Question

undertake self-evaluation in child care with supervisor and peers and

establish values, belief and behavior in practice

share effective feedback

seek and reflect feedback from client

Answer 1

Ans) Values, beliefs and behaviour:
Working effectively with clients requires you to have a high level of self-awareness.
This means understanding how your values, beliefs and behaviour may impact on your clients, and seeking appropriate support or advice for your skills and cultural awareness if needed.
Values and beliefs, and their impact on behaviour, are described below.
Values:
Values represent personal standards. We learn personal values from our families, social and cultural groups, religious beliefs, school and personal experiences. Values can vary between cultures and societies. For example, you may place high value on personal freedom and individuality; however, in some cultures it is more important, especially for women, to value conformity and duty to others.
Beliefs:
Beliefs are based on what people believe to be true; for example, many people have
religious beliefs that guide how they live their lives. Individual beliefs are not easily
changed, as they provide a basis for a person’s understanding of the world. It is
important to examine your own beliefs and not assume that what you believe is right
and logical or that the beliefs of others are incorrect and irrational.

Being open to the idea that even within cultural groups there are many different viewpoints
X being willing to learn and clarify areas of misunderstanding
X adapting your work practices to suit client needs
X understanding how biases, discrimination and racism affect people’s lives
X adhering to anti-discrimination and equal opportunity legislation and policies.
Understand context:
- It is important to understand the contextual influences on people’s lives, which include
experiences, circumstances and other influences that impact on the way others think
and behave.

- For example, people who have experienced discrimination or other social
injustices may be angry and find it difficult to trust others, including those who are
working to help them.
Consider the following strategies to avoid conflict or misunderstandings.
Be willing to listen
X Sometimes you may work with clients with radically different world views from
your own. For example, there may be people from some cultural groups who still prefer their daughters to marry at a very young age. This may seem unjust, but it is important that you do not directly challenge or confront their beliefs and values in a hostile manner. You should show a willingness to listen and, if necessary, to calmly explain how things are different in Australia, where a high value is placed on young women being educated.
Work with a cultural specialist:
X Sometimes you may need to enlist the help of someone with specialist cultural knowledge. Role titles include cultural liaison officer, multicultural service officer or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander liaison officer. Ethno-specific services also help people preserve their own cultural values and practices in Australia and assist them to understand community services and activities.
Negotiation and conflict resolution skills:
Your ability to negotiate and resolve conflict depends on your ability to communicate
openly with people you support about their issues and concerns, and to collaborate
with others in making decisions that address the needs of all parties. It is also important to listen carefully to other people’s points of view.
Successful negotiation and conflict resolution involves working with individuals or groups to reach an acceptable outcome for everyone
involved. It is important to establish the needs a person may have that are not being met. For example, if a person feels that their cultural needs are not being respected, it is important to establish exactly what cultural requirements they have and how these can be met by the service provider.

Feedback from other sources:
Feedback can also be provided from other sources and this can also be used to inform
and guide the development of your professional practice. Some feedback from other sources may be formal, whereas other feedback may be informal or anecdotal.
The type of feedback you receive depends upon the person offering it and the particular situation. For example, a volunteer may comment that they enjoy working at your organisation because they are offered regular opportunities to participate in professional development activities. A trainee worker may complete an evaluation form at the end of a training session you run to provide feedback about the session.
You should try to use any feedback you receive to help you reflect on your own activities and performance, and use the information to further develop your skills and knowledge.
Accept feedback non-defensively
Most people feel defensive if they think someone is being critical of them. This is a natural reaction. However, keep in mind that the feedback you receive from clients, organisations or others is meant to support and help you rather than make you feel
incompetent.
You may appear defensive if you respond to feedback by:
X becoming angry
X being rude to the feedback provider
X interrupting and arguing with the feedback provider
X denying that the feedback applies to you and refusing to take personal
responsibility
XX failing to consider or act on feedback
XX getting your ‘own back’ on the feedback provider by giving them negative
feedback.