Session 3 - Roles, Responsibilities and Referrals

27/04/2015 So on to Week 3 on the journey of Inclusive Practice, and how is the light shinning now I hear you ask, has it got past the stage of being anything more than just a glimmer? Well yes, as I stated last week, it is start to burn just that little bit brighter, but will it ever burn white bright and be that beacon of light that I keep hoping for, no I don't think it will, but why won't it I hear you say, as you must no doubt now have the understanding of what 'Inclusive Practice' is?

Well yes and no, as I don't truly believe you ever have a total understanding of anything as it is always a learning, evolving process, and something that I have learnt, and will carry with me from my 'Certificate in Education & Training' is the importance of 'Sharing best practice' and if there has been a eureka moment, or an epiphany, that manifestation of sudden and striking realization, then that will be it, my moment of seeing the light!

So Roles, Responsibilities and Referrals, what do you actually know about them, what are they. Well looking reflectively at the session I believe I need to start off as I have done with most of the certificate, define what is meant by each of these, so with that in mind, what are the definitions;

Role - The function assumed or part played by a person or thing in a particular situation.
"the assessor will play a vital role in the completion of the apprenticeship"

Synonyms: capacity, position, job, day job, post, office, task, duty, responsibility, mantle, place, situation; function, part, contribution, hand

"his success in his role as President of the European Community"
www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/role

Responsibility - The state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone.

"women bear children and take responsibility for childcare"

Synonyms: authority, control, power, leadership, management, influence; duty

"we train those staff who show an aptitude for managerial responsibility"
www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/responsibility

Referral - An act of referring someone or something for consultation, review, or further action.

The directing of a patient to a medical specialist by a GP., a person whose case has been referred to a specialist doctor or a professional body.
www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/referral

So we now have our definitions but have they brought us any closer to their meanings in the context of the 'Certificate in Education & Training' ?

Your 'Role' can be seen as your job title/specification, and 'things you will do', whereby your 'Responsibility' moves on a step from this, and can perhaps be seen as your job description, things that you have to ensure you do, your set of standards, your obligations. This will then just leave 'Referral', this is where we can look at what points of referral we can call on to make sure that we meet the individual needs of our learners.

The biggest question that I suppose one needs to ask ones self is do I do the 'things' I need to do, do I meet the needs of learners, individual or otherwise? It is a big question but one I feel I can answer with a partial 'Yes', why only partial I hear you ask, and again I will give you the answer that I gave earlier in this blog, and this is that we are ever evolving, ever learning, so I feel we can never give a finite answer to an infinite question..........?

You Decide!