Jessica, 17 years old
At first I found it a little difficult to understand what values and
principles meant, and it was hard to see how they worked in
practice. But then I went to my first placement at The Elizabethan
Nursing Home and met Anna, the officer in charge, who explained
the importance of policies and procedures and showed me the
code of practice, which she has to follow to ensure that she can
remain a registered nurse. Anna told me the importance of treating
everyone with respect and making sure that they have privacy, even if they have little
mobility or have difficulty talking. This was really useful for my first assignment, as I had
to understand all the needs that people have, whatever age they are. My experience on
placement also helped me to understand all the jobs there are in health and social care
and how the different staff members have to work together to support each individual.
For my third assignment, I had to do some research on the law and how different pieces
of legislation can support different people. Anna spent some time with me, explaining
how this can make Mary and all the other residents safe and happy.
I found the last part of the unit challenging. We worked in groups to organise a class
debate about ethical issues – this made me think about the importance of having
control over my own life and what is involved when I am making decisions. I have
enjoyed this unit and my placement experience and I am now determined to become
4
BTEC’s own resources
1.1 Principles and values
When any discussion about principles and values
takes place there can be a lot of disagreement, as
our awareness of right and wrong is infl uenced by
our upbringing. The infl uence of our parents or
carers helps to form our attitudes to situations and
scenarios at an early age and this process is known as
socialisation. Values can be political, social, moral and
spiritual; and the values derived from our individual
experience...