Provide effective support for your colleagues
Overview
Who is this unit for?
This unit is for those who work with others to support teaching and learning in
schools. It covers your role in contributing to effective teamwork and improving your own performance.
What is this unit about?
This unit is about being an effective member of the school staff. It involves working effectively with colleagues and taking an active role in developing your own skills and expertise.
This unit contains two elements:
1. Maintain working relationships with colleagues
2. Develop your effectiveness in a support role
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
Maintain working relationships with colleagues
P1 provide consistent and effective support for colleagues in line with the requirements and responsibilities of your role
P2 communicate openly and honestly with your colleagues
P3 meet your commitments to colleagues effectively and in accordance with your overall work priorities
P4 keep your colleagues informed about aspects of your work and schedule which may affect the support you can offer them
P5 contribute suggestions, ideas and information to benefit colleagues and improve team working
P6 address and handle in a constructive manner any issues in your relationship with colleagues which can be resolved by your own actions
P7 seek appropriate advice and guidance in dealing with any issues in your working relationships which cannot be resolved
P8 comply with all requirements and expectations for confidentiality of information
Develop your effectiveness in a support role
P9 maintain an up-to-date understanding of the requirements of your role and responsibilities
P10 reflect on your practice to identify achievements, strengths and weaknesses
P11 seek and take account of constructive feedback on your performance from competent others
P12 take an active part in identifying and agreeing personal development objectives which are: P12.1 specific
P12.2 measurable
P12.3 achievable
P12.4 realistic
P12.5 time-related
P13 undertake agreed development actions conscientiously and within the required timescale
P14 make effective use of the development opportunities available to you
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
K1 school expectations and requirements about your role and responsibilities as set out in your job description
K2 the roles and responsibilities of colleagues with whom you work and how these relate to your own role and responsibilities
K3 basic principles underlying effective communication, inter-personal and collaborative
K4 the lines and methods of communication that apply within the school setting
K5 the meetings and consultation structures within the school
K6 school expectations and procedures for fostering good working relationships, promoting teamwork and partnerships with colleagues
K7 the differences between work relationships and personal relationships and how work relationships can be maintained effectively
K8 why team discussions are important and why you should contribute constructively to them
K9 the importance of respecting the skills and expertise of other practitioners
K10 why it is important to continuously improve your own work
K11 how to reflect on and evaluate your own work
K12 the importance of taking feedback from colleagues into account when evaluating your own practice
K13 the formal and informal staff appraisal/performance review opportunities available to you and how you can contribute to and benefit from these
K14 the sorts of development opportunities available to you and how to access these
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Skills
Glossary
Colleagues
people with whom you work on a regular or occasional basis, for example:
1. teachers
2. other learning support staff
3. other adults working in the school as employed staff or voluntary helpers
4. people from outside the school such as educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, local authority advisers
Confidentiality
only providing information to those who are authorised to receive it
Development opportunities the people, resources and other opportunities available to you to help you develop your skills, for example:
1. training programmes
2. mentor
3. coaching
4. learning resources such as computer-based programmes, books, open and distance learning programmes
5. support networks within the school or across schools
Personal Development Objectives
your agreed priorities for learning and development including, where relevant, personal ICT skills
Support
the time, resources and advice that you give to colleagues and their activities and those that colleagues give to you and your activities
Links To Other NOS
TDASTL4 Contribute to positive relationships
TDASTL20 Develop and promote positive relationships
TDASTL21 Support the development and effectiveness of work teams
TDASTL22 Reflect on and develop practice
TDASTL62 Develop and maintain working relationships with other practitioners