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First Public Services

Unit 1 Public service skills

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First Public ServicesWhat are the public service skills?

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First Public ServicesPublic service skills are:

• core skills that an individual will need to possess and develop to be effective in the public services

• skills that any individual would find useful duringtheir working life.

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First Public ServicesRange of public services skills

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First Public ServicesCommunication skills

• non-verbal – your body language and signlanguage

• verbal – an order from one person to another or direct speech using equipment such as a radio

• visual – writing or drawing pictures are good examples

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First Public ServicesProfessional and personal skills

• Punctuality and time keeping – a basic skill that everyone should try to maintain, particularly if you are a public service employee because someone’s life (or your own) could depend on you being at the right place at the right time

• Pride of appearance – the public services want to ensure that our first judgement of their employees is a positive one. Uniform is a key area where you can take pride in your appearance

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First Public ServicesProfessional and personal skills

• Behaviour – if your behaviour is inappropriate the public may not trust you, they may feel the service they receive is not professional and that they have been let down by the public services

• Discipline – this is essential if a team is to be effective, as every individual in a team must obey all lawful orders that are given. Self-discipline is often the best form of discipline. Self-discipline means self-control and having pride in yourself

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First Public ServicesProfessional and personal skills

• Problem solving – many problems you may come across within the public services could be both dangerous to you and others, therefore solving problems quickly and efficiently is very important

• Cooperation – this is about working together to achieve a common goal and supporting each other in achieving that goal

• Conflict management – emotions can often lead to conflict, for example at the scene of an RTA, the people involved may be in dispute over who was at fault. Disputes must be dealt with quickly to ensure they do not escalate out of control.