Assessment

Learning Outcomes

1. Know about different forms of communication

1.1 Describe different forms of receptive and expressive communication.

2. Understand the importance of communication between health and social care practitioners and service users.
     
2.1. Explain the benefits to both parties of clear communication between practitioners and service users. 

2.2. Outline some of the consequences of poor communication between practitioners and service users. 

2.3 Explain why it is important for a practitioner to establish an individual’s needs and preferences for receptive and expressive communication.

3. Know about barriers to communication between health and social care practitioners and service users.

3.1. Describe barriers to communication between practitioners and users of health and social care services.
 
3.2. Outline different ways to overcome these barriers.

4. Understand information-sharing between health and social care practitioners within and between   services.
   
4.1.Explain the benefits to staff and service users of sharing information within and between services.

4.2.Explain the importance of confidentiality in health and social care, including key legal requirements.

4.3.Describe situations in which there may be conflicts between information- sharing and maintaining confidentiality.

4.4. Outline how workplace policies and procedures support effective communication and appropriate information- sharing within and between services.

In health and social care, communication is vital in order to effectively meet the needs of the service users. Knowing about different forms of communication will help practitioners and service users.  This unit will give you an understanding of the importance of communication between health care practitioners and service users.  You will also be able to know about the barriers to communication, and understand information-sharing including the importance of confidentiality.

Complete all the tasks in order to demonstrate knowledge of positive attitudes and behaviours in the care sector. Use the blank spaces provided in each sheet and provide the information required.

Scenario

You are working in a residential care home for the elderly and some of the residents have various language and speech difficulties.   Sofia a learner from the local college has volunteered to be on work placement at the care home.  Your role is to train and inform her about the forms of communication she will encounter while working with the residents, and to ensure her skills are improved by the end of her three month placement with your organisation. 

Task 1

You are presently inducting Sofia and informing her about the roles, policies and procedures of the organisation including confidentiality. 

During this session you provided an example of Kathy who is not able to clearly vocalise her needs to a member of staff. She struggles to speak and the words are difficult to understand which at times frustrates Kathy.  She tries to point but often she is physically weak, however she can lip read. 

Difficulties sometimes arise when Kathy thinks the carers are not listening to her, so she will shout and get hysterical.  You want to know what Sofia has been taught about communication and ask her to:   

1a) Provide a presentation or poster to describe different forms of receptive and expressive communication
                                                                                      
Expressive communication: Putting thoughts into sentence and word to make sense and grammatically accurate. (Talking, writing)

Receptive Communication:  Ability to understand the language that is heard or read. (Eye contact and clear information)

Task 2

For further understanding you ask Sofia to use the case of Kathy in task 1 to:

2a) Explain the benefits to both parties of clear communication between practitioners and service users
                               
The benefits of clear communication between the practitioners and service user are helps you understand what is needed and what has been done.

It is important the communication clear and the other person can understand it so help you build a relationship with service user and it also might help them trust you. So they can come to you whenever they need something as well as that they can confide in you. It also shows that it promotes respect and shows that the service user opinion is valued and it also help the service user get the right care that they need.

2b) Outline some of the consequences of poor communication between practitioners and service users.

2c) Explain why it is important for a practitioner to establish an individual’s needs and preferences for receptive and expressive communication.

It is important to know what the service user likes and dislike because it will help cater for them and it will be easier to communicate with each other because every individual is different, they also require different needs and they also like and dislike different things. That why it is helpful if you write it down on an individual so other practitioners know as well. Hearing loss is a disability.

Hearing impaired people have to concentrate very hard to pick up information in stages and written information. Aids that can help these people are hearing aids, sign language, lip reading, loop systems, interpreters. It’s also requiring that you check if the hearing is on and if it is working because some cases the hearing aid is not and practitioner has pick that up.

Another way you can cater for a person who is blind or has are partially blind, verbal communication increases in importance. It may be appropriate to use touch to reassure them of your presence. You might need to explain things in more detail because they are unable to see your expressions and body language.

Task 3

Sofia doesn’t fully comprehend the difficulties faced by practitioners when trying to communicate with service users who are more difficult to understand; especially if the worker is new (they often have staff from the recruitment agency).  You set Sofia a task to:

3a) Describe barriers to communication between practitioners and users of health and social care services.

3b) Outline different ways to overcome these barriers.

The different could include barrier in communication such as language- for anyone to overcome this you need speak clearly, Training in ESOL, active listening, using a variety of communication types.

Another barrier could include Cultural barriers for anyone to overcome this is to learn about variety of cultures and if the individual is working in a workplace then they have to follow the equality and diversity procedures.  Another barrier can be towards individual who have weak reading and listening skills. 

On the other hand, those who have a good professional vocabulary and who concentrate on listening, have less trouble hearing and interpreting good communication. Another barrier could be lack of interest this when a message reaches a reader who is not interested in the message, the reader may read the message quickly or listen to the message carelessly. 

This when there is miscommunication. It is really important that being a health and social practitioners you have know different ways you can overcome communication barriers. If there is language barrier then you can use hard gestures and facial expression to help this will help the service user feel at ease because they will be able to communicate with you and it they will feel welcome to come and talk to the practitioner as well as that it will help the service users to feel less isolated.

Task 4

Sofia asked to speak to you in confidence about an issue, she felt that a few members of staff were being disrespectful by speaking to other ‘people’ about the residents.  This you realised was a good time to get her to understand about information-sharing between health and social care practitioners within and between services.  You ask Sofia to:

4a) Provide a booklet to explain the benefits to staff and service users of sharing information within and between services. 

4b) Explain the importance of confidentiality in health and social care, including key legal requirements. 

4c) Describe situations in which there may be conflicts between information- sharing and maintaining confidentiality. 

4d) Outline how workplace policies and procedures support effective communication and appropriate information- sharing within and between services.