Maternal and Early Years Weight Management Programme

1. Maternal and Early Years Weight Management Programme Evidencing competencies – portfolio development

2. What is a portfolio? • A means of keeping a record of professional development in order to evaluate learning and practice. • Ideally the portfolio should act as a reflective diary of your experiences throughout your career. • Essentially it is a private document from which relevant entries and evidence can be extracted for particular purposes. • “a private collection of evidence which demonstrates the continuing collection of skills, knowledge, attitudes, understanding and achievement. It is both retrospective and prospective, as well as reflecting the current stage of development of the individual” (Brown 1992)

3. What is the purpose of your portfolio? • The purpose of this evidence portfolio is threefold: • To provide evidence of Accreditation of Prior Learning. • To provide evidence of your own personal and professional development. • To provide evidence to use in a Knowledge and Skills Framework appraisal.

4. General principles of collecting and presenting evidence • Good evidence draws from information recorded at the time the work was done. • Evidence is more likely to be sufficient in demonstrating competency if drawn from more than one experience. • Confidentiality of information and its sources should be respected and not disclosed. • Reference to service users, carers and colleagues should always remain anonymous.

5. General principles of collecting and presenting evidence • Evidence in your portfolio should be either by the worker or about the worker. • Quality is more important than quantity. • Collecting evidence need not be the cause of additional work. • A piece of evidence can be used to demonstrate competency in more than one individual standard.

6. How to organise your portfolio • A paper based collection? • Electronic storage? • It is up to you – make it make sense for you. • Key issues with any system are: • Organise clearly. • Reference clearly. • Update it. • The portfolio should ensure that the evidence conveys your knowledge, values and ability in the workplace.

7. Types of evidence • Many different types of evidence that can be collected. • Evidence will vary according to the activity undertaken. • Hierarchy of importance.

8. Types of evidence • Some forms of evidence could include: • Completed documentation that demonstrates ability (e.g.) • Reports, qualifications, commendations. • Observation practice notes by an assessor, colleague or service user of work undertaken. • A signed statement from an assessor following the successful completion of a ‘question and answer’ session. • A copy of supervision notes where specific achievements have been discussed. • A qualification or certificate of training undertaken or programmes of courses attended, supported by further evidence of how the knowledge acquired during this process has been put in to practice. • Reflective logs to capture informal learning. • Notes of any reading undertaken.

9. Stages in preparing evidence • You should be asking yourself: • What have I learnt? • How have I learnt it? • Will it change my future practice and if not, why not? Consult your KSF post outline and core competencies. Gather evidence. Sort and reference the evidence. Review the portfolio. Monitor and review the evidence annually.

10. Making the most of your evidence Draft KSF Post Outline KSF Core and Specific Dimension indicators Core Competencies and learning outcomes Examples from the guide – link also to reflective log. Distribution of the portfolio guide.