Counselling is when a professional discusses a patient's emotions and feelings and helps them reflect on what choices they should make - counsellors do not make decisions for the patients, they guide them in viewing their problems in a different way. The role of a counsellor is to support their patient and make them believe that they have the power to have a positive outlook on their life.
Counsellors need to have excellent listening skills as most of their job requires them to be listening to their patients talk about their problems. They also need to be very empathetic and be mature enough to respect the problems shared. Moreover, counsellors need to ensure that they provide confidentiality for their patients as they have the right to not have their issues discussed with other people who do not need to know. (1)
Counselling courses that are credited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) are the most widely recognised but there are still other courses and diplomas available for counselling. BACP have recognised three main courses available for those who are interested in counselling: introduction to counselling, certificate in counselling and minimum diploma level qualification in counselling.
Introduction to counselling is a short course that lasts from 8 - 12 weeks and teaches the basic skills of counselling - this course is done at Further Education (FE) colleges.
Certificate in counselling provides a deeper understanding for those who are still interested in counselling and prepare them for core training that is done at the next stage. This course last for a year at FE colleges.
A minimum diploma level qualification in counselling are for those who wish to join a professional body after their training. (2)
It is important for counsellors to remind their patients that anything they say to them is confidential but that privacy will have to break if the counsellor believes that the individual is a harm to themselves or others.
One of the biggest skill that a counsellor has to have is listening. They have to learn to listen to someone talk about something emotional and ensure that they are not displaying any judgement towards them. Listening is important because if the service user knows they are being listened to then they are more likely to reveal more information.
Another skill that is important is to treat the patient with respect; talking about emotional problems cannot be easy and so if they are being respected then it makes them feel secure and safe and so they are going to build a trust with their counsellor.
Moreover, counsellors have to make sure they ask questions to their patient to develop their thinking and guide them into thinking about situations in a different way which is easier for them to cope. (3)
Counsellors need to be empathetic so they are able to connect with their patients and see things from their point of view. They also need to show humility which allows them to identify what the strengths and weaknesses are of an individual. (4)
As there are different types of counselling it means that their roles are different also. For instance, oncology counselling is for patients suffering from cancer and their fanily, whereas primary care counselling is for patients who suffer from either a mild or moderate mental health illness. Individuals with a drug misuse problem are referred to care coordinator and those with genetic disorders get genetic counselling. (5)
However, despite the fact that counsellor can have different roles, their responsibilities should be the same - to ensure that the problems the individual has are resolved. All counsellors are there to act as a guide to try and make the service user to reach their full potential. (6)
Care Worker
A care worker is an individual who takes care of someone - this could be in a care home or they could vist the individual in their own home. They are trained on working with people with difficulties and disabilities as they tend to need help the most.
Someone cannot be a care worker if they have a criminal record as it indicates that they have an aggressive nature and should not be working with vulnerable people.
There are no qualifications that are necessary for someone to become a care worker but it is more helpful if the individual has first aid training and manual handling and hygiene. All care workers receive training once employed and receive an NVQ2 in health and social care. If the care worker wants to work with adults then they get a 12 week induction on safety and communication skills.
Some people like to advertise locally for a carer which someone can apply to. (7)
Care workers need to make sure that they are patient as they may have to work with difficult people. They have to be organised and responsible when dealing with personal information - so not sharing the information with someone who does not need to know. They have to be friendly and patient as they are working with people and so need to make them feel safe. They also need excellent listening and communication skills and be respectful towards people of different cultures. (8)
One of the responsibilities of a care worker is to be aware of the patient's needs and to communicate with their manager if they feel like the patients' family and friends need to be made aware of any changes. It is also the responsibility of the care worker to tell their manager if there are any concerns raised about the patient. Some care workers will be in charge of cooking and doing the laundry. Before carrying out any assignment, the care worker must ensure that they are doing it in a safe, professional way and so will have to follow instructions carefully that have been given to them by a person of higher authority. (9)
Social Worker
Social workers work with a number of professionals, such as police, local authority and schools. They try to improve people's living conditions by helping them find a solution and can work with family and friends of the individual also.
To become a social worker you will need a qualification in social work either at undergraduate or postgraduate masters level. (10)
To get into the postgraduate course you will need a minimum of a 2:2 honours degree in a subject relevant to social work such as, psychology, social sciences, education or nursing. A lot of work experience beforehand is also needed before enrolling in the postgraduate course. (11)
The personal attributes of social workers are very important - they need to display good listening skills, the ability to problem solve, to comprise, the ability to make decision on behalf of the service user, they have to remain calm in tense situations and they have to be able to take on other roles. (11)
The role of a social worker is very important and they have to make sure they follow through with their responsibilities. This includes writing up assessments of the service users and conducting interviews with them and their family to review everything. Social workers also have to ensure that they supply service users and their families with counselling if it is needed. They also have the responsibility to make decisions on the service users behalf so they are in a better situation. Another responsibility a social worker has is to provide evidence in court. (12)
Support Worker
Support workers provide emotional support to families and individuals. Support workers could be expected to deal with a number of problems, such as mental health issues, learning difficulties, addiction or relationship problems. (13)
There are no distinct qualifications needed for this job, however it is practical to have work experience in a health and social care setting such as a nursing home. (13)
It is very important for a support worker to have the ability to develop relationships with people based off of trust and understanding and can communicate effectively, this means understanding when to just listen and when to offer advice. Also, support workers need to understand that everyone they come in contact with have different needs and so should be treated differently. They need to have a positive attitude and treat their clients as individuals. Moreover, they need to be able to adapt as situations can change quickly so they need to think quickly of different ways to approach a situation. (14)
A support worker has a lot of roles and responsibilities that they need to ensure are carried out. For instance, one of their responsibilities can be to help a patient out of bed in the morning and helping them dress themselves and get their breakfast. It is an important responsibility because if the support worker were to forget to do it one day then there will be no one to help that patient as only that support worker was in charge for it. Another responsibility they may have is to carry out activities in order to stimulate the patients mentally and physically, this can include taking them on walks or reading to them. (15)
Youth Worker
A youth worker is someone who works with young people and tries to improve their quality of life by helping them reach their full potential. They aim to help young people build up their confidence and teach them new skills that will become useful when it comes to finding employment. (16)
Every youth worker will need a BA (hons) degree in youth work which is acknowledged by the National Youth Agency or you could have a postgraduate certificate or master's in youth work if you already have a degree in another subject. All youth workers will also need to have a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) which proves that they are able to work with vulnerable people such as young people. Moreover, before you apply for any professional youth work courses, you will need at least a year of work experience in working with youth. (16)
Youth workers need to have the ability to form relationships with young people and have that trusting communication between them. They also need to be able to listen to other people and be able to help them with their problems with sensitivity and tact. Youth workers also need to be very patient as it may take a while for a vulnerable young person to open up to them; they also need to ensure they adopt an open attitude so they are not judging anyone. (16)
These skills will help a youth worker with their roles and responsibilties which include planning activities that will promote a young person's self esteem and confidence. With the activities youth workers will also have the responsibility to make sure they are using their budget wisely by spending the money for things that will benefit the youth. They are required to make presentations that interests youth and helps them become more involved within their community. (17)
Bibliography
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