Student Guide Chcprp003 Chc50121–Cycle a v2.0 2021

Student Guide
CHCPRP003
Reflect on and improve own professional practice
CHC50121
Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
Australian Learning Group Pty Ltd

RTO 91165, CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723
Contents
Topic 1: Reflecting on own practice ................................................................................................... 4
Topic 2: Enhancing own practice ...................................................................................................... 19
Topic 3: Facilitating ongoing professional development ............................................................ 28
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

STUDENT GUIDE-CHCPRP003-CHC50121–CYCLE A-V2.0 2021 Page 2
Overview
The Student Guide should be used in conjunction with the recommended reading and any further
course notes or activities given by the trainer/assessor.
Application of the unit

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to evaluate and enhance own practice
through a process of reflection and ongoing professional development.
This unit applies to workers in all industry sectors who take pro-active responsibility for their own
professional development.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory
legislation, Australian/New Zealand standards and industry codes of practice.
Learning goals
Learning goals include:
• You are able to reflect on own practice.
• You are able to enhance own practice.
• You are able to facilitate ongoing professional development.
Language use: ‘Educator’

Throughout this unit, the term Educator has been used to refer to those who are working with
young children. Whether this be in long day care, family day care, outside school hours care or
other early educational settings, the ‘Educators’ are those working alongside and with children to
care for and teach them.
Structured Study and Self-Study requirements

As part of the course you are studying, you are required to complete the Structured Study and
Self-study
components. Tasks completed will be discussed in the classroom, to form part of your learning. For
success, aim to stay on top of your online study each week. Structured Study and Self-Study tasks
can
be found on Canvas.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Topic 1: Reflecting on own practice
Undertaking self-evaluation
Self-evaluation is an important skill to undertake to support
lifelong learning and development. It involves reflecting on
your own quality of work, identifying strengths, weaknesses
and areas for improvement. It can also be used to identify skill
gaps, further education and self-development needs.
Focusing on continuously improving your skill set and learning

new things is a great way to boost your confidence and help
you become the best version of yourself. This topic examines
a range of methods and practices that assist in improving your
professional practice.
These include:
• Self-evaluation
• Reflection on values, beliefs and behaviour
• Seeking feedback on performance from colleagues,

supervisors and clients.
Image by Hello I'm Nik on Unsplash
For example:
Informally Formally Meetings and discussions

• Daily self-reflection • Workplace • Staff meetings
• Reflection of professional • Discussions with
everyday activities development supervisors,
• Informal feedback activities colleagues, or third
from others • Undertaking study parties
• Performance reviews
at work
Self-assessments offer several benefits to an organisation. They demonstrate to managers how an

employee sees themselves as well as how they fit within the overall organisation and how they
understand what is expected of them. Self-assessment for an individual on the other hand, allows
an employee the chance to offer feedback to their managers about what is working and what isn't.
Performance reviews are often used as a self-assessment, which allows employees the
opportunity to review themselves, and often, their managers and their organisations. This can
show any skill gaps, requirements for training and professional development, highlight any issues,
problems, and provide a platform for communicating how an employee is generally performing in
their role.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Self-evaluation should be a valuable experience:
Be proud Highlight your accomplishments!

Be honest and critical Point out areas that can be improved.
Continuously aim for Constantly adapt, learn and change.
growth
Keep track of your Records show your achievements and provides satisfaction
accomplishments and validity.
Be professional Use the evaluation to support your cause in a professional

manner.
Self-evaluation can occur in a number of different ways so it is important to find a method that
suits you the best. The following are different self-assessment models:
• Journals, diaries or reflection logs: these record your thoughts and feelings allow you to
reflect on and evaluate your ideas and actions
• Checklists: this may be an established tools or something you develop yourself that helps you
review your skills and abilities
• SWOT analysis: to help you look at your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
• Reflective questions: ‘What do I understand now after this experience?’, ‘How does this affect
my future practice?’
Activity: Read
Read the following blog on 10 steps to follow when writing a self-evaluation.

Blog: How to Write a Self-Evaluation
Take any notes to summarise what you have read and keep for future
reference.
Activity: Watch
Tips for making your self-evaluation more meaningful.

Video: 10 tips for making your self-evaluation more meaningful (03:06)
Write down your key takeaways from the video.
If you were working as a support worker for an organisation, what type of
self-evaluation method do you think you would be using to help with your
assessment of how you perform in the workplace?
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Activity: Research
Over the course of undertaking the learning for this unit, you are to keep a self-
reflection journal. You should aim to complete this on a daily basis and then
present this to the trainer/assessor at the end of the unit.
The self-reflection journal is to provide a self-assessment of how you
performed as a student. Create the journal in a word-processed document that
you can use as an ongoing document.
Use the following headings and add some of your own.
1. Introduction – what course are you undertaking and why?
2. Goals – list your goals and objectives for completing this course?
3. List down any accomplishments
4. List down any struggles
5. Are you meeting the expectations of your college colleagues,
trainer/assessor and others?
6. What feedback have you received today?
7. What improvements can you make to your study?
8. Any other comments?
Ensure the document is professionally presented and clearly structured.
Include dates and any supporting links or resources.
Submit this at the end of the training for this unit. The trainer/assessor will
provide you with timelines.
Image by Monstera on Pexels
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Activity: Research
As well as the self-reflection journal you are also to develop a professional

