Unit 05 - Contribute to Good Working Relationships

(05.1) Understand how to agree working arrangements

1.1 Identify key roles and tasks in the production process

My place of work is a creative youth centre type environment where young people come along and participate in various creative sessions. The evening sessions are more leisure based, whereas activities in the day are more for school groups, young people with behavioural needs, and alternative education one to one support. We also hire out our venue to groups who want to use the space and facilities, and bands and musicians come to rehearse, record songs etc. We also sometimes host/ put on our own events.

There are many different job roles in our work place. Our main manager is in charge of making sure everything is running smoothly and making sure we are getting our jobs done. He also does a lot of filming and editing for the people who decide to use our services. My line manager is the creative, artistic one who runs the Art sessions on a Thursday evening, so a lot of my duties revolve around that. I’m also creative and artistic, so we get along and work very well together. As my apprenticeship is Creative and Digital, as well as having a flair for art and Photoshop, I also need to know the technical side so am receiving media training sessions from our manager. We also have someone who runs all the music based sessions. I work alongside two other apprentices. One of them is the Social Media apprentice who deals with all our online posts and publicity. The other one is the Music Production apprentice who works in the music sessions and events such as a thing we do called ‘DCAS Live’ where we get local musicians come in to be interviewed and filmed performing. These performances then go online. Also the roles of the receptionist and caretaker are important, so people can be informed about us and have a point of contact when they arrive and depart, and also that our building is kept in good condition. 

1.2 Outline how to clarify, agree and revise working arrangements in a way which promotes good working relationships

At Donut Creative Arts Studio, a lot of our duties tend to cross over. We believe in helping each other out and encouraging strong team working skills, but it’s also important that we have the independence to be able to work on our own initiatives. Also when we work together we tend to learn a bit more about each others duties and pick up on new skills we didn’t realise we’d discover. Compromising is also important, so for example, if we’re all working an event, it’s important that we ensure everyone is doing an equal amount of the work so it’s fair.

(05.2) Understand how to communicate effectively with colleagues

2.1 Explain the importance of balancing the needs and tasks of people

We all socialise and get along well with each other. As it is a creative environment, everyone is different and has their own things that they are into, which makes conversation more interesting. Especially with working for Derbyshire County Council, we are all big on Equality and Diversity, so we’re not afraid to go really into depth about our hobbies and interests etc. This gives me a feeling of comfort knowing I can be myself without getting judged, whereas years ago when I was at school I was terrified to say anything. It’s amazing how a certain environment can help a person to show who they really are and feel good about it.

2.2 Explain the importance of sharing information with colleagues

Naturally we work on a lot of things together, so it’s important to make conversation with each other in order to maintain effective team work. Also if someone is struggling for ideas, someone is always able to give good advice. Sometimes last minute events pop up which means we have to alter our hours around, so sometimes if someone for example, is out filming a meeting, this might mean someone else having to take over their job such as filming ‘DCAS Live’ or helping out on a session they wouldn’t normally do. In cases like this it’s important to converse with that person who normally does that job, so we know fully what we are doing.

2.3 Identify ways of tactfully requesting others to change working arrangements to improve own productivity

If someone is called to do a job straight away we work out who is doing what, and whoever hasn’t got much to do, or know that their job could be done alongside that job would take over. We all like to make sure everything is fair and work effectively together, making sure everyone’s amounts of work are equal. Prioritizing jobs and tasks on lists always helps me, so maybe this would be an effective method to use as a group when teamwork jobs occur.

2.4 Describe how to explain own decisions clearly and constructively

I would just talk to people about it directly face to face. If the person I was talking to didn’t understand, I would break it down step by step so as not to confuse them. It’s also important to think about what impact my decisions may have on others, before going ahead with an idea. Using verbal and non verbal (body language, facial expression, gestures etc.) communication, I would tell them about my decision in a positive way, but in a way that is almost asking if they approve and if they would like to make any suggestions.

2.5 Describe how to resolve conflict situations or dissatisfaction

This isn’t something that occurs at my place of work, but if it did, it’s important that a big thing isn’t made of it and that it is addressed as calmly as possible. For example, if myself and one of my colleagues got into a big heated argument, customers who came to use our facilities would feel awkward and see us as ‘Unprofessional’. Also it wouldn’t be fair on other colleagues, as they too would feel awkward or maybe feel the need to get involved, which would most likely make the situation worse.

When resolving these things it’s really important to stress on compromising and making sure everyone is happy. Break down the problem into segments. Think what could be changed that everyone will benefit from.

2.6 Explain the importance of liaison with colleagues productivity 

Liaising with colleagues is vitally important in order to get jobs and tasks completed, especially in my place of work where we often have to work together on sessions or events. Also it’s amazing how much you can learn from each other, whether you be working with fellow apprentices, your line manager, your boss etc. As a creative person, I have learned lots of arty tips and tricks from my line manager, and I’ve learned a lot on the more technical side from a few of the others. Where I work we are always happy to share our knowledge and help each other out, which works out great because we are all so diverse and have our own specialist areas.

