Case study 1
Case Study 1
State what you would do to overcome the communication difficulties in each of the following situations.
1.
a) Communicating with a service user who is deaf but can lip read.
If I were to communicate with a service user who was deaf but could lip read, I would make sure I spoke very clear and didn’t use Jaron. As well as that I would try to emphasise my lip movements to try to make it clearer as to what I was saying. However if this did not work, I could write down what I wanted to say on a bit of paper and give it to the service user to read, or I could ask someone who communicates with the service use on a regular basis to assist me to communicate with them.
Whilst working at positive life choices, I work with an elderly lady called Mary who is mostly deaf, she can hear very little so relies mainly on lip reading, especially in loud environments. It is important to use simple and clear sentences when communicating with Mary so she can understand what you are trying to say. It is also important that you are in clear view or Mary and hat he lighting is god so she can see you lips thoroughly.
b) Communicating with a service user who is profoundly deaf but can use British sign language
If I was communicating with a service user who is profoundly deaf but can use British Sign Language it would be best to get a signer to assist you to communicate with the service user. The signer can translate spoken words into British sign language and vice versa. Normally, a service user’s family member can use British sign language so they may also be available to help.
Whilst working at positive life choices as a support worker, I work with a young woman called Maria who was born deaf; she communicates using British sign language. We communicate with Maria through her family, and have also learned a lot of basic BSL ourselves, in order to hold simple conversations with Maria.

c) Communicating with someone who does not speak any English (assume you do not speak their language).
If I was to communicate with someone who does not speak any English, I would either have to use an interpreter or an electronic translator, such as google translate. Both would be able to translate information from one language, and repeat it into a different language.
For example, whilst working as a support worker for positive life choices I have to communicate with a service user whose mother tongue is Bengali, and has little English understanding. In this situation an interpreter is needed, as I am unable to speak Bengali. The interpreter will express the needs of the service user by the information she will give him, and then translate that into English for me to understand, I will then process this information and perform the actions needed in order to fulfil the service user’s needs. The translator will also translate and information I need to be passed on to the service user into Bengali.
d) Communicating with someone who has learning difficulties and finds it hard to express themselves.
If I was communicating with someone who had learning difficulties and couldn’t express themselves I would make sure that I was communicating with them clearly. If they could understand me but were unable to communicate back I would get them to write what they were trying to say to me on a piece of paper, if they were able to do so. Also, I would try to access other ways to which service user could express themselves, i.e. by playing games or completing activities etc.
Whist working for positive life choices, I worked with a young man called Damien; Damien has a learning disability that he has had all of his life due to his brain being starved of oxygen at birth. This caused Damien to acquire acute brain damage which now means he struggles communicating. When