development plan. The plan needs to include:
• A one-year plan to show where you would like to be professionally in 1-3
years from now. Show measurable goals, milestones and explain how
these can be achieved.
• Short term goals that you will achieve over the course of learning this unit.
Goals should be achievable and can include the following or you may
select your own (these must be approved by the trainer/assessor).
Suggested goals:
• Joining a professional network that relates to your industry or one that
you are interested in.
• Creating a professional profile on a social media or network such as
LinkedIn, establishing networks within the network and posting or showing
interaction within the network.
• Undertaking at least one professional development activity that will help
you in your job or college life. This could be an online webinar on study
skills or a beginner’s course in Spanish.
Include:
• goals
• timeframes
• ways of measuring your progress.
Submit this at the end of the training for this unit. The trainer/assessor will
provide you with timelines.
Reflecting on values, beliefs and behaviour

Having the ability to self-reflect and evaluate, requires a degree of self-awareness, commitment
and honesty. You need to have a conscious knowledge of your character, your feelings, any
motives, desires and behaviours and how these influence your actions.
Understanding yourself as well as your limitations, can help you on the road to developing
realistic goals for personal and professional development.
Activity: Read
Look at the following Personal Attributes:

Personal Attributes Worksheet
List down 5 of your own personal attributes.
What attributes do you wish you had more of?
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Values
What are your values? What do you hold true?
You may think that everyone has the same values as yourself, however, you may find that this is
often not the case. Being clear about what is important to us helps not only with our own self-
awareness but also to bridge understanding with others. Some examples of values are:
• honesty • commitment
• trust • authenticity
• loyalty
The values that you hold will impact on the way that you carry out your role in the workplace, the
way in which you undertake your duties, communicate with clients, collaborate with colleagues
and the practices that you carry out in your everyday work activities.
Activity: Read
Read the following values assessment:

Values Assessment
Select the ones that you hold true to yourself. And list these down:
Provide a rating as per the worksheet and provide a brief explanation of why
each one is important. Select three and present these to other students.
Beliefs
Our beliefs can impact on how we look at the world and
interpret situations. Individuals can have the same experience
and yet have different interpretations because of the way they
view the world.
These are the general principles by which you follow and guides
you through your life. Core beliefs can be:
• undertaking work with an ethical approach
• helping others in need first
• a belief in a religion.
This is how you see yourself. It’s your thoughts, assumptions

and how you see the world around you.
Image by Nathan Lemon on Unsplash
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Activity: Read
Read through the following Core Beliefs Assessment:

Core Beliefs
List down your own core beliefs.
Behaviour
Your behaviour is reflected in the way in which you conduct yourself, including your traits and
qualities, they are the distinguishing characteristics of a person. A character trait can demonstrate
a person’s underlying values and beliefs. For example, you may be:
• generous • show self-control
• show integrity • be sincere.
• be kind and loving
Qualities are those characteristics that demonstrate how you undertake your work, life and
communications with the people around you. For example:
• good communication skills
• a person’s work ethic
• how you work with others
• your skills, knowledge and competencies.
Your behaviour can also relate to the way in which you undertake your workplace duties and the
way that you conduct yourself. For example, how you work as part of a team, your attitude toward
colleagues and the work that you are carrying out, how you dress and act in the workplace, how
your show respect for others and their differences. Your behaviour will reflect your values, beliefs,
traits and qualities.
Activity: Have a chat
Reflect on your own values, beliefs and behaviour in the workplace. Consider
the following questions and contribute to the discussion at the end of the
activity:
• What are the qualities of a good employee?
• What traits would you want to see in your supervisor or manager?
• Can you identify your strengths and weaknesses?
• What are your five greatest strengths?
• What are your two biggest weaknesses?
• What are your best qualities/characteristics?
• What qualities do you wish you had?
• What qualities or traits do you most admire in others?
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

• What behaviours, traits or qualities do you want other people to admire in
you?
Learning styles and how they relate to different individuals

There are many recognised learning styles and learning strategies. Everyone is different, with
different skills, abilities, learning capability and cognitive understanding.
Some examples of learning styles are:
Visual Aural Verbal Physical
Logical Social Solitary
Activity: Read
Read through the following overview of learning styles.

Article: Overview of learning styles
Take any notes to summarise what you have read and keep for future
reference.
There are different models that identify these different learning styles such as:
• Visual, Auditory, Reading and Kinaesthetic (VAK) learning styles
• Felder-Silverman Learning style model.
Learning strategies are the methods used to learn and the way these are presented. For example:
• Double loop learning (Argyris)
• Conversation theory (Pask)
• Lateral thinking (DeBono)
• Situated Learning Theory (J.Lave).
Activity: Read
Read about the Felder-Silverman Learning Style below.

Article: Felder-Silverman Learning Style Model
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Activity: Research
Complete the table below by defining the following kinds of learning strategies.
Double loop
Conversation
theory
Lateral thinking
Situated learning
theory
What other learning strategies are there? List these and provide a link to the
source of information.
It is important to understand ourselves and our preferences of learning styles and learning
strategies so that you are learning in a manner that suits you. You can then plan to undertake
professional development that is the most effective for your learning.
Activity: Read
What are learning strategies?

