Daniel Roberts

Unit 4222-301 – Promote communication in health, social care or children's and young people's settings.

1. Understand why effective communication is important in the work setting.

1. People communicate for lots of different reasons. Communication is needed to build, and maintain, relationships with others, to express our needs and feelings, to reassure ourselves, to ask questions, to share experiences with each other and also to socialise. It is important that our service users feel valued and communication is key to this. Good communication skills are needed to record and report any important information to my colleagues and to any other parties involved. Communication is much more than talking! It is about how we respond to each other in many different ways: touch, facial expressions, body movements, dress, telephone or Email messages. It is effective in my role, working with Children with learning difficulties and special needs, to be a good non-verbal communicator, and this can take many shapes and forms.
2. Relationships and communication go hand in hand together! Effective relationships are the basis of effective communication, which is essential in my role as a care worker. It is very important for me to build a relationship with the service users that I work with so that they trust me and are happy and comfortable in my company, and having a good relationship, by being a good communicator, is vital for me to achieve this. It is equally important for me to have established relationships with my co-workers so we can share information together effectively which will help in providing the best possible service to our Young People.

2. Be able to meet the communication and language needs, wishes and preferences of individuals.

1. The best way for me to establish the communication and language needs, wishes and preferences of our Service Users is to go to their personal file and read thoroughly before meeting the YP, and then before every shift I work with the service user so that it is always fresh. This can help me prepare any communication aids the YP may needs beforehand (PECS schedule board). In their file I should be able to find an information for carers sheet, a form devised by TNN to help staff make the unit feel as homely as we possibly can by being consistent with the YP's home routines. This form will include any forms of communication the parent/carer has with the YP. There should also be a communication plan from their school, which helps us be as consistent as we can. The YP's link worker should have also included in their placement plan if there are any routines, schedule boards, PECS symbols to be used. Making sure that I have read all information regarding any potential barriers to communication before I work with a YP is vital if I want to start building a trusting relationship as soon as possible.
2. There are many factors to consider when promoting effective communication which in my role play a much more significant part when trying to communicate effectively. Our service user could have a problem with their speech, they may be unable to move, they may have a hearing aid or a visual impairment which could all make even the smallest ways of communicating a tough task, and thus very stressful for them. The environment in which the communication is taking place can have a huge affect. Ensuring that the lights, the temperature, the noise and also, most importantly, the crowd are all at a level where the service user is comfortable is hugely effective. There could be cultural differences and I could also have a different first language to the service user and their family. To promote effective communication the best that I can I need to use verbal and non-verbal communication techniques. I need to speak very clearly and be prepared to re-phrase for the service user if they have trouble understanding, the posture I have will also impact on how effective the communication,