skill sets in terms of resources,
time and not having required level of communication skills. So, for that purpose a SWOT
analysis conducted that helped me in understand the way weak areas can be developed to
minimise its impact on threat to performance level and can also help in availing of the
opportunities while working as health and professional worker.
skills and knowledge which are important for personal, academic and career development
In the present scenario working as a health & social care practitioner there is need to
deliver proper health care support that is starting from the initial care to rehabilitation (Hallinger
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and Kulophas, 2020). This role is associated with building of close relationship with various
medical practitioners in order to support patients & families for ensuring support towards
patients and families so that overall holistic care needs are properly met. Some of the specific
skill sets and knowledge base that is needed are mentioned below:
 Drawing together and analysing the critical evaluate the information
 Communicating effective with groups, individuals amd organisations
 thinking logically and working towards reasoned solutions.
 Managing team, learning independently and using of ICT in a more effective manner
 Relating the theoretical knowledge practically as per various situations that are part of
health and social care sector.
Personal skill sets:
 Empathy: It is a skilled sets that is required to empathise in the course of various difficult
situations that are faced by individuals.
 Flexibility: It is related with the adjusting nature and behaviour of a individual as per
needs of the workplace.
 Team player: In this a individual has to posses knowledge to deal with various team
working aspects. Communication skills: There is need for a health and social worker to communicate
effectively with their patients and other colleagues in order to ensure that working is
taking place properly and with least barriers to maximise its long term effectiveness in
terms of managing the overall productivity. Dealing with criticism: In health care sector there are fast changing view points of
various associated stakeholders that may posse a impact on the overall working of a
individual. So it is important for them to have the necessary skill sets to deal with issue of
criticism. It is related with the ability to accept and fur5ther learn from the instances of
criticism.
 Conflict management skills: It becomes important for individuals to have necessary skill
sets to deal with the conflicts (Zhang and Sun, 2018). These are very common in the
process of functioning as conflicts take place and can lead to a negative attitude of
working. Health care workers have to deal with patients so it is very important for them
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to have a positive attitude to help their patients in dealing with some of the adverse
situations.
Importance of self-assessment for the development of skills and knowledge
It is very important for health and social care practitioners to make self assessment in order to
develop the required skills & knowledge for maximisation of the present competence. There is
need of some specific skills est that is required for performing the job roles of health and social
care practitioners. It will help in development of emotional intelligence to handle all the various
challenges that may take place in the distress (Littlejohn and et.al 2019). The setting up of
specific standards helps in the process of understand the present weak areas that is required to be
worked to develop it as per required level of set standards and performance.
Self-assessment is a tool that can help a individual in getting timely insights and a true
comprehension of the present knowledge or competent base along with future development
requirement. It is also very important to asses the students work so that they are able to develop
some judgement skills about the present competence level. In the present scenario the self
assessment process of working as a health and social care worker is going to help in the below
mentioned aspects:
 Lead towards development of meta cognitive skill sets that cam contribute towards a
range of high range capabilities. Professional health workers will be able to evaluate their
own performance and contrition level that is embed in their learning process.
 It enhances the self awareness process through tools such as reflective practise that
helps in making the overall criteria of self evaluation explicitly and leads towards making
the performance improvement practises as part of ongoing learning fr a individual. It can contribute towards development of critical reviewing skills that enables a learner in
the process of having a objective evaluation of the performance (Tan and Thorius, 2019).
There is a consolidate learning process that helps in assessment of the present understand
level along with overall knowledge base that is needed to be develop by a individual.
 Self assessment is a process that leads towards tracking of the learning progress. In
present case health and social workers will help in setting up of self goals based on their
past realistic learning process. Further they can act on feedbacks that are provide by their
mentors, trainers and then work as per their provided guidance after making self
assessment.
