2012 FdA Health and Social Care Sarah Rutherford
WRITING A PERSONAL STATEMENT Guidance on writing a personal statement and demonstrating how you meet the person specification
Writing a personal statement Most jobs ask for further information to support your application. This is your opportunity to show how you would be a very good person for them to employ. Many people often do not put in enough information to show this - ‘I am good at communication’. Or they put in details which are not relevant ‘I like to play football’. This guidance will show you how to use your experience and learning to demonstrate how you meet the specification and how to identify where playing football, for example, might be relevant to the specification. You need to look at the job details at the end of this booklet, think about how you would meet the criteria
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they are asking for. The draw up a personal statement of about 500 words.
Job Description The first part of the job details is the job description, this tells you what you would be expected to do in this role. Often this quite general, for example, ‘Provide therapeutic intervention in support of the wider multidisciplinary team’, it doesn’t say what kind of intervention. Organisations want to ensure that their staff are flexible and the role can evolve and change. If you take a post the job description will be in the contract you sign. You are obliged to meet this and the organisation cannot ask you to do a different job. When you are initially looking a job application this part should give you and idea of whether this is the type of job
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you would like to do.
Person specification The second part of the details is the person specification. This part states what they would want the person to have in terms of personal qualities, education and experience. This is the area that you look through and make decisions about whether you meet these. You will see that it states essential or desirable. If the criteria is essential, this means that they will not employ anyone who does not meet this. So you must demonstrate this on your application form if you want to be seriously considered. As well as the essential criteria you should show how many of the desirable qualities you possess. You will see that it states how this will be assessed – application form, interview, reference, certificates or a combination. For the purposes of this exercise we are looking at how you complete a personal statement on
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the application showing the degree to which have this learning or experience.
Showing how you meet the specification If it states that this is being assessed on the application form you need to demonstrate on the form whether you have this, to what level and give examples. On the job application sample below it states: ‘Be able to use IT confidently’ It is no use saying: ‘I have good IT skills’ or ‘I use IT a lot’. You need to say something like ‘I use IT both personally and in my current post. In my work for the foundation degree I write my essays using word process and have developed presentations using powerpoint. We have had directed study developin a wiki. The course also uses a lot of elearning through moodle which is a virtual learning resource. I have accessed reading an learning resources from this. I also used IT on my placement for writing up notes on our service users’…….and so on. You can see once you start showing how meet all the differenc specification outlined with evidence, you start to substantially support your application and show why they would not want to miss the chance to
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employ you.
Using your hobbies and interests Back to ‘playing football’. Not all the person specification is necessarily met from your learning and working experience, some of the requirements may be met through your personal life or activities or may be supported by your hobbies or voluntary activities. For example the job below states: ‘Ability to work in partnership with all members of the team’ You might tell the organisation that you work in a team in your work or placement and give examples of your contribution. However this could be supported by other activities: ‘I also play football in team from my local sports centre. The players come from all walks of life and all of us have different ability to play. It is essential in a football team that you cooperate with each other and show respect. I have learnt to get along with different people and to recognise strengths in the different players. I have used the skills I gained here on my placement.’ So it is not that these experiences are not important but you need to show how they are relevant to this application. You may well have experience of team working, leadership or customer care through hobbies
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and voluntary activities.
Activity Below is a job description and person specification for a health and social care practitioner job. This job is very generic. Many jobs in the health and social care sector have a very similar specification, so looking at how you would meet these criteria would help you with any further applications for jobs. This statement would also help towards a personal statement for a UCAS form for those of you who are thinking of going on to further courses at the end of this.
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Once you have completed this. Upload it into your EPD portfolio in Folder 5 – Achievements
JOB DESCRIPTION Job Title:
PRACTITIONER
JOB SUMMARY: • • • •
The Practitioner will work within a multi-disciplinary team, to assess, plan, implement and evaluate care. Aware of the structure and organisation of the service and regulatory body’s code of practice implementing this into practice. Participate in auditing effectiveness of practice and incorporating findings. Assist in supervising and teaching of junior staff and unregistered staff
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KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS: • Multidisciplinary teams and other support services • Dept Managers
Principle Duties/Key performance areas 1. Practice Develop and maintain own competencies in agreed specific and appropriate skills for designated area including; •
Patient assessment, plan, deliver and evaluate nursing care for service users ensuring the highest possible standard
•
Ensure effective documentation of all service user contact in accordance with national and local standards, including nursing records and charts.
