Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care Unit SHC 21 Tutor Name: Akua Quao Thursday 18 th July 2013 Release Date: 05/07/2013 20:57 Assignment task SHC 21 Introduction to communication in health, social care or children s and young people s settings Effective communication is vital when working in health and social care or with children and young people. As part of your induction as a new member of staff, you have a session booked with your line manager where you have been asked to provide information that will show you can: Task 1 Identify the different reasons people communicate. Explain how effective communication affects all aspects of your work. Explain why it is important to observe an individual s reactions, when communicating with them. Information Communication methods may include: Non-verbal communication: - eye contact - touch - physical gestures - body language - behaviour Page 1 of 5
Verbal communication: - vocabulary - linguistic tone - pitch Technological aids. Preferences may be based on: Beliefs Values Culture Services may include: Translation services Interpreting services Speech and language services Advocacy services Agreed ways of working include policies and procedures where these exist. Assignment task SHC 21 Answers Task 1 Identify the different reasons people communicate. People communicate to share ideas and information, to express how they feeling, to express needs, to reassure, to build relationships, to socialise, to ask questions and to share experiences. 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 that they are appreciated and valued. In my work place, communication is an essential tool for a care assistant job who help me to meet the needs of the residents. Page 2 of 5
It is very important to communicate in my job with the residents families to show that, staffs are like a second family for the residents and everything is done to make feel the resident like home. Staff's communication is vital to ensure effective team work and continuity to provide resident's cares. In my nursing care home, communication ensures any health and safety issues are recognised and reported with hand over at the beginning of each shift and communication books of assisting a resident. That helps to inform other staff to be aware of the current situation within my work place. Residents communicate with care assistants to express their needs and preferences (generally at breakfast, lunch and supper time) to ensure they are met. (Proposing a real choices to the residents by showing the menu allow them to be informed of what's going on, this is very true with dementia residents because it's help them to figure out what happen at what time and why!) Explain how effective communication affects all aspects of your work. Page 3 of 5
Effective communication affects all aspects of my work because communication is vital to ensure a good team work with other care assistants to answer the needs and provide the cares for the residents. Better understanding communication open better team work open better cares! In my work place, effective communication include day staffs and night staffs (hand over at the beginning of each shift), residents and resident's family, meetings with my manager, staff meeting and other training. It is very important to ensure effective communication is clear, concise, accurate, non judgmental and informative. This reduces the possibility of mistakes who can be made and help to ensure appropriate care service delivery. Communication is a two way process depending with who you are communicating and the age of your communicator. Non-verbal communication can include eye contact, touch, physical gestures, body language and behaviour. Verbal communication include vocabulary, linguistic tone and pitch. Communication can be achieved by technological aids. Also, people react differently: Kinematics (Touch) Auditory (How it sounds, what will be said MATTER!) Visual (Pictures) Olfactory (Smell memories) To enter in the private sphere of your client (resident) take lot of time. As a friend, a care assistant do everything in action to make feel the resident like home. Page 4 of 5
Explain why it is important to observe an individual s reactions, when communicating with them. It is VERY important to observe an individual s reactions, when communicating with them because the body language is more than the half (55% body language) of personal communication. That mean that you are going to miss a large part of communication if you don't pay attention to resident's facial and body reactions. By observing and understanding the body language of a resident, you can know how the resident is feeling inside the nursing care home. Only 7% of personal communication are spoken words. To observe body language is a perfect way to know how the resident is feeling inside the nursing care home. Is the resident smiling? laughing? Is the resident seem stressed when close to staffs? Is the resident's voice sound stressed? or scared? More than a third of elements of personal communication (38%) are about the voice and tone. How sound the voice and the tone of a resident matter! and help to detect any form of abuse who could occur inside the nursing care home. Page 5 of 5