Unit: SHC 52
Title: Promote professional development.
Question 1
Explain the importance of continually improving knowledge and practice.
Professional development can said be the essential component of organizational success; it is a planned process of increasing and improving capabilities of staff. Professional development is enable an organisation to keep up to date proactively so that there service is relevant and appropriately.
According to (Schon, 1973, p.28; Harrison, 2009), to get the most out of investment in professional development it should be planned in line with an organizational vision. It is known that those organisations that embed personal professional development their culture are best able to deal with day- to- day challenges and pressures and are more resilient and able to transform in response to challenging situations and requirements. For example training is also valuable if it is going to benefit the organisation in the sense that the individual is assessed both in term of individual needs and on - going needs of the organisation, more benefit could be acquired by selecting an individual to attend a ‘train the trainer’ courses in this area to develop specialist skills and knowledge which they can then use to train other staff, this may be a great investment, it future proof the organisation, this way both the organisation and the individual benefit.
Secondly, professional development is a process. That is, it s an on- going activities and needs to be through and about as something that is incremental with the different elements contributing to a large whole.
Thirdly, professional development increase the capabilities of staff , if it is tailored to individual needs it should bring about personal development, enhancements and opportunities as individuals expand their personal tools box of skills.
Professional development can be achieved by providing one –to –one individual support , access to education and/or