Promote Communication in Health, Social Care or Children’s and Young People’s Settings

CU1530  1UNDERSTANDING WHY EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT IN THE WORK SETTING. 1. 1IDENTIFY THE DIFFERENT REASONS PEOPLE COMMUNICATE. People communicate in order to establish and maintain relationships with others, to give and receive information and instructions, to understand and be understood, to share opinions, knowledge, feelings, and emotions, to give encouragement and show others they are valued. 1. EXPLAIN HOW COMMUNICATION AFFECTS RELATIONSHIPS IN THE WORK SETTING. Effective communication helps us not only relate better to each other, it also helps us do more with minimal effort. Breakdown in communication in the work setting can lead to a number of things including a sense of anxiety, alienation as well as feelings of isolation. Positive communication skills like listening, open-ended questions and calm tone of voice help unite people because they are behavior’s that lead to sustained relationships.

Workplace relationships also become a lot stronger when people can clearly and effectively communicate what they need and allow others to do the same. A frequently overlooked quality is the ability to actively listen which will help you obtain more information to enforce better decisions. The power of effective communication is essential and the ability to have the chance to develop, expand and develop personal relationships will stand you in good stead and for the company. 2BE ABLE TO MEET THE COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE NEEDS, WISHES AND PREFERENCES OF INDIVIDUALS. . 2DESCRIBE THE FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN PROMOTING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION. When communicating with others the content of the message needs to be clear, but it also needs to be said in a clear way. When receiving messages it is necessary to be alert to both verbal (spoken) and non-verbal (body language) messages. To communicate effectively keep in mind factors such as – environment: Are noise and activity levels too high? Do you need privacy? Would it be easier to have this conversation while carrying out an activity ogether? Walking or working side by side can ease the flow of conversation. Proximity: The better you know a person the closer you are likely to be physically. Closeness can encourage sharing. Positioning chairs at an angle rather than side by side makes it physically easier to talk to another person. Sitting directly opposite is more formal and can feel confrontational. Sometimes a table between you helps a person feel protected. Yelling from one room to another doesn’t aid communication!

Orientation: Leaning forward can communicate that you are interested, but too close might invade ‘body space’. Turning away can show lack of interest, but standing directly opposite a person can be too direct, where being at an angle can provide a helpful space. Posture: Folded arms can look defensive and discourage communication. Friends and family without realizing, often mirror the other person’s posture during conversation, which is thought to increase a sense of familiarity. Standing over a person who is seated might feel patronizing or threatening.

Touch: A light touch on a person’s arm or hand can communicate caring and understanding, but sometimes touch can feel intrusive, even threatening. Touch is a safeguarding issue and you must never impose yourself physically on a vulnerable adult. 3 BE ABLE TO OVERCOME BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION. 3. 1EXPLAIN HOW PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS MAY USE AND/OR INTERPRET COMMUNICATION METHODS IN DIFFERENT WAYS. Each individual communicates slightly differently according to their different background and experience and the service users we work with may have a diverse range of communication needs and preferences.

Although individuals share personality traits in common with others, the unique make-up of these and the way they operate together is individual to that person. One individual might be quiet and reserved, another enthusiastic and bubbly and this will affect the way each communicates and responds to communication. There are also factors such as literacy skills, Literacy skills refer to a person’s competence in reading, writing and speaking in a particular language.

The service users you work with may be at different levels of competence in literacy and need to be communicated with at a level they can cope with. Some adults struggle with literacy and may feel embarrassed by their difficulties. As well as literacy skills, some individuals will have better access to and be more competent using information and computer technology (ICT) than others. You should not assume that everyone you have dealings with at work has access to the internet and email, or mobile phones, or that they are competent in using such technology. . 2IDENTIFY BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION. Communication is not always straightforward and a number of barriers can be encountered when working in health and social care settings. Communication is a complex process and can be interrupted at any stage by a number of different barriers for instance – when someone cannot receive or pass on information because they have an impairment to one or more of their senses, most commonly a visual or a hearing disability or communication is affected by the environment that people find themselves in.

For example, someone who does not see very well will struggle to read written information in a dimly lit room. There are also barriers faced due to cultural differences when the same thing means different things in two cultures, communication can be difficult or when a person uses language that not everyone uses, such as saying they have a problem with their waterworks. This can mean their plumbing system but also means a problem going to the toilet.

Sometimes it may be appropriate to use slang with your peers but in normal working with colleagues or service users you should avoid using any language that can be misunderstood or misinterpreted or that might cause offence. 3. 5 EXPLAIN HOW TO ACCESS EXTRA SUPPORT OR SERVICES TO ENABLE INDIVIDUALS TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY. Some people have communication difficulties that require extra support or services to enable them to communicate effectively.