Help i am struggling to complete this application form!

[Beauregard]

Please
It is the part for additional info,it says explain your skills,abilities ,experience and achievements to date which make you a suitable candidate for this post.
I really cannot 'sell 'myselfand the form has to be returned by wed!
The job is for a Health care support assistant.

Pelvic you're going to have to sell yourself!

Have you got a job description for the post? On it there should be a person specification or similar, which lists what skills/experience/qualifications etc are needed for the job. I don't know anything about Health Care Support Assistants but you should have something which says what qualities/skills etc you must have for this role.

Use that as a starting point. Have a look at the list, sit down with a blank piece of paper and think about what you have done using x skill, or how you have experience of y, etc

Don't undersell your involvement in things - if you say stuff like 'assisted with' or 'took part in', they will assume your responsibility and involvement was minimal. Try and maximise how responsible for something you were, iyswim.

And when filling in the form, don't list the skills they have said are important and say 'I have x skill as demonstrated when I did y'. Instead write short sentences explaining all your skills/achievements etc, but in such a way that it will be easy for them to 'tick off' that you have demonstrated each skill etc that they have requested.

Hope that makes sense, and good luck!

Have you ever done anything like this before and what exactly is a HCSA. Is it in a hospital or in a care home?? If you have no experience in this post I would write something along the lines of having looked after two children and acted as counsellor, nurse, teacher, supervisor, blah de blah but much more detail.

fbb has pretty much said it all!! have you done the stuff about being caring, observant, enjoy / look forward to getting to know the people you'll be looking after, good communicator? (I'm a manager & employ HCA's) I like ones who have an awareness of different means of communication (verbal, gesture, pictures etc)but we're in the LD line of work. And like fbb said, get that person spec out and pick a few examples (as a mum or anywhere)of things that show you can do what they're asking. No need for huge detail, i find applications which are concise and show the applicant's potential to use their noggin and fit into a team much better than ones who reckon they know everything already.

UCM-A health care support assistant is basically a care assistant ,lol.

I have done this type of work for 15 years but i just don't know how to put it to paper.
Seriously i think dd2 has zapped any intelligence i may have had.

Flowerybeanbag-I do have a person specification but i still can't do it WAHHHHHHHHHHHH

it sounds wierd but i can only do these things
a)semi pssd on red wine
b) if i do it as if i'm talking about someone else, not me (iyswim)
c)after stressing so much about it i think sod it-write anything.
They usually come out quite ok after that!!

And having babies rots ya brain cells. what's in those hormone things then??

lol
I may have to resort to the "sod it write anything" approach.

If i were to write it a bit like an essay eg I have been a HCA for 15 years blah blah but including the info they require would that be right or very wrong?

Where are you going to be working - is it in a hospital or home or? If you are really struggling why don't you cut and paste some of the essential person spec criteria on here and maybe some of us can make some helpful suggestions?

hi pelvic

if you have a person specification with a list of experience and skills required, then respond to each of those, one by one. So write out the list and then under each heading, write your example. Try to tell a story for each one. This makes it easier for them to mark the applications too - as they score each one!

I've got to do one this weekend as well - you're not alone!

You can do it, you can you can!!

Sometimes having done something for a long time means you don't actually realise what skills you are using, what experience you have and what abilities you have developed.

Seriously, you need to sit down and look at each thing listed on the person spec in turn, and think about how you meet each one.

It's difficult without seeing it, and obviously not knowing about the job.

Say - communication skills. Think about the different kinds of people, internal, external, different levels, public/colleagues/other organisations etc that you have communicated with. So you don't just say 'I have excellent communication skills', anyone can (and will) say that. You'd give a brief statement about in what circumstances and with what different kinds of people you have communicated effectively.

It's hard without knowing, that's a bit of a rubbish example, but do you see what I mean?

pelvic-your last post sounds about right to me if that is the way the form's set out...big glaring blank bit just put there to cause stress

PS do wot pinkteddy says!!

pinkteddy-I am applying to work in a Home/rehabilitation unit .

when shortlisting they will look for you to meet the person spec, eg you should aim to demonstrate having undertaken/or understanding of task and skill that requires

be explicit in your statement eg
i have experience/knowledge of X and Y demonstrated by......Give examples....either experiential or knowledge

which setting hca?
read up on current literature
can u do pre interview visit

good luck

Agree with flowerybeanbag, write headings for each item of person spec (can group together the logical ones) and write a couple of sentences under each one demonstrating how you meet them. Give real examples eg: If it says 'educated to O level or equivalent experience - say something like I have x O levels and x years of experience working at HCA level in a number of different settings eg: x, y and z. For 'Successful management of a project', write I have several years of project management experience for example in my role of x I worked on bla bla report which looked at xx and made recommendations of xy and z. Hopefully you get the picture - does that help??

It is essential that the postholder has:
? Understanding of the needs and rights of older people
It is desirable that the postholder has:
? Assessment & Care Planning skills with older people
? To have worked in a residential or community care sefting
Skills and Abilities:
It is essential that the postholder has:
? Good motivational skills
? Effective communication skills ? including the ability to listen and communicate orally and in writing
? Good interpersonal skills
? Ability to promote independence to give residents choice
? Ability to work on own initiative and show empathy ?
? Ability to work effectively and contribute to a team .?
? Ability to write and record essential information clearly and accurately ?
Additional Factors:
? To be flexible in approach to the needs of the establishment
? Commitment to equal opportunities, anti discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice
? Be fully aware of the need to preserve the dignity of every individual and accept total confidentiality
? Commitment to training and professional development ?
? Must be able to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team ?

Thanks ,sorry i had to get dp to scan it in for me

Have to go now sorry, DH getting a bit off with me being on here ...but I'll come back and have a look tomorrow morning.

Sorry,thanks ever so much

yes me too, DH wants me to watch a film and be sociable! Will have a look in morning and post some thoughts. Hope that's OK

Thankyou

Meant to add ,Thankyou so much to everyone who has offered suggestions

bloody hell they don't want much do they??!!
can you play "spot the difference" between this lot and what you've already done? I suppose I actually mean spot the similarities, do like the others have said and find an example (brief) to show that you can do each bit. If the work is in the same patch of HC and you've worked in a care home or similar then you should be able to choose.

Good luck - hope u get lots more answers

tackle each component systematically
essential bit- are u experirnced can u give direct example eg i understand empowerment because....if not go to websites NICE, DOH,help the aged - read thekey phrases. get the jist and drop in buzz phrases eg promoting independence, empowerment, individualised care

Are u good listener
you value older person individuality
emphasise undersatanding of individual dignity/respect/empathy

ability to work in team eg
act on verbal instruction
act on allocated tasks
maintain accurate written records

I'd answer that something along these lines:

In my jobs A and B my role was to care for older people in a community (and/or residential) setting, ensuring that their changing needs were met through a planning process. This meant that we met twice a month to discuss each of clients individually and adapted our approach accordingly. For example ... (use an example where you had to change something significantly if you can ie someone had a fall and you had to get in additional helpers or something).

Then - give an example of how you work as a team
Then - something that you've done that demonstrates initiative/working on your own.

Basically, use examples to show that you can do each of those things and cross them off the list. If you can, use one example to demonstrate a range of different things (ie working on own initiative, commitment to training and equal opps for example).

Sorry if that's a bit confused. HTH

I am getting seriously stressed over it now
Why wont my brain engage?
I have filled in applications before and haven't struggled like this.
I wont get the opportunity to pick it up again until tomorrow evening.