A time when I had to experience Professional Practice is my current position with the Queensland Police Service. The QPS’s purpose is ‘In collaboration with community, government and non-government partners, provide effective, high quality and responsive policing services to make Queensland safer.’ (QPS strategic Plan 2019, 2023) That statement alone puts a lot of pressure on officers to ensure we are upholding the high standard that we promise to Queensland.

The values of QPS are Courage, Fairness and Pride each and everyday I go to work I need to ensure I uphold the values as they are part of the commitment we make to the community of Queensland as to how well we will undertake our duties and meet their expectations.

Prior to being a part of the Queensland Police Service I had to acknowledge their values and ensure my personal values align with the organisational values to be able to create a unified police service culture.

Once I made the decision to join I made a commitment to uphold those values and ensure I apply professional practice each and every shift.

References:

The Queensland Police Service Integrity Framework, Queensland Police Services, 2019, Viewed 30^th August 2019, URL: www.police.qld.gov.au/corporatedocs/reportspublications/other/documents/QPS-ESC-Integrity-framework.pdf

Queensland Police Service Strategic Plan 2019-2023, Queensland Police Service, 2019, Viewed 30^th August 2019, URL: www.police.qld.gov.au/corporatedocs/reportspublications/strategicplan/documents/QPS_StrategicPlan2019-2023.pdf

The three legal firms I have decided to evaluate are Legal Aid, Shine Lawyers and Brett Smith and co.

Firstly, Shine Laywers are a personal injury firm and quite well known. They have a motto of ‘No win No fee compensation lawyers and personal injury law experts.’ (Shine Lawyers, 2019) The site is easily accessable with a call no tab and get directions. They even have an icon you can click on to chat with one of the staff online.

On the first page they state they provide compensation services for Superannuation & TPD Claims, Aviation Claims, Professional Negligence Claims, etc. Overall their slogan is quite catchy, and their website is very easy to use.

Legal aid is a legal service that is government funded and offers free legal service for those who meet the requirements. Legal aid provides a wider service of legal advice such as child protection, DV. Natural disaster, charged with offences, etc. Their website is harder to use than Shine Lawyers which is probably due to the amount of services Legal Aid has to offer.

The last firm I have chosen is Brett Smith & Co. This firm is significantly smaller than the previous two. It is run by Brett Smith himself since 1979 and uses his 35-40 year’s experience to gain him clients. The area of practice that he provides are family law, criminal law, motor vehicle accidents, workplace injuries, contractual law, etc. His website is very easily accessible and very easy to use.

Overall, I would be more inclined to use Brett Smith and co, as it is more welcoming and seems less commercialised compared to Shine Lawyers. Mr Smith’s website is more personal however his website needs some improvement. Statements such as ‘Your legal case will be conducted by Brett Smith personally and it will not be passed off to an associate, a paralegal or an inexperienced junior practitioner.’ (Brett Smith and Co, 2019) Im all for promoting yourself however I think statements like these aren’t appropriate to be on a website of those who should be professional, it’s almost passive aggressive?

The only advise I can offer for Legal Aid is there website is very hard to use and I think this will turn potential clients off from proceeding with their request.

References: Brett Smith and Co, 2019, QLD, viewed 24th august 2019, URL: http://www.brettsmithandco.com.au Legal Aid, 2019, QLD, Viewed 24th August 2019, URL: legalaid.qld.gov.au Shine Lawyers, 2019, QLD, Viewed 24th August 2019, URL: shine.com.au

There are three types of learning styles, which are: ” Auditory style – learn by listening e.g. discussions, lectures, tapes or a speaker rather than reading articles; ” Visual learner – learn by seeing rather than listening e.g. pictures, visual aids such as overhead or powerpoint slides, diagrams or handouts; or ” Kinaesthetic – learn by experience, moving, touching and actually doing e.g. experiments, projects, hands on training. Each individual has a style of learning which way contribute to the employee’s ability to comprehend the subject matter and apply its content to the workplace. I believe I learn through experience and by actually doing the task which makes me a Kinaesthetic Learner. A good example of how I learn is a couple months back I decided to learn how to use a sewing machine. I tried to read the booklet of instructions that comes with it however I just didn’t understand. I also tried watching how others sewed on YouTube, in person and in that slow-paced video they give you and yet still didn’t understand what to do. I was starting to get frustrated and just decided to jump on the mission and fiddle around with it till I got the hang of it. I may have broken a few needles here and there but hey I finally learnt and have made quite a few amazing projects. Anyways the point to my story is that’s how I figured out I’m a Kinaesthetic learner and I need to learn by experience rather than reading or watching someone else complete the task. References: Development Activities, Tafe Connect, QLD, Viewed 19th August 2019, URL: https://connect.tafeqld.edu.au/d2l/le/content/206293/viewContent/12068665/View

Many professions require you to continually develop to be able to work in their field. A really good example of this is Practitioners in QLD.

