The Role Of Communication In Health And Social Care

Communication is the act of transferring information from one place to another in different ways which allows people to feel safe, build relationships and develop self-esteem (Skillsyouneed, No date). It means being able to convey information clearly and directly, giving appropriate levels of praise, advice and feedback (Chandler and Grzyb, 2001). Interpersonal skills are the skills we use daily to communicate with people which allows you to respond appropriately to the needs and feelings of other people (Skillsyouneed, No date). In simple terms it is treating people with respect, fairness and consistency (Martin, Charlesworth and Henderson 2010)
Communication takes place in many different contexts within Health and Social Care such as; one
It is important that communication is done effectively as poor communication can make the service user feel worthless and vulnerable.
Communication can be split into two main groups, verbal and non-verbal. Verbal communication includes speech that can be changed by the tone and pitch. On the other hand, non-verbal communication includes things like; body posture, gestures, facial expressions and much more (Stretch and Whitehouse 2007).
Language is verbal communication and is one of the ways we communicate. Tone, pitch and speed all play a part in how the words we say are perceived. To make it even more confusing dialect, slang and jargon are added. Dialect is when words are pronounced in a certain way by people from certain place, for example Londoners will have a different dialect compared to those from the North of England. Social groups use slang; this is the use of informal words that are understood by a particular community and aren’t usually found in the dictionary. Verbal communication can be is probably the most common way we communicate, however we all have a different dialects and slang we use which helps us communicate effectively with specific
Instead we use our eyes, hands, facial expressions, head angle, posture etc. Even from the way we sit and stand, our body is communicating. Most of the time our body sends messages to the other person without us even knowing such as, leaning back in a chair can send the message that you are relaxed; leaning forward can send the message that you are showing interest. As well as posture the way we move around can also communicate messages.
Facial expressions are an important part of non - verbal communication as they indicate our emotional states. This is done by facial muscles and the tension in the shoulder and neck, when a person is happy they will have wide eyes that make eye contact with you, a big smile and moving arms to show the excitement.
It is more than likely that other people will be able to recognise your emotions through non - verbal communication, however to communicate effectively you will need to understand how your non - verbal behaviour will impact others (Stretch and Whitehouse