Article: Learning strategies
Activity: Research
Take a quiz to find out your own learning style. Write down the name of the
quiz, a link to the result and provide an overview of the type of learning style
suited to you.
The following are some currently online, however there are many so just find
one that suits you.
• Which learning style is best for you?
• What’s Your learning Style?
Name of Quiz Link and overview of result
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Do you agree with the quiz? Undertake another quiz and find out if it gives
you the same result.
Areas of improvement for any employee

There are many types of work methods and practices which can improve performance. Consider a
job role for an aged care worker and the roles and responsibilities, duties and daily activities that
they perform. In the day-to-day workplace, you would come across many areas of improvement
that could be made. For example:
Did you complete the forms and records to the standards expected?
Were you undertaking your job role to the best of your ability?
Did you communicate with your colleagues effectively?
During the course of the day there are many methods and practices that could improve on your
performance. For example:
• reading through the procedure for completing forms to provide relevant information
• asking a colleague if they think that you undertook an activity to the expected standards
• filling out a self-reflection assessment on your daily tasks undertaken.
The following are strategies that could be used to support improving your work practices:
• Using effective time management skills for undertaking duties
• Organising work, setting goals and prioritising tasks effectively
• Effective communication skills
• Working as part of a team, cooperating and collaborating
• Using conflict resolution skills to work more effectively
• Using active listening and positive body language
• Learning new skills, undertaking training and professional development
• Goal setting and using performance measures to evaluate own work
• Accepting feedback and constructive criticism.
Self-reflection, self-evaluation and performance appraisals are good platforms for helping to
improve work practices as well as ensuring that the work you are carrying out meets the
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

expectations of your employer and work colleagues through the organisational values, goals,
policies and procedures.
Feedback
Feedback is one of the most important tools to support the reflection and improvement of your
own professional practice.
Constructive feedback, whether negative or positive, will provide a way of assessing your own
performance. Receiving and also giving good quality feedback means that we have a good idea of
how we are going at work. We can find out:
• what we did well
• what improvements we can make.
Assessment of performance can be undertaken using different evaluation methods such as self-
appraisals, formal performance appraisal, performance analysis, undertaking surveys, using
training needs analysis, and undertaking skills gap analysis. These methods can be used to
determine how you are performing at work and what improvements you need to make. It can also
help to identify your future direction, job advancement and opportunities.
Performance feedback is also helpful for employees to understand what the expectations are of
the organisation and make adjustments to improve and succeed. This could be through extra on
the job training, coaching, mentoring, skill development workshops, training and development
courses.
360-degree feedback is a tool used in the workplace to gather feedback:
It gives an employee the opportunity to receive performance feedback from his or her supervisor
or manager as well as four to eight colleagues and customers. Most 360-degree feedback tools are
also responded to by each individual in a self-assessment.
Formal performance feedback can cover any area such as:
Quality of Work Work Habits

For exampe minimising mistakes, Such as being on time, completing work
presentation of work. to schedule and being organised.
Service Team Skills

For example, how you communicate, Such as how you work with a
undertake tasks and take responsibility for team, collaborate and support
own work. one another.
Activity: Think about
Have you ever been given feedback that has enabled a positive change in your
work practices?
Who gave you the feedback and how was it delivered (on the job from a mentor,
during a staff appraisal)?
Sharing two-way feedback with peers
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Being able to receive and provide feedback with your peers and colleagues is a useful tool that can
support your own work performance.
Receiving feedback:
• Listen carefully and use effective listening skills such as paraphrasing what you hear and
clarify with questioning.
• Seek examples of performance that exemplify the feedback.
• Keep the feedback in perspective.
• Check in with others to determine the reliability of the feedback you have received (to ensure
there is no bias).
• Demonstrate that you welcome feedback.
• Only you can decide if the feedback is worth doing something about.
• Show your appreciation to the person providing the feedback.
Similarly, it is important to provide valuable and constructive feedback in the most appropriate
way:
• Be clear and specific about the purpose of the feedback.
• Discuss the situation using unbiased observations, facts and examples rather than hearsay
and personal traits.
• Give praise where praise is due.
• Be direct, sincere, honest and empathetic.
• Use active listen while providing feedback as it should be a two-way discussion.
• Be timely, giving feedback as and when it is needed.
Activity: Read
View the following resource:

The Art of Feedback: Giving, Seeking and Receiving Feedback
What is the STAR model with regards to preparing feedback?
What are some tips for providing difficult feedback?
What are some suggestions for seeking feedback?
Activity: Watch
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Big Keith’s Appraisal (from the Office).
Video: Big Keith's Appraisal | The Office | BBC Studios (02:57)
Advantages of performance appraisal.
Video: Advantages of Performance Appraisal (03:23)
What was wrong with Big Keith’s appraisal?
How can performance appraisals benefit you?
Feedback from clients and other relevant sources