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use of targets and goals for personal and professional development
There is use of targets & goals that are required for personal development. Such as professionally
there will be proper development at workplace that is goal setting skill site in the process of
building up of profession knowledge base, skills and scenario of effective contrition towards
working in the organisation. The main defined gaols in present situation is to develop weak areas
that includes communication skills, better self confidence and vocational qualification skills.
personal development goals helps in improvement of skills and character, it leads towards setting
up of goals that involves assessment of individuals and the identification of improvement areas
for maximisation of present potential level to have proper personal development so that there can
be creation of plan with actionable steps (Hammad and et.al., 2021). The main use of such
targets is to improve the present productivity level so that there is clarity of the end path that is
required to be achieved by individual. There is creation of vision based on which there is
development of plan, there is tracking up of progress and further plan is reviews on regular basis
to track the small achieved goals.
CPD Personal/Professional development plan
Identified gap Scheduled
event to meet
goals
When
(specify
date/year)
Skill/
knowledge you
will have
gained
Measure of
success
self
confidence
Recognition
and emphasis
on strengths.
20/12/2021 There will be
attainment of
higher
confidence in
the process of
managing the
overall working
in the
organisation.
The measure of
success is based on
the way each task is
performed with
higher level of
confidence. There
is better perfection
that leads to
communicatio
n skills
There will be
various live
sessions and
seminars to
improve the
12/12/2021 There will be
enhancement in
the
communication
skills both
verbal and non
verbal.
There will be
clarity in
communication ,
reduction the
process of barriers
of communication.
vocational
qualification
skills
Practical
training
related to
30/11/2021 Learning of
vocations skills
with respect tp
New skill sets that
is learnt, that can
help in the -process
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vocational
skill
development
will be done.
training of
specific skills
sets. There is
undergoing of
vocations
certification
courses will
help in having
advantages of
performing
better.
of having ease in
the performance of
various tasks.
Time
management
skills
Various
webinars
related to time
table
formation.
06/12/2021 Time
management
skills,
preparation of
time table to
allot specific
time to each of
the activity as
per its level of
priority.
The success will be
measured in terms
of meeting of all
the time deadlines
and then
completion of each
activity as per the
proper schedule.
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Conclusion
It is conclude from the above mentioned aspects that learning and development is one of
the most important aspects that is required to develop some of the skill sets in which a individual
is lacking. SWOT analysis is a tool that lead towards effective process of learning in the process
of individual development. Apart from this to develop professional skills it is also very
important to use reflective learning practices as part of personality development that can lead
towards long term development of skills as per the laid standards of performance.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Edwards, S. and Nuttal, J., 2019. Professional learning in early childhood settings. BRILL.
Hallinger, P. and Kulophas, D., 2020. The evolving knowledge base on leadership and teacher
professional learning: a bibliometric analysis of the literature, 1960-2018. Professional
development in education, 46(4), pp.521-540.
Zhang, J. and Sun, Y., 2018. Development of a conceptual model for understanding professional
learning communities in China: a mixed-method study. Asia pacific education
review, 19(4), pp.445-457.
Littlejohn and et.al 2019. Networked professional learning: Emerging and equitable discourses
for professional development. Springer.
Tan, P. and Thorius, K.K., 2019. Toward equity in mathematics education for students with
dis/abilities: A case study of professional learning. American Educational Research
Journal, 56(3), pp.995-1032.
Hammad and et.al., 2021. Promoting teacher professional learning in Egyptian schools: the
contribution of learning-centered leadership. International Journal of Leadership in
Education, pp.1-19.
Gould, N. and Taylor, I., 2017. Reflective learning for social work: research, theory and
practice. Routledge.
Warda, M.H.A., 2021. The Effect of the Reflective Learning Model on Student Creative
Thinking Skills at Al Majmaah University. International Journal of Teacher Education
and Professional Development (IJTEPD), 4(2), pp.66-81.
Harithuddin, A.S.M., 2021. A First Experience of Using Failure Report as a Reflective Tool in
Engineering Education. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in
Learning, 16(18).
Bruno, A. and Dell’Aversana, G., 2017. Reflective practice for psychology students: The use of
reflective journal feedback in higher education. Psychology Learning & Teaching, 16(2),
pp.248-260.
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