•
Perform risk assessment
•
Provide therapeutic intervention in support of the wider multi-disciplinary team
•
Prepare patients for examination, treatments or assessment following consent
•
Recognise and respond appropriately to urgent situations and instigate emergency procedures as necessary.
•
Give information and advice about health promotion.
•
Able to care for a defined caseload showing an ability to prioritise care from admission to discharge.
•
Establish and maintain effective communication with clients, relatives and colleagues using a range of skills including interpersonal, verbal, written and information technology
•
Effectively manages barriers to communication using a range of skills including charts, translators, sign language, pictures etc.
•
Be able to use IT confidently
3.
Professional and Personal Development
•
Participate in yearly appraisal and assessment of training needs and be prepared to undertake training to fulfil other duties as approved by the organisation.
•
Maintain a professional portfolio
•
Assist in supporting and developing junior staff e.g. students on placement and support workers.
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2. Communication
4.
Environment
•
Prepares and maintains a clean, tidy and safe environment for service users, staff and visitors
5. Governance •
The post holder will consistently demonstrate high standards of care complying with organisational policy and procedures
•
Act with honesty and integrity at all times and be a positive ambassador for the organisation
•
Value and respect colleagues, other members of staff, service users and show commitment to working as a team member and uphold the organisations commitment to equality and diversity.
•
Undertake all mandatory training
•
Understands and is able to communicate the need for patient confidentiality, including the requirements of the Data Protection Act
•
Provide information as required to support senior staff in the investigation of complaints/adverse incidents
•
Actively contribute to service evaluation and development.
•
Ensure patients / carers views are sought and incorporated into the development and improvement of practice.
This job description is not exhaustive and will be reviewed and amended, with the post holder, when necessary.
PERSON SPECIFICATION Essential
Education and qualifications
Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care
Desirable
How identified Application form (AF) Certificates
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Requirements
Relevant experience working within a clinical / social care setting. Basic IT skills
Skills, ability and knowledge
Demonstrable basic clinical skills: to include basic life support skills. Good interpersonal skills.
Mental and emotional effort
Experience of working in more than one clinical speciality across health and/or social care.
AF
IT skills – use of email, word processing, internet searching.
AF
AF
AF/Interview (I)
Up to date knowledge of professional issues.
AF/I
Ability to respond rapidly to emergency situations.
AF
Willingness to undertake additional competency skills.
AF/I
Ability to prioritise workload.
AF/I
Ability to communicate effectively both written & verbal.
AF/I
Knowledge of current health and social issues
I
Ensures that own actions support equality, diversity, rights and maintain quality
I
Concentration required daily, e.g. Ability to deal with occasional exposure to distressing circumstances or emotional events Ability to cope with occasional exposure to aggressive behaviour
I/AF
I/AF
Ability to work with competing priorities Ability to deal tactfully and empathetically with distressed or anxious patients and carers
I
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Experience
Able to communicate routine information that requires tact and persuasive skills, or where there may be barriers to understanding Ability to communicate effectively via telephone or group discussion
AF
Good interpersonal skills
AF/I
Proven customer care skills
AF
Ability to work in partnership with all members of the team
AF
Able to use IT confidently
Miscellaneous
AF
Demonstrates motivation, reliability and commitment to team working and the development of others
AF
AF/I/Reference (R)
Flexible, reliable and responsive to change
AF/I/R
Demonstrates an ability to value the opinions of others
R
Demonstrates high level of self awareness, i.e. strengths and weaknesses, personal qualities and skills
I
Willingness to undergo education/training for both practice and service needs
AF/I
Willingness to work towards professional and performance objectives (appraisal)
A
Good time keeping
A/I
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Communication