The feedback received from clients, other stakeholders, external organisations and events or
online feedback can also be invaluable as an employee. This allows for a different view and
specifically from the people to which the service is being delivered. A client in an aged care facility
for example may provide feedback to say that they are disenchanted with the activities they have
been given or don’t like the way a support person talks to them.
Feedback from third parties can be collected:
• surveys as prompted feedback • questionnaires distributed
• opinions and reviews as unprompted • interviews undertaken
• online comments and posts from social • online forums

media
• informal discussions.
Using these various sources of feedback can support an organisation to gain a broader perspective
on how their service is perceived and how employees are performing.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Trainer to discuss: Resources for your independent structured self-study
eBook – The Early Childhood Educator for Diploma, Revised Practice – Read
• Chapter 4 Element 1 – Reflect on own practices
Watch the following YouTube video
Gibbs' Reflective Cycle Explained

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gbczr0lRf4
Activity - Discuss in the student forum
Keep a journal for one day. Record and analyse three (3) key events of the day, as
shown in your ebook:
In the student forum, post your answer to the following:

• What are the benefits of a reflective journal? What did you learn from your
journal entries?
Review the answers of other students and comment on at least two posts from
other students.
Read the following article/learning resource
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Self-Assessment: 5 Tips for Writing Your Performance Evaluation
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5379-writing-self-assessment.html

• What type of educator would you like to be? Describe it using five attributes.
other students.
Values, Beliefs and Behaviours – Motivation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BL_7kmueTc
Activity - Bring Back to Class
Review activity 4.2 from the ebook and answer the following:
• What is your personal philosophy about what you believe is important in

supporting children's learning and development and your relationships with
families and work colleagues?
• List 3-5 points to illustrate your philosophy.
Bring your answer back to class and discuss it with other students.
Each dicusssion group will have to develop its own manifesto about what is
important in supporting children's learning and development and the relationships
with families and work colleagues.
Kolb's Learning Cycle Explained with Example

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rycjUldMl3k
Benefits of Knowing Your Learning Style

https://www.skillhire.com.au/blog/benefits-of-knowing-your-learning-style/
The secret to giving great feedback | The Way We Work, a TED series
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtl5UrrgU8c&t
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

360 Degree Feedback: See the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/360-degree-feedback-information-1917537

• Develop and outline a system to collect and review 360 degrees feedback in
the workplace.
Review the answers of at least one other student and provide them with feedback
about their answers, for example: can the system be easily implemented? Would
the system add to staff's workload? What is good about the system? What could be
improved?
Be constructive when providing feedback.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Topic 2: Enhancing own practice
Determining needed improvements

After reflecting on your own work practice and received
feedback, it is time to set some goals for areas you have
identified that need improvement.
The process of setting goals helps you choose your direction. By

knowing what you want to achieve, you know where to focus
your efforts. It also helps with identifying and eliminating
distractions that lead you away from your goals.
By setting clearly defined goals, you can measure your success

and feel satisfaction in achieving your goals. Having achievable
steps along the way will help you to identify progress. A person’s
self-confidence can be raised through recognising the
achievement the goals.
Image by JodyHongFilms on Unsplash
Activity: Watch
Personal goal setting.

Video: Personal Goal Setting (02:07)
What are some of your own personal goals?
How will you achieve them?
How can you measure the success of reaching these?
Goal setting can include:
• Setting lifetime goals such as your career direction, financial objective, education or family
goals.
• Setting smaller goals to reach your lifetime goals or achieve goals required for work.
Personal work goals should be ambitious and SMART (see below). Some examples could be:
• defining work priorities
• sticking to your principles and values
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

• being clear about your ethics
• developing skills, strengths, knowledge and expertise
• being emotionally aware of how you relate to others
• using better communication with colleagues and teams
• effectively managing a health work/life balance
• effective time management.
SMART criteria for setting personal development goals at work should be:
Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time-Bound
Setting Your Goals:
• Write each goal down using positive language.
• Be precise and clear, include dates, times and amounts to enable measurement of success so
you know when you have achieved the goal.
• Identify your priorities, having too many goals can be overwhelming and providing levels of
priorities can help you better achieve them.
• Make goals achievable, if a goal is too large, it may be overwhelming also and feel like you are
not making any progress.
• Set performance goals, not outcome goals - these are goals that you have control over.
Any feedback received, whether it is formal, through a workplace appraisal, or informal, it can be
used to make improvements. If a goal has not been reached then you would need to find out why.
For example, you may have been given feedback that you need to improve on your knowledge or
skill set – an evaluation provided to you by your supervisor. This feedback can provide you with
options and strategies to work with, such as upskilling, seeking a mentor or undertaking a formal
qualification.
During a performance appraisal a supervisor can provide you with areas for improvement and ways
in which you can be supported in the workplace. If you are given informal feedback then you may
want to have this verified with another work colleague or your manager – discussing and
communicating options informally is a good start to enhancing your work practices.
Support networks
Support networks are those that can be used to achieve objectives and goals. In the workplace,
support networks occurs when people interact with others to develop professional contacts, which
can be used to identify needs or problems and develop strategies to address them.
Support networks can be internal or external to the workplace.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Internal networks
When considering networking, people often consider
social networking such as LinkedIn, professional
associations, local business group catch-ups and
conferences.
However, you also have to have strong connections

internally within an organisation with colleagues and
the people that you work for such as clients.
Networking with colleagues at different levels and in
different departments can be highly beneficial to
improve on your own professional practice…. having
knowledge of what others inside the organisation, and
them understanding your role benefits the entire
organisation. It supports in gaining an overview of the
company’s mission in action, it can boost
organisational performance and employee turnover is
lower when workers feel connected to an
organisation’s purpose.
Internal networking also correlates to building

