1. E-portfolio Workshop
Social care

2. WELCOME
This is an interactive session please feel free to join in at any points with your comments, thoughts and idea’s .
2 .5 hour session
By the end of the session you will hopefully have a clear idea of the direction you want to take with your e-portfolio
Location of toilets
Breaks
Feedback
Fire Exits
Mobile phones off/on silent

3. AGENDA FOR THE SESSION – E-PORTFOLIO
What are e-portfolios?
E-portfolios from a nursing employer prospective
Voluntary work in the nursing sector
Benefits of voluntary work in the nursing sector
E-Portfolio – Best Practice in Nursing
What to avoid
Getting Started

4. FASCINATING FACTS Getting to know you:
Please pick a partner and share with your partner a fascinating fact about you. Then please share with the rest of us your partners fascinating fact !

5. WHO ARE NEW DIRECTIONS SOCIAL CARE ?
New Directions Recruitment was founded in 1994 and is part of the New Directions Holdings group which is Wales' leading independent provider of recruitment and training services. Recruiting within the social care and nursing marketplace, in the public and private sectors, its services cover temporary, contract and permanent recruitment.
We are specialist recruiters in the following area’s:
Nursing /Elderly Care
Children Services
Hostel Services
Adult Services

6. EXPECTATIONS
ACTIVITY: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET OUT OF TODAY’S SESSION?

7. WHAT WILL THIS SESSION COVER
Sector specific voluntary work available for students in the nursing sector
What part do e-portfolio’s play in making you attractive to employers
Best practice for the nursing sector to enhance employability
Case Study
Reflective Practice
Good and bad practice when using your e-portfolio
Working together to make your e-portfolio professional, sector specific and overall a tool for you to use when seeking employment

8. WHAT ARE E-PORTFOLIOS?
E-portfolio’s are an online space for you to bring together information and digital objects that demonstrate your learning development, skills and competencies.

9. E-PORTFOLIO’S
In September 2012 The University of Glamorgan was successful in securing funding in order to develop an online tool where students would be able to store, manage and showcase some of their work and experiences which might then assist them in seeking employment. The main purpose of these sessions is to give students the opportunity to engage with an employer (relevant to their area of study) so that they may learn what an employer might like to see in their e- portfolio and hence how a good e-portfolio would help to enhance their employability.

10. Your e-portfolio is a chance to show case your skills therefore think about the following:
Make your e- portfolio sector specific
Keep in line with your area of interest

11. Your e-portfolio should represent you as an individual and include the following:
Your interests and what they are
Your academic development
Professional Development
Personal development
Reflective accounts

12. Remember : Your e-portfolio is a reflective account and hopefully when you have completed your course you will be able to see your development throughout.

13. Most importantly your e-portfolio is a chance for you to appeal to the job market within your chosen sector it can be a great piece of work to chart your journey through studies, extra curricular activities and personal and practical development so use it wisely!

14. E-PORTFOLIO –EMPLOYERS PROSPECTIVE
SOCIAL CARE

15. E-PORTFOLIO – NURSING EMPLOYERS PERSPECTIVE
From a social care employers perspective work experience is crucial whether that be voluntary or paid experience. A social care employer will also be looking at your life experiences and the type of individual you are.
When applying for jobs to gain experience /volunteering or even undertaking extra curricular activities the following points are important to remember :
If applying for voluntary or paid work is it relevant ?
What skills are you utilising in this position/activity which will make you attractive to an employer?
Are you being exposed to experiences which you may come across in your chosen career?
Are you going to develop a keen understanding of your chosen sector?

16. WHAT IS A NURSING EMPLOYER LOOKING FOR?
SOCIAL CARE

17. SOCIAL CARE/NURSING
A social care/nursing employer is looking for an individual who can be supportive, considerate and respectful of others regardless of background, opinions and attitude . Working in a nursing environment can be challenging at times and life experience as well as formal training is a must. One route to gain valuable experience is voluntary work in a mix of sectors ,types of work which are applicable and can gain you a valuable insight :

18. VOLUNTARY WORK – SOCIAL CARE
Skills acquired
Telephone Counselling e.g.- childline,samaritans
Local Council Day Care Centre with children
Voluntary in a care home
Ability to listen, sensitively and carefully, to what they are telling you enhancing communication skills
Allows you the ability to observe the running of a service and interact with children
Gain experience in communicating with elderly with varying conditions e.g. hard of hearing, dementia patients etc. Gives you the opportunity to observe various job roles in the care home.

19. VOLUNTARY - CONT Befriending in own home Ward Visitor
VOLUNTARY WORK
SKILLS AQUIRED
Befriending in own home
Ward Visitor
Develop a keen understanding of day to day challenges these individuals face enabling you to understand and develop empathy as well as increase your own confidence in dealing with people
Develop an understanding of the pace of life within a busy hospital ward, develop skills such as communicating effectively ,showing compassion for others.

20. VOLUNTARY WORK – BENEFITS
Enhance your communication skills
Make you more attractive to an employer
Give you a unique insight into the sector you are going to work in
Increase your confidence when interacting with people of all walks of life
May lead to paid work in this sector
Opportunity to forge links with employers

21. USEFUL CONTACTS FOR VOLUNTARY WORK :

22. 15 min break!

