2.3 Demonstrate the ability to reflect on work activities

We have already looked at what reflective practice is and why it is an important skill to develop, however you will also have to be able to demonstrate to your assessor that you are able to reflect on your work activities.

This could be in the form of written work or during a professional discussion.

When we use phrases like “in hindsight…” or “given the choice again…” it often demonstrates that we have reflected on a situation.

For example, we could say that we witnessed inadvertent discrimination towards an individual in a wheelchair (e.g. a shopkeeper ignoring the service user and only conversing with the carer), however you did not feel confident to challenge it at the time. In retrospect, you feel that you should have been more assertive and educated the shopkeeper that just because the individual was in a wheelchair it didn’t mean they were unable have a conversation. You decide that if this happens again, you will challenge the behaviour.

Reflection requires a certain amount of self-analysis, critique and resilience. You should admit to any errors you make (we all make mistakes), rectify them and reflect on what it happened and how you can prevent it happening again in future. It is not about blame but about improving practice through learning.