friendships at work, working collaboratively with colleagues and using this to provide a support
system.
Image by Canva Studio on Pexels
External networks
External networking is developing informal and formal relationships outside your immediate work
environment. It can help your own performance by using them for support, advice and help. For
example:
• Industry networking: Contacts, information and knowledge from within the industry can
support you in developing further knowledge, skills and support work advancement.
• Professional associations: The peak bodies for professionals represent the profession and help
members to extend their knowledge and skills through professional development, quality
control and research. They also aim to maintain standards within a profession, provide
ongoing professional development to members, and represent the interests of their members
to the government and community.
• Online social networking: Using professional networks to support your own performance such
as seeking help from forums or ‘listening’ to conversations that relate to your own professional
work.
• Support services: Counselling, psychologists, human resource agencies can all provide help
and support and advice.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Specialist advice and training
In your job role, you will need the
support of your organisation, as
well as specialist advice to
support you in your professional
development and professional
practice.
This could be from an external

source such as a university,
providing advice on knowledge
development for industry, the
Human Resource department
who can provide you with what
the organisation can offer you in
terms of professional Image by You X Ventures on Unsplash
development or online training
that you undertake yourself.
If you are faced with an area that sits outside your level of ability, skills or knowledge, or you just
need the advice of someone more experienced, you need to seek that additional support.
Otherwise you may find that your performance at work either doesn’t meet expected standards,
falls under expectations or ends up causing stress and anxiety if you can’t undertake particular
aspects of your job role. For example, if you are working in aged care, you may find that your first
aid training did not give you the confidence to carry out the tasks that is required in your work role.
You would need to seek further advice and training to manage this skill gap that you identified.
Specialist advice and training can come from a range of areas:
• Professional Development
• Mentoring
• Professional supervision
• Peer support
• External training
• Internal training.
Activity: Research
Research one work role that is related to your industry and the career or job
which you would like to pursue. Use www.seek.com.au to find out what the
duties and responsibilities, qualifications and mandatory criteria are for job
selection. List these down:
Position:
Job role/duties:
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Responsibilities:
Required
qualifications:
Mandatory
criteria:
Complete the table below by outlining the training that you would require if you
were to apply for the position advertised. Provide an example and link to the
specialist advice and training needed:
Professional
development
Mentoring
Professional
supervision
Peer support
External training
Identify one source of specialist advice that you could use to support your
goal in gaining this position.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Self-care
Looking after your own health and wellbeing is an important factor that can help you to improve on
your own professional practice.
Self-care is the things we do to increase our wellbeing, keep healthy, reduce stress and ensure
that we are working in a comfortable and safe environment. There are a number of ways that you
can care for yourself and this is unique for everyone.
Self-care includes the emotional processing of problems and stress that can be part of our life as
well as doing things that we might find difficult, like asking for help.
Mental and physical health relates strongly to how we enjoy life and the fulfilment of our potential.
Mental wellness includes the ability to cope with stress and things that may trigger us in our day to
day work activities. Some of the benefits of self-care include:
Having less symptoms of An increased ability to Showing more

mental health problems manage stress resilience
Taking
time for self-care is not always easy, especially if you are working a full-time job, managing your
own personal life and looking after or supporting family. It is important to do things such as:
• being active, getting enough sleep and rest, eating well, limiting alcohol and substance abuse
and managing stress in positive ways
• nurturing and maintaining personal relationships and connections with others
• making time for doing things you enjoy, such as joining groups with common interests, and
learning something new
• engaging regular spiritual practice alone or with others who share your philosophy.
It is also important to ask for support if and when you need it from a family member, friend, doctor
or other specialist service.
This transfers to the workplace and self-care within your own job role can also be beneficial. This
could be using strategies such as:
• Being a good communicator with friends at work, asking for support when needed from
supervisors.
• Addressing stressors that are happening at work.
• Having a healthy work and life balance (for example not working overtime all the time).
• Exercising to and from work by walking or cycling.
• Seeking the support available at work.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Reflect upon how you prioritise self-care. Write down the opportunities you
give yourself in a typical week in the following areas:
Physical
Relationships
Making time for

your own
interests
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

• Chapter 4 Element 2 – Enhance own practice
Activity - Bring Back to Class
Develop a list of two (2) criteria to determine your competency in the Early
Years Learning Framework outcomes based on how educators promote
learning in children:
• Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity
• Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world
• Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
• Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners
• Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators
Discuss your list of criteria with the rest of the class, and agree on three (3)
criteria for each outcome.
A Complete Guide to Goal Setting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpKvs-apvOs
SMART Goals - Quick Overview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-SvuFIQjK8
Formal vs. Informal Networking | Which is Right? | Gord's Tips for Building
Strong Connections
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja0d2sKaaOU