(05.3) Be able to develop and maintain good working relationships during the production process

3.1 Clarify, agree and revise working arrangements, promoting good working relationships

At DCAS, we discuss what is happening the next day, throughout the week, month etc. and work out who is in and on what shifts. We also consider the skills required for what is happening, so if one of the other apprentices is more suited to the task, they would alter their hours, which sometimes means I have to alter mine. But we always make sure that everyone is happy with the arrangements, and when decisions are final, we take down notes in our diaries.

3.2 Communicate own decisions clearly and constructively

When telling each other our ideas, we always make sure we are not talking over each other. Before making any decisions, I always start by thinking realistically. Is the idea possible? How will it impact on others? How would they feel about it? As described in 2.4, I would use the right body language and do it in a way that is not demanding, and in a way that shows that other people’s suggestions are more than welcome.

3.3 Resolve any conflict situations or dissatisfaction as necessary

It’s important that everyone is comfortable in what they are doing and who they are working with. If not, it shouldn’t be a big thing. It’s just a case of talking to that person as calmly as possible and working together to find a solution to the problem that everyone is happy with.

3.4 Liaise with appropriate colleagues to ensure effective and productive working

We do a lot of youth sessions and public events which requires a lot of our staff to be involved, so we are very often productively working together and liaising.

It’s important that for these jobs everyone has an equal job amount to do, and that if someone has the job that nobody wants to do, we create some sort of rota. For example, a while ago we were the host for a couple of local theatre companies who were putting on shows at our venue. We were involved in various technical duties, but at all times someone had to be on the doors doing front-of-house duties. I started off on that job. After a while it gets really boring and painful being on your feet for long periods of time, but myself and the other apprentices created a rota system and a fair amount of time to be on the doors until we swapped to the next person. 

Unit 04 - Professional Behaviour in the Creative Media Sector

(04.1) Understand the appropriate conduct for a particular creative media workplace

1.1 Describe and compare the cultures of different creative media workplaces

The working environment will always be different, especially in comparison to previous jobs. In my place of work, myself and the other apprentices all have our own separate roles and responsibilities, but we tend to find that a lot of our jobs cross over. This has proven how much flexibility and willingness to learn is needed in the creative media workplace.

Apprentice: Laura

Apprenticeship Placement: Donut Creative Arts Studio

Roles and Responsibilities: Assisting with the art sessions, filming and editing, Photography, reception duties, odd jobs as and when, and generally being a representative of Donut Creative Arts Studio.

Dress Code: We don’t really have a dress code, but like to be seen as presentable. Our place of work is more youth based with a casual, artsy atmosphere. This is a great example of the difference in creative media workplaces. For example, while we have a sort of smart - casual dress code, in a high end design company, they would probably dress smart for their clients. The nearest to a uniform we have is our T-shirts that we wear when we do public events, as promotion is the key to our success.

Time Off: I get 25 days per year, and if I want to book time off it has to be in two weeks’ notice. I have to tell my line manager and the dates get put in the diary and on my Chesterfield College holiday sheet.

Language: As a lot of what we do is youth based, we have to be very careful of our language. As well as the youth sessions, we also hire out our venue to groups so it’s important that we are seen to be polite and professional.

Atmosphere: Our atmosphere is creative, bubbly and artsy. To some we may come across as chilled out and laid back, but we get a lot of creative work done. We like to maintain this atmosphere so that we appeal to the young people and that they get the best out of the sessions we have to offer.

1.2 Describe examples of challenging behaviours and issues in the workplace

Because of the nature of what we do, we sometimes are faced with challenging behaviour, usually not on too big a scale. There is one creative workshop we run for teenagers that have behavioral problems and/ or are at risk of exclusion from their school. We also have an alternative education programme for more one on one support. 

Negative impact on each other and encouragement - Because a lot of the young people come from different schools, they don’t know each other and sometimes they won’t get along very well. After riling each other up, others may end up getting involved while others will get stressed and uncomfortable. It’s just a case of calming them down in the correct way and making sure that the situation doesn’t get any worse. Also if someone decides to be rebellious and do something bad it sets the rest of them off, so it’s a case of looking out for things and trying to prevent them from occurring in the first place. 

Reluctancy - Sometimes in alternative education, young people have a can’t be bothered attitude and are just not attending school. This one can be quite difficult, because you can’t force someone to have a go at something if they don’t want to. Luckily we have the software for a variety of several creative activities whether it be creating a piece of music or designing a building on Sketchup etc. Usually it isn’t too difficult to encourage them. It would be far easier encouraging a young person to do a creative activity that they are interested in rather than school work. This also gives that young person a chance to plan their future and career path. So even if they aren’t cooperating at school, that one creative hobby that they have discovered will allow them to decide their next steps and how to achieve their career goals.