23. BEST PRACTICE – E -PORTFOLIO
Social care

24. E-PORTFOLIO – USE YOUR PDP EFFECTIVELY:
The personal development page of your e-portfolio is important as this gives an employer an insight into you as an individual, as a social care employer a few things that we look for:
Voluntary Work - relevant voluntary work as discussed in the last section will make you very attractive to an employer – even better would be if you were able to incorporate different types of voluntary work , this will show a potential employer that you have developed a realistic understanding of your chosen sector which is crucial in the social care sector
Fundraising – This is an ideal opportunity to show that you are an individual who likes to give back to the community and it also draws upon skills such as event management, people management and marketing skills .
Extra Curricular activities - These give a unique insight into the type of personality you have for example playing a sport can give an indication that you work well in a team and show good communications skills.

25. Conferences / Study Days attended - Attending as many nursing conferences/study days is very relevant as it shows your keen, your passionate and dedicated to widen your knowledge about nursing. Plus they are great learning experiences as you have the opportunity to meet like minded people and talk everything nursing related. Also many days will have workshops where you actually learn about topics.
Memberships to professional organisations – rcn,nmc etc. @Twitter

26. E-PORTFOLIO – INCLUDE RECOMMENDATIONS:
As an employer recommendations are invaluable not only do they back up what an individual is saying , they give added value as an employer/colleague has taken time out of their busy schedule to put pen to paper .
A few things to remember regarding recommendations:
They don’t always have to be from your employer they can be from colleagues that have worked alongside you.
They can be more personal and can reflect on your personality as well as skills
Be strategic and consistent when gathering recommendations – for example it may look odd if you have been recommended a lot for one placement but not at all for another this may ring alarm bells

27. RECOMMENDATION EXAMPLES
“is a fantastic individual to work with - she has a great work ethic and is passionate about providing an outstanding service to her candidates and clients. She is a supportive colleague who has drive and a great sense of fun.” – colleague - this gives an insight into how an individual may fit into a team “always offers a professional and helpful recruitment service that produces positive results. It is a pleasure working with her.” – client , this gives an insight into an individuals work ethic, professional attributes etc.

28. E-PORTFOLIO – DETAILED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INFO
As a social care provider one of the first things we look at and question are any gaps in your CV, this is where you can really utilise your professional development to show employers at a glance everything that you have done and skills you have acquired in each job whether that be voluntary or paid , a few tips below:
Account for gaps in employment – if you haven't been working or haven't undertaken any work – why? It could be you simply haven't got time alongside your studies at this point in the course tell us!
Explain any gaps in employment – so if you haven't been working just studying use this opportunity to explain how your studies have gained you invaluable time management ,experience of working to deadlines etc.
Explain any skills you have acquired however big or small – working in the social care or nursing industry needs you to draw on a huge amount of skills in your everyday career give us an opportunity to understand what you have achieved .

29. E-PORTFOLIO -CONT
Try and stick to a common theme – For example if you are looking to work within children services as your chosen sector your voluntary work, fundraising etc. should reflect this and if it doesn’t explain how it could gain you transferable skills relating to a job in children services

30. Overall the most important thing for a social care or nursing provider is:
You have a good understanding of the industry we work in
You have practical hands on experience
You have validated that this is the right career/course choice for you
You have a good transferable skill set.

31. PRESENTATION OF E–PORTFOLIO
Use clear concise language
Use the same font throughout
Use visuals wherever possible
Be reflective wherever possible to show the reader what you as an individual have learnt from your experiences
Keep professional pages professional
Make your personal development about you and how you have developed as an individual
Be creative let you e-portfolio represent you as a person

32. WHAT TO AVOID
Although your e-portfolio is a reflective account of your professional and personal development you must be mindful that it could also be shared with tutors and also potential employers, a few tips below of what to try and avoid:
Job hopping – jumping from job to job rings alarm bells for social care employers if you were only employed on a fixed contract or temporary basis ensure you state this clearly
Not giving enough details – ensure that if you have undertaken fundraising or voluntary work you give enough detail to ensure the reader is clear on what your job/activity entailed.
Being too professional – although professionalism is extremely important ensure that you are also showing employers your personality you can do this by showcasing your extra curricular activities etc .
Case study

33. YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT MAKES A GOOD CASE STUDY?

34. CASE STUDY Example of a good e- portfolio :
A common theme throughout e.g. - the student is focused on a career in elderly care therefore all voluntary/paid work has been around that
The student has included a section for recommendations allowing an employer to gain an insight into the student straightaway
The student has used an alternative format e.g. – including reflections from a journal
Throughout the student has reflected on what skills they have acquired from their pieces of work

35. Reflective practice
By reflecting in an on-going way within your e-portfolio you will be developing the reflective skills that will enable you to become a reflective practitioner.
Reflecting on your nursing care will increase the potential for learning within the different practice learning experiences.

36. SOME IDEA’S FOR E-PORTFOLIO
You could complete one reflective writing per term
You could incorporate reflective statements relating to placements
You could reflect on voluntary work ,paid work
Reflect on your experiences truthfully you can learn by them!
Showcase yourself with your reflective writing.

37. WHY USE REFLECTIVE PRACTICE?
Reflective practice enables nurses to develop their skills
It will increase your knowledge
It will help you deal with emotionally challenging situations
By developing your reflective practice early on in your education it will pay dividends on every clinical placement you undertake, building a strong foundation for a successful career in nursing.

38. GETTING STARTED – THINGS TO REMEMBER
Your E-portfolio is a work in progress and should be used throughout your studies
Remember your objective and end goal and try to evidence you working towards that
Capture all your achievements big or small shout about them!
Keep a common theme throughout as discussed earlier - remember if your area of interest is in elderly care try to make your paid/voluntary work relevant
Be Reflective!!

39. ACTIVITY
List three things that you feel you can already add to your e-portfolio based on todays workshop

40. EVALUATION/CLOSE
Any questions ?