• Research two formal networking opportunities to improve skills and
competencies in the workplace. Share your findings in the student forum.
other students.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Mentoring vs Coaching: The Key Differences and Benefits

https://www.pushfar.com/article/mentoring-vs-coaching-the-key-
differences-and-benefits/
Through the Lens of a Critical Friend

https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/through-the-lens-of-a-critical-friend
A Self-Care Action Plan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0iVTQS8ftg
An HR guide to self-care at work

https://www.hrmonline.com.au/mental-health/hr-guide-to-self-care-at-
work/
Activity – Bring Back to Class
Review the personal development plan template on page 72 of the ebook.
• Develop a personal development plan.
Share your thoughts about how to develop an effective plan with your class.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Topic 3: Facilitating ongoing professional development
Current and emerging industry developments

Each industry will have its own development and emerging trends for professional development.
One area that broadly covers many is the use of information technology to enhance learning in the
workplace.
Many organisations use online learning platforms to induct staff and also to provide ongoing
mandatory professional development.
Professional development offered by an organisation or one being used by an industry is mostly

based on emerging national and global trends. For example, currently e-learning and machine
learning are current trends across most industries.
Activity: Research
Divide into small groups.

Brainstorm: how can you stay abreast of current and emerging industry
developments in early childhood education and care?
Research one current and emerging industry development within the early
childhood education and care sector for professional development.
Outline the purpose and provide a link to the source of information.
Present this to other students.
Ethical and legal requirements

Within any work role, an employee is bound by certain legal and ethical requirements, usually
outlined in an organisation’s policies and procedures. It is important for workers to have an
understanding of requirements that affect their industry.
Legislation impacts the following:
• Australian business operations • Discrimination
• Competition and consumers • Duty of care
• Environmental and sustainability • Human rights

practices
• Mandatory reporting
• Privacy and confidentiality
• Understanding work role boundaries,
• Security of data responsibilities and limitations
• Work Health and Safety • Recruitment and selection of staff.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

The community services industry operates under the Commonwealth and State/Territory
legislation, Australian/New Zealand standards, and industry codes of practice. The system is
regulated or structured based on the following Acts, Laws, and Framework.
There are a number of laws and regulations that relate to providing support in a care environment.
Among these are workplace health and safety, privacy, discrimination and equal opportunity.
Relevant legislation includes:
• Disability Discrimination Act 1992
• Privacy Act 1988
• WHS Act 2011
• The National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013.
Activity: Read
Review the following websites, providing information on Australian legislation.

Austrade:
Australian business and environment laws
Safe Work NSW:
Safe Work NSW
Legislation and polices in aged care:
Legislation and policies
Heads up provides information on legal rights and responsibilities for
employees:
Legal rights and responsibilities
Codes of ethics provides a clear set of professional practice guidelines to support workers carry
out their work to a set of standards and expectations. This can include compliance to legislative
regulations as well as organisational requirements or expected standards in the workplace. Some
examples are:
• ethical practice • diversity
• provision of service and supports • the workplace
• confidentiality in the workplace • professional development
• the regulatory framework • professional standing.
Codes of practice and codes of ethics have underlying core principles that guide decision making
in relation to ethical responsibilities. These core principles include a commitment to respect as well
as maintaining the rights and dignity of individuals, colleagues and the community. Ethical
guidelines are important in providing a safe and healthy working environment and can assist
workers to provide effective services and support.
Codes of practice
A code of conduct is a set of rules that set out an organisation or industry’s commitments to
deliver a certain standard of practice. The intention behind a code of conduct is to raise industry
standards, complement legislative requirements, and encourage consumer confidence in an
industry.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

The terms “Code of Ethics” and “Code of Conduct” are often mistakenly used interchangeably.
They are, in fact, two unique documents. A code of ethics governs decision-making while a code of
conduct governs actions. Companies often use both of these documents to self-regulate.
Understanding your industry’s code of practice is important so you can assess your own practice
against the code.
Activity: Read
Example Code of conduct for early childhood educators:

Creche & Kindergarten Code of Conduct
Safe Work Australia model codes of practice:
Safe Work Australia
Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics:
ECA Code of Ethics
Organisational policies, procedures and plans

Organisation’s providing care and support services, must follow and comply with several state and
federal laws and regulations. Failing to meet the state and federal laws and regulatory
requirements can have severe negative consequences for aged care service providers. Therefore,
early childhood education and care providers comply with laws and regulations by including them
in their business policies and procedures and practicing them in the services they provide.
Early Childhood services also incorporate the duty of care towards babies, toddlers and young
children in their policies and procedures. Failure to fulfil the obligations of care can also have
negative consequences for their service. Therefore, early childhood services and their educators
must deliver services according to their organisation’s policies, procedures and duty of care
requirements.
Your work practices must reflect your organisation's policies and procedures. You can ensure that
you meet and follow your organisation’s policies and procedures by:
• completing your induction and training program to gain an understanding of how organisation
operates, what is expected of you, and what you can expect from the organisation
• checking that you understand the organisation's policies and procedures and duty of care
statement
• clarifying any uncertainties about any of the policies or procedures with supervisors or
managers
• seeking explanation with other senior workers about any doubts you have about the policies or
procedures
• requesting feedback on your work performance
• requesting assistance and/or training to develop skills and knowledge in regards to the duty of
care or other age care requirements.
Activity: Research
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Research an early childhood service, whether long day care, outside school
hours care or kindergarten setting and review their organisational policies and
procedures.
Identify standards, regulations, and legislation that apply to the service. Are
these standards, regulations and legislations mentioned in the policies and
procedures?
What elements of the service’s policies and procedures demonstrate that it

delivers child centred care?
How does the organisation support its educators to empower and encourage
children?
What do the following terms indicate concerning early childhood services:

Legal and ethical considerations for working with young children, including:
codes of practice
discrimination
dignity of risk
duty of care
human rights
privacy,
confidentiality and
disclosure
Duty of care
The principle of duty of care is that you have an obligation to avoid acts or omissions, which could
be reasonably foreseen to injure of harm other people. As an educator, you have a legal and moral
responsibility to keep the children, parents, families, colleagues and all visitors safe from harm.
This duty encompasses both physical and emotional harm.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Activity: Research
Complete the table below by researching and writing down the duty of care
that relates to your role as an educator in an early childhood setting. Focus on
improving professional practice.
What is your duty of
care as an early
childhood educator?
What is the law of

negligence?
How does workplace health and safety law affect your role as an early
childhood educator?
How can you demonstrate that you are applying a duty of care in the
workplace, with regard to your role as an early childhood educator?
Rights and responsibilities of workers and employers

Human rights refer to the inherent values of every person regardless of their background, culture,
religion or nationality. Human rights recognise the principles of dignity, equality and mutual
respect regardless of what someone looks like, or what they think or believe.
As a worker you have rights and responsibilities. Some of these basic rights are the right to:
• be shown how to work safely • be consulted about safety in

the workplace
• appropriate safety equipment
• to workers compensation
• speak up about work conditions
• a fair and just workplace
• say no to unsafe work
• the right to fair pay and conditions.
You also have obligations such as health and safety requirements:
• taking reasonable care of yourself
• not doing anything that would affect the health and safety of others at work
• following any reasonable health and safety instructions from your employer.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Activity: Read
Review the following information on rights and obligations from Fair Work
Australia:
Rights & obligations
Work role boundaries, responsibilities and limitations

Work role boundaries, roles, duties, responsibilities and limitations are usually outlined in a position
description that clearly set out what these are.
Boundaries establish acceptable ways of behaving in the workplace, including appropriate ways of
communicating. Boundaries also establish rules which helps employees understand their roles and
responsibilities. Workers should know what their boundaries are and be able to communicate them
clearly. Some examples of boundaries include:
Your specific duties
Your specific role and responsbility
The conditions under which you work
The number of hours you work
What you are not expected to do
Who you report to
The support, resources and materials you need to undertake your job role
Activity: Read
Whoa! Please mind my boundaries:

Blog: What is a professional boundary?
• What are your own boundaries in the workplace?

• Define your space bubble (the distance that you have between yourself
and others).
• What are your own limitations in the workplace?
Activity: Research
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Research a position description that is related to your industry and the career
or job which you are working or would like to pursue. Use www.seek.com.au to
find out what the boundaries, responsibilities and limitations are for the job.
Some of the information may not be available so aim to choose a position that
has this information available.
List these down:
Position:
Boundaries:
Responsibilities:
Limitations (these
may not be written
down so list what
you think they
might be):
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Developing skills and competencies
Valued employees are those that seek opportunities to extend and expand their expertise, skill and
knowledge.
Developing skills and competencies can be for your own benefit as well as professional
development. There may be opportunities at work for this or you may have to seek it yourself.
Development can be through formal or informal methods such as:
• One-on-one instruction at work such as on the job training
• External formal courses
• Inhouse professional development training
• Attending conferences, workshops and events
• Being mentored
• Building professional networks
• Using job rotation to develop skills and knowledge outside your own role
• Using secondment to develop skills and knowledge in a different environment
• Professional study including research, journals and articles.
When an organisation provides or encourages professional development in the workplace, it can

increase productivity, become an employer of choice and remain competitive in the global market.
Regularly participating in review processes such as self-reflection and employer or peer feedback
demonstrates a commitment to self-development and upgrading skills and knowledge.
Personal and professional development can enable you to build networks, improve opportunities in
the workplace, develop self-management skills, focus on performance and undertake best
practices.
Activity: Research
List the ways in which you maintain your professional competencies either in
your current workplace or a position you have previously held.
Research the term “Competency Standards” and provide a list of tools that
could be used to assess personal competency standards.
Look up the competency requirements for this course:

Unit of competency details
Select one or two competencies that you think you would like to further
develop. Find an online short course or industry information that you can
undertake to update your knowledge or skills.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Provide an overview of the course or article, a source or screenshot of the
skill development undertaken and the duration.
Activity: Research
Refer to the self-reflection journal that you have kept over the course of the
learning of this unit.
Ensure that it has been completed.
Include the personal development plan that you created.
Include a summary of how the activity went and if you were able to complete
the goals set in the email.
Include dates and any supporting links or resources.
Submit both documents to the trainer/assessor for feedback.
• Chapter 4 Element 3 – Facilitate ongoing professional development
Each industry will have its own development and emerging trends for
professional development. It is advisable to access and review information on
current an emerging industry development to improve practice.

