People Communication free essay sample

One of the main reasons that people communicate is to understand each other. Without the ability to communicate nobody would understand what is expected of them and we wouldn’t know the needs of others. People also communicate to share their wants, needs and feelings. In order for us to adequately care for someone we need to know and understand what they expect from us and how they feel about different situations. Without communication we wouldn’t be able to have a conversation therefore wouldn’t know anybody’s likes or dislikes. We communicate to give and receive support and to express our thoughts, ideas and information. By doing all of this we also make and develop relationships through communicating. Aii) a) Effective communication can affect relationships in a positive way. It helps to ensure that the needs of each individual are met. When sharing information it helps to avoid misunderstandings, which will create a stronger relationship between colleagues and other professionals. We will write a custom essay sample on People Communication or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It will also help to built trust and respect. ) Effective communication can also affect relationships between individuals using the service and their carers. If the individual understands what the carer is doing is will help create a calmer and positive atmosphere which will eventually help to build a strong relationship between the carer and the individual. It will also help the carer to understand the needs and feelings of the individual. Aiii) There are many ways to find out the communication and language needs of an individual. One way is to talk to the individual/observe the individual. Although if the individual is fully comprehendible this is a good method – if the individual is not able to speak, understand you or is confused the information you would receive could be wrong. Although I would immediately know if the individual is visually or hearing impaired. Another way is to talk to the family. This is a good way of finding out how they communicate with the individual, which will establish a familiarity for the individual. However this may not be the method of communication that the individual prefers. Another method would be to look in their care plan. This method is usually reliable and will have all the individuals past information in too, however it may not have been updated in awhile or may have been documented incorrectly due to human error and therefore will become ineffective. Aiv) When promoting effective communication you have to take into consideration a number of things. One of these is whether the individual understands you. Usually the individual will express either verbally or by facial expressions whether they understand you or not. Another factor to consider is the best method of communication with that particular individual. Obviously every one id different and will prefer to communicate in certain ways. For example, if you have an individual who is hard of hearing you could use a white board or sign language. Another factor to consider would be whether there were any language barriers. Av) There are many different methods and styles of communication that a social care worker may use. This may be verbal such as; Using a telephone – in this method only verbal communication is used as there is no body language to provide extra support. The only factors to consider with verbal communication is the tone and pitch that is used; Face to face – this verbal method is also supported by body language and facial expressions; Paraphrasing – where the social care worker will repeat what the individual has said to them to ensure they have heard correctly. To do this the care worker may re-word what the individual has said using more understandable vocabulary; Clarification – where the social care worker will sum up the conversation to ensure they have understood and Open questions – this method required more than a yes or no answer. There are also non-verbal methods such as; Sign language or lip reading – this is very effective with individuals who are hard of hearing; E-Mail – this method is good when communicating with other professionals, members of staff or the individual’s family; Pen and paper/ whiteboard – this method would be good for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing who don’t understand sign language. Using gestures is also another good behavioural method of communicating and can be used with either verbal communication or non-verbal. Avi) It is important to respond to an individual’s reaction when communication as you can ensure that they have understood you. This will help to develop a stronger relationship and will allow the individual to feel heard and accepted. Avii) An individual’s background will influence their communication methods greatly. For example, if an individual hasn’t been listened to in the past or has been ignored then they won’t feel that they will be listened to now. It also depends how they communicated in their hometown. For example, if they’re from somewhere where everyone spoke fast they will have difficulty having a conversation with someone who spoke slowly. However they would continue to talk fast irrespective of the community they now live in. Depending on where in the UK they’re from will also depend on what accent they have – this can lead to a possible communication barrier as many people find it difficult to understand people with strong accents. If they are from another country then they will have another language that they speak and may find it difficult to learn a new language or to understand what is being communicated to them. Therefore they may use a translator or if they are able to write in their new language they would use a non-verbal communication method. Aviii) There are many different communication barriers. One being language differences. To overcome this you may get in an interpreter or allow the individual to have language lessons to help them understand. You could also use makaton or sign language if the individual was able to understand that method or use body language and gestures to help. Another communication barrier could be a physical barrier. To overcome this you would need to identify the preferred method of communication – this could be body language, gestures, eye contact, physical touch, facial expressions, spoken language, makaton or sign language, writing, drawing or pictures. Another barrier could be cultural differences. To overcome this you could have to check each individuals record to ensure you are aware of which culture they are from. You could also speak to a family member, friends or someone else who is form the same culture to learn and understand a bit more about it or use the internet to look it up. Aix) A strategy that you could use to clarify misunderstandings that you may have would be to ask verbally if the individual understood what you were communicating to them and then repeat yourself if they haven’t fully understood. You could also get another carer/person to explain it to them or try a different method of communication such as writing/ drawing/ makaton etc. Ax) To enable a more effective communication with individuals you could use their preferred spoken language or use signs, symbols, objects or write it down for them. You would use the appropriate communication style to ensure you are communicating in a way which is sensitive to the in individuals needs, concerns and reactions. You could also ensure you allow the individual nough time to process and understand what is being communicated to them and ensure they have the correct communication aids that they needs for example hearing aids. If needed they could access extra support for example, interpreters or translators, signers or special equipment or aids to help the, understand. Task B Case Study Bi) Confidentiality means not sharing any information with anyone about someone else without their knowledge or agreement unless they are putting th emselves or someone else at risk. I would explain to Hannah that although she is an individual and has a right to choose whether or not she takes the tablet, she is putting her health at risk and therefore I would have to share the information with my manager to ensure that she stays healthy and safe. I would also tell Hannah that I won’t be sharing the information with her daughter unless she agreed to it. Bii) As Hannah is putting herself at risk a number of different people would need to be notified. These would include all the care staff and the senior carer, the manager and possibly her Nurse/ Doctor as they would be able to ensure her safety and help her to understand the benefits of taking her tablet. Although Hannah would be upset that I shared the information with other health care professionals, if her Daughter found out the strong relationship between them could potentially break down. Biii) Any information that is shared during work should remain at work and information shouldn’t be passed onto people who aren’t in a health care profession or working along side you. Any information regarding other individuals or staff members shouldn’t be discussed with other service users. All the residents information such as their care plans should be kept in a locked cupboard so they are out of reach from visitors and other residents. Information regarding an individual shouldn’t be passed out over the phone unless told by a senior member of staff and you should ensure that you can’t be overheard by anyone when talking about an individual or member of staff. Biv) A social care worker should get advice on confidentiality when they feel that someone is potentially at risk. If the care worker decides that keeping the information to themselves could cause harm to themselves, the individual or someone else then they should get further information. This can be found in the policies and procedures and their staff manual. They could also ask a senior member of staff or their manager.