Practitioners are required to complete a minimum of 10 CPD points each year to maintain their practising certificate, stay up to date with legislative changes and the evolution of the ‘business of law’ in their practices. Queensland Law Society offers opportunities to help practitioners gain their CPD points such as:

• attending seminars and conferences
• preparing for presenting at seminars/conferences
• viewing on-demand recordings of conferences/seminars
• publishing articles in law journals and other legal publications such as Proctor
• becoming a member of a Queensland Law Society (QLS) section or committee. (QLS, 2019)

Another great example of this is Nurses in Australia. A registered or enrolled nurse needs to complete a minimum of 20 Hours CPD hours directly relating to the nurses context of practice. This is monitored by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and random Nurses and Midwife’s will be audited frequently.

• For Nurses or Midwifes CPD records may include participation in the following activities: 

  • tertiary, vocational and other accredited courses including distance education (should relate to context of practice) 

  • conferences, forums, seminars and symposia 

  • short courses, workshops, seminars and discussion groups through a professional group or 
organisation who may issue a certificate of compliance/completion 

  • mandatory learning activities in the workplace in the area of practice 

  • self-directed learning, and 

  • any other structured learning activities not covered above. 


Both examples are highly regarded professions and I believe they use CPD requirements to help retain their currency and build on their skills and knowledge. A CPD is important in a workforce as it delivers benefits to the individual, their profession and the public. CPD ensures your capabilities keep pace with the current standards of others in the same field.

-Natalie

References:

The importance of continuing professional development, 2019, QLD, Viewed 12^th august 2019, URL: https://continuingprofessionaldevelopment.org/why-is-cpd-important/

Continuing professional development, Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, QLD, 2019, Viewed 12^th August 2019, URL: https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/FAQ/CPD-FAQ-for-nurses-and-midwives.aspx

Continuing professional Development (CPD), Queensland Law Society, QLD, 2019, Viewed 12^th August 2019, URL: https://www.qls.com.au/For_the_profession/Your_legal_career/Continuing_Professional_Development_CPD

Upon looking at seek I found a position advertised at Brookwater Legal for a Paralegal to join the team. The reason why I found this job advertising more appealing than the other job applications is

1. It’s close to where I reside
2. It’s a Paralegal position which is what I’m searching for
3. It’s in the area of Family and Commercial law which is areas that I enjoy

However, after reading the required skills Brookwater Legal are seeking for an applicant who is experienced in either family or commercial law. I currently work in the legal sector however I don’t have experience in being a Paralegal or in either family law or commercial law. Not only do I not have any experience I’m still currently studying at Tafe and haven’t finished the Diploma in Legal Services yet.

Unfortunately, all paralegal positions advertised require experience as a paralegal or within the field. I think prior to looking to apply for any position I need to complete my Diploma in Legal Services first and then apply for positions such as Legal Administration or potentially clerk positions. I need to be patient and give myself time to gain experience in the industry prior to being a paralegal.

-Natalie

References:

Paralegal, Brookwater Legal, 25^th July 2019, Viewed 4^th August 2019, URL: https://www.seek.com.au/job/39552522?searchrequesttoken=a249e3a1-f786-43a2-9f69-ccba876f677a&type=standard

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (A.T.S.I.L.S), is a community-based organisation established to provide professional and culturally competent legal services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Queensland.

A.T.S.I.L.S mission is to foster collaborative partnerships with our communities, key government and non-government stakeholders to influence positive change and deliver high quality legal services for our people within or exposed to the justice system. (A.T.S.I.L.S, 2019)

Along with their mission statement their values are To lead in the delivery of Innovative, Professional and Culturally Competent legal services. (A.T.S.I.L.S, 2019)

Looking at the mission statement and vision for A.T.S.I.L.S there are numourous skills that I have that would align with the organisations goals. The main skills that I possess that aligns with the organisation is ‘influence positive change’. Influence is the power to have an important effect on someone or something. If someone influences someone else, they are changing a person or thing in an indirect but important way. I believe my positive attitude when facing a challenge or meeting a goal will help influence positive change in the workplace. Another skill that I possess is professionalism. I ensure I’m always on time and am dressed to a high standard. I ensure the language I use is appropriate to the setting I am in and am always well mannered.

Reflecting on the mission statement I believe I lack the knowledge and understanding of culture for Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people. Due to my lack of knowledge I believe I would struggle to give the clients the legal knowledge they deserve.

Overall, I believe I have the skills to work in the firm however I would need to gain more insight on the culture of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander People to be able to be aligned with the organisations goals prior to joining the organisation.

References:

A.T.S.I.L.S, 2019, Vision, Mission & Values, Viewed 3rd August 2019, URL: http://www.Astils.org.au/vision/

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.