PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION IN ADULT SOCIAL CARE SETTINGS
UNIT 21
LEVEL 2
1. Understand why communication is important in adult social care settings
1.1. Identify different reasons why people communicate
Reasons may be: building relationships socialise sharing wishes, ideas, feelings, needs expressing preferences, ideas, feelings, needs getting to know each other obtaining and receiving information

1.2. Explain how effective communication affects all aspects to working in adult social care setting
Effective communication can affect: team work help to build trust support the development of effective relationships, teamwork empathy and shared understanding, understand of individuals needs helps the development of own knowledge and skills, service provision

1.3. Explain why it is important to observe an individual’s reaction when communicating with them
May include: to understand non-verbal communication for example gesture, eye contact, body language, facial express to recognise barriers to communicate to enable effective communication to understand what individual try to express to know if information has been understood to know when something has been changed in an individual’s needs

2. Understand how to meet the communication and language needs, wishes and preferences of individual
2.1. Explain why it is important to find out an individual’s communication and language needs, wishes and preferences
An individual is a person who needs care and support. Preferences an individual may be based on culture, religion, beliefs. Importance to find out an individual’s wishes, preferences and needs may include: to enable effective communication, enable expression of needs, wishes and preferences, to reduce the occurrence of mistakes in care for example to avoid the individual feeling excluded to establish trust between individuals and care professionals to avoid the individual becoming distressed, frustrated and frightened to support independence in daily life

2.2. Describe a range of communication methods: non – verbal communication verbal communication
Non – verbal communication included: written words
British sign language facial expressions eye contact touch body language
Braille
technological aids, minicom, telephone relay system behaviour gestures
Verbal communication: speech vocabulary linguistic tone pitch 3. Understand how to reduce barriers to communication
3.1. Identify barriers to communication

Barriers may include: different language, dialect, use of jargon an uncomfortable environment e.g. poor lighting, noise, temperature aggression health condition, mental problems lack of confidence lack of privacy not understanding an individual needs, cultures, values, wishes, beliefs

3.2. Describe ways to reduce barriers to communication
May include: speaking slowly and clearly understanding an individual wishes, beliefs, needs, culture, values showing you are listening and interested making sure the environment is comfortable providing a quiet and private environment avoiding using jargon staff training

3.3. Describe ways to check that communication has been understood

May include: observation of body language and facial expression asking question use of paraphrasing checking with the individual that they have understood consulting others

3.4. Identify sources of information and support or services to enable more effective communication

Sources of information and support may include: residents care plans and communication profile residents themselves translator interpreter key worker speech and