CU303

CU303P

1.1

People communicate in order to express needs, to share ideas and information, to reassure, to express feelings, to build relationships, socialise, to ask questions, to share experiences.

1.2

Working within the care setting I communicate using: Communication books, Handover with Colleagues, staff handover books, Staff meetings, meetings with my nurses, managers or senior members of staff.
Effective communication is vital in my job role as it ensures that information is clear, concise, accurate, and informative. This reduces the possibility of mistakes being made, and ensuring appropriate levels of care are provided in a best practice manner. It is important to work as a team with your colleagues having effective communication between you all so that you all work to achieve the same outcomes and targets.

1.3

It is important to observe a persons reactions when communicating with them as not all people will be able to communicate vocally. People may communicate with their face or with their hands or if someone cannot or does not wish to communicate with you vocally at that time you can judge using body language how that person is feeling in regards to what you have said or in general.

2.1

It is important to find out an individuals communication and language, needs, wishes and preferences to enable effective communication and to understand what needs or wishes an individual is trying to express. Also to understand an individuals beliefs, culture, and values.
It is also important in order to stop an individual becoming frightened or frustrated to ensure you are able to support them in every aspect of their daily life.

2.2

Please see the following range of communication methods.

Written - Communicating in written form such as letters or emails.
Verbal - Through verbal communication such as speaking or making noises.
Touch - Through touching such as a hug or if someone grabs your hand when scared.
Visual - Such as being able to judge and communicate visually by ‘seeing’.
Body language - Such as if someone pulls away from you or looks scared/happy/anxious/sad.
Sign language/gestures- Someone may point or interpret actions.

3.1

Barriers to effective communication can include language barriers, Physical barriers relating to disability, Cultural barriers, circumstancial barriers, differences in perception or viewpoint, Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver.

3.2

You can reduce barriers to communication by being aware of what the barriers are or may be and act accordingly. If, for example, the other person has hearing difficulties written or visual communication may be appropriate. You must build relationships and trust with people in order to reduce barriers to communication. By doing this you can become to recognise reactions, facial expressions and body language in accordance with that person specifically and use those as forms of communication.

3.3

Ways to check that communication has been understood can include observing the person you are communicating with reading facial expressions and body language checking with the individual that they have understood. Phrasing things differently. Asking questions or even asking someone to repeat things back to you.

3.4
Some sources of information and support or services to enable more effective communication can include the following.
Sources of information and support are immediately available for the social care worker from the supervisor or manager of my care home. There are also specialist services like speech language therapists, translators and interpreters. Further sources could be these shown below.

Advocacy services This service can support people who are unable to speak up for themselves. This service tries to understand the needs, wishes and preferences of people, and will argue on their behalf.
Interpreting services This service can help with converting spoken language to another language.

Translation services This service can help with changing the written text from one language to another.
Speech and language services This service can support people who have had a stroke and have problems with their speech.

4.1

Confidentiality means not sharing information about people without their knowledge and agreement unless you believe the person may cause harm to themselves or others. Also, ensuring that written and electronic information cannot be accessed or read by people who have no reason to see it.

4.2

Ways of maintaining confidentiality should include:

Keeping written records safe and only accesible to the correct persons.

Not leaving written records in places where others might see.

Ensuring confidential information is passed on only to others who have a right to it and who need to know it.

Password protecting electronic files checking the identity of the person before passing on information.

Not discussing personal information about individuals outside of work.

Not discussing personal information about individuals with other individuals unless it you believe they may cause harm to themselves or another individual.

4.3

In certain situations, information which would ordinarily be determined as confidential may need to be passed on. These situations could be if there was any reason to believe that a person may cause harm or injury themselves or another person. For example, if when talking to a service user they said that they are uncomfortable with another person as they do things they dont like, you must inform the service user that you may need to relay this information to your manager. If they then said that this person behaved innappropriately towards them you would have to share this information immediately but only to the correct person such as your manager. Information should only be shared on a need to know basis.

4.4

I would always seek advice from my supervisor or my manager at the earliest opportunity if I saw that the information about a service user was being put at risk by the careless behaviour of for example a colleague at work. Depending on the urgency I would either ask them in private in the office or inform my manager or raise this in my supervision.