1.3 Explain the role of the key people to inform in relation to these examples

In these situations, we would go to the manager or our line manager to have a talk about the situation. In our working environment we would work together on finding a way to creatively solve the problem. It’s also important that the situation is handled correctly, especially as the department we work in is children's services. 

1.4 Explain the impact of different behaviours and conduct in the workplace

Im my workplace we maintain a friendly and bubbly attitude. Sometimes it can be hard trying to hide emotions and problems from my life outside of work. If for some reason those emotions can’t be hidden we’d go into the office out of the way, as we don’t want negative emotions impacting on the young people that come to our sessions. Because we’re all creative we’re very supportive of each other's problems and feelings and encourage this expression, just so long as it doesn’t impact on others visiting and we’re not seen to be upset. 

(04.2) Know how to plan and manage workload

2.1 Describe effective time management skills needed to plan workload

For me personally, prioritizing is important. I get given a range of duties, a lot of which involve setting up for sessions. Those duties take priority as everything needs to be set up ready for when the young people arrive. I find that taking notes down in a note book and making lists helps me a lot. I work out what needs to be done in the day, and set myself a rough realistic time for each job. Also some days are more active and busier than others, so I use this to decide what jobs would be best suited to which days. My evening shifts are more about setting up for the sessions and working with the young people. The nine to five shifts are more suitable for college work and time sheets which also works well alongside being on reception duty. 

2.2 Describe how to specify and agree timescales, budgets and resources

Timescales: It is important to know how long a task is going to take to complete, and for when it must be completed. Also if the task is to be completed as a team, it is important that everyone is thinking on the same level and agree with each other. It’s important to be aware of the length of time you’ll be working on that day, how much time that one job will take up, and how other daily duties will fit around that shift. 

Budgets: This one is very important in the place I work. Because of all the sessions we run, particularly the art one, we very often need to stock up on equipment. We have a tight budget, so when we need something we try to look around online to see where we can get what we need for the cheapest price. Or if we can’t get it, try and figure out an alternative way of doing the activity. We are currently looking into funding options as we are a creative youth centre atmosphere, so we are eligible for this. 

Resources: When planning for the art sessions, it is my job to check we have everything we need for the activity the day before. This also applies to when we go out filming. We’re very organised and have inventory lists on the cupboard doors where things are stored. It’s also important that we make sure the camera batteries are charged fully beforehand. 

2.3 Explain how to construct a simple project plan

Another part of my job is to come up with ideas for the art session. Usually I will either look back on activities I did at college or research ideas on Pinterest. I would then present the idea to my line manager. If we decide to go ahead with the idea, it’s my job to see if we have the resources we need. If not, the budgeting side comes in and we get the cheapest deal we can to get what we need. Once we have the resources we need, I would then  create an example version of the outcome of the project to get a good idea of how I can help the young people when they come to doing it. 

2.4 Explain the use of a contingency plan

A contingency plan is an emergency backup plan incase an unexpected event occurs, which may negatively impact on the project. As we do a lot of event work for the public, it is important that we have backup plans. The public can be very demanding, and you never know what they may come and ask you for. They may ask for something that requires a lot of work and may take up a lot of time. By consulting the contingency plan, I would be able to figure out how to realistically get the task done, and how it would wrap around my current jobs. 

2.5 Explain the importance of storing work, using version control and observing file naming conventions

The storage of files at my place of work is very important, and it’s very important that they are organised and easy to find. We do various events which involves a lot of filming and photography. We make sure that all separate projects are imported and organised into named folders, and that they are backed up. Especially when we know we’re being paid to do a job, we can’t afford to take any risks in footage and photos going missing. 

(04.3) Understand the importance of continuous professional development 

3.1 Explain what is meant by ‘Continuous professional development’

Continuos professional development, or ‘CPD’, is the improvement and development of specific skills that are needed to carry out your job. For example, it is important that I continue to develop my media skills: Filming, photography and editing. Rather than getting to the point of just being able to do it and stopping at that, I should continue developing above and beyond, which will open up a window of far more opportunities for me. Because  of this, I would be more ready to take on new tasks. Continuous professional development increases efficiency and the opportunities to go further and take on new and exciting tasks. 

3.2 Create and justify a personal development plan

I am currently working on a personal development plan, which I will be able to complete 12 months into my apprenticeship. I feel that my skills in Photoshop are quite strong and are an ongoing development. I'm currently having Media Sessions, so I can develop my skills in filming and photography. Also that I can learn how to import footage and edit it on Final Cut Pro. It's important that I progress well with this over time, as these are vital skills needed for the apprenticeship. 

3.3 Describe opportunities for training and development and explain the relevance of those choices

There are always opportunities for further training at my workplace as we have the software and equipment available. Myself and the other apprentices have had a go at various things. Our employers are always willing to teach us new skills and techniques. I am currently having media training sessions every Monday. If we are interested in learning something new, our employers always encourage us to talk to them about it. Also just simple hints and tips when using certain pieces of software are always helpful and expand our knowledge and skills.