• Research three (3) internal and three (3) external sources of information on
development and emerging trends in your industry. List them and share
them in the Student Forum.
other students.
Legal and ethical requirements of an educator's job role focus on the

necessities of professionals to adhere to legal and ethical considerations
regarding industry and organisation's codes of practice.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

• Identify three (3) ethical and legal requirements regarding your industry
and organisation's codes of practice.
other students.
Activity - Individual
Research a position description that may apply to your role, for example, the PD
you were given in the workplace or a PD researched using www.seek.com.au .
Review the PD and list three (3) work boundaries.
You're Always On: Your Career Development Cycle | Greg Shirley | TEDxUTA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22LGzSisSLY
True or False?
1. Our beliefs can impact on how we look at the world and interpret
situations. Individuals can have the same experience and have the same
interpretations because of the way they view the world.
2. Supervisors and managers retain records of events that have occurred in

a service for accountability purposes and to provide evidence that the
rights and responsibilities of workers and employers have been
safeguarded and so they can reflect and seek ways to improve their
performance.
Match the definition with its explanation
Kolb described these differing learning styles as:
Diverging Preferring to think and do, excelling in

technical tasks, goal setting and
problem solving.
Assimilating Preferring to feel and watch, liking to
generate ideas and use their
imagination to solve problems.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Converging Preferring to think and do, excelling in
technical tasks, goal setting and
problem solving.
Accommodating Preferring to think and watch, liking
to solve problems by reasoning and to
gather and analyse information.
Communication style
Assertive Individuals appear passive on the

surface but are really acting out anger
in a subtle, indirect, or behind-the-
scenes way. They express their anger
by subtly undermining the object (real
or imagined) of their resentments.
Aggressive This type of communicator tends to
believe that other peoples' needs are
more important than their own and
feel as if other peoples' opinions are
more intelligent and more valid than
theirs.
Passive-aggressive It is emphasised by speaking in a loud
and demanding voice, maintaining
intense eye contact and dominating or
controlling others by blaming,
intimidating, criticising, threatening or
attacking them, among other traits.
Manipulative Individuals clearly state their opinions
and feelings and firmly advocate for
their rights and needs without
violating the rights of others
Submissive This style is scheming, calculating and
shrewd. It is about influencing or
controlling others to own advantage.
Short Answers
1. How can you improve your professional practices? List two (2) methods.
2. What are the benefits of self-assessments to an organisation?
3. Reflective journals are an integral part of professional experience as part

of training to become an educator and the role of a qualified practitioner
in an ECEC service. What does their development involve? List three (3)
items.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

4. List the four stages of the Kolb's learning style model.
5. List three (3) personal and three (3) professional benefits of knowing your
learning styles.
6. How can you collect feedback from third parties? List three (3) methods.
7. Provide three (3) examples of personal work goals.
8. What is the difference between formal and informal networking?
9. Specialist advice and training can come from a range of areas. Provide
two (2) examples.
10. What are the benefits of self-care?
11. List two (2) strategies of self-care in the workplace.
12. Professional development can be achieved through formal or informal

methods. List three (3) methods.
RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723


Student Guide Chcprp003 Chc50121–Cycle a v2.0 2021

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Student Guide Chcprp003 Chc50121–Cycle a v2.0 2021

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Student Guide

Australian Learning Group Pty Ltd

RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Application of the unit

• You are able to reflect on own practice.

• You are able to enhance own practice.

• You are able to facilitate ongoing professional development.

Language use: ‘Educator’

Structured Study and Self-Study requirements

RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Focusing on continuously improving your skill set and learning

• Reflection on values, beliefs and behaviour

• Seeking feedback on performance from colleagues,

Image by Hello I'm Nik on Unsplash

Informally Formally Meetings and discussions

Self-assessments offer several benefits to an organisation. They demonstrate to managers how an

RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Be proud Highlight your accomplishments!

Be professional Use the evaluation to support your cause in a professional

Read the following blog on 10 steps to follow when writing a self-evaluation.

Tips for making your self-evaluation more meaningful.

RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Image by Monstera on Pexels

RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

As well as the self-reflection journal you are also to develop a professional

Reflecting on values, beliefs and behaviour

Look at the following Personal Attributes:

What attributes do you wish you had more of?

RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Read the following values assessment:

• undertaking work with an ethical approach

• helping others in need first

This is how you see yourself. It’s your thoughts, assumptions

RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Read through the following Core Beliefs Assessment:

• generous • show self-control

• show integrity • be sincere.

• be kind and loving

• good communication skills

• a person’s work ethic

• how you work with others

• your skills, knowledge and competencies.

Activity: Have a chat

RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Learning styles and how they relate to different individuals

Some examples of learning styles are:

Visual Aural Verbal Physical

Logical Social Solitary

Read through the following overview of learning styles.

• Visual, Auditory, Reading and Kinaesthetic (VAK) learning styles

• Felder-Silverman Learning style model.

• Double loop learning (Argyris)

• Conversation theory (Pask)

• Lateral thinking (DeBono)

• Situated Learning Theory (J.Lave).

Read about the Felder-Silverman Learning Style below.

RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

What are learning strategies?

RTO 91165 CRICOS 03071E ACN 112 741 723

Areas of improvement for any employee

Did you communicate with your colleagues effectively?

• filling out a self-reflection assessment on your daily tasks undertaken.

• Using effective time management skills for undertaking duties

• Organising work, setting goals and prioritising tasks effectively