Unit 1: Promote Communication in Health, Social Care or Children’s and Young People’s Settings

1.1 Identify the different reasons people communicate
People communicate in order to create relationships with one another and to also build trust. It allows information/instructions to be given out and understood and allows emotions to be expressed.
As a carer, communication is important as some service users may find it difficult to trust people or may find some aspects of communication difficult. Therefore, it is crucial to establish a rapport in order to understand how the service user wishes their care to be delivered and to gain an insight into their beliefs, wishes, values etc.
Furthermore, it is also important that carers communicate with one another to enable important information to be passed on i.e. through handover at the start/end of shift. It is also important in maintaining team work as without communication, carers would not know what is happening during shift.

1.2 Explain how communication affects relationships in the work setting
Without effective communication, it is very hard to establish relationships with individuals and also makes it difficult to obtain information/values/beliefs we are trying to establish.
By effectively communicating with an individual, you can build trust which in turn allows information to be passed between the two people easily. For example, if there is no trust between a carer and a service user (SU) then we would not expect the SU to be able to tell their carer(s) if there is a problem.
Likewise, if there are problems with communication between staff members then important details could be missed which may be vital to a SU’s health.
Seperation between members of the team caused by lack of communication can result in problems for all involved in many ways. If the team feels ‘split up’ then the work ethic will most likely decrease and it may lead to some members feeling isolated which may cause them to not work to their best.

2.2 Describe the factors to consider when promoting effective communication
There are a number of factors to consider when promoting effective communication; firstly, you need to consider your audience. Are you speaking to one person or a group? If there is more than one person present, you must make sure you are speaking to all parties and not just to one individual. You must also consider the understanding of all involved. For example, if you are in a meeting with a SU and a healthcare professional, then you need to make sure that the SU understands what has been said and that the healthcare professional is aware of what is happening regarding the SU.
You also need to be aware of how much understanding a person has. If you are addressing a SU then you need to take into consideration if they have any form of disability that could mean they process what you are saying slower or they do not understand complex vocabulary.

3.1 Explain how people from different backgrounds may use and/or interpret communication methods in different ways
Communication can be interpreted in different ways by different people, this is because they may not speak English, if from a different country, or they may not understand you. Different people from other backgrounds may use verbal communication to express what they think, however they could also use non-verbal communication to put their point across.
Furthermore, regional dialects or slang phrases could have an effect on individual’s understanding and interpretation of what is being said. For example if a person was to use a phrase that the individual does not understand or that has different connotations, then it could cause confusion or even offence which would then have an impact on the relationship between those individuals. It may also be that an individual interprets slang as a sign of disrespect which could further impact the relationship they are trying to develop.

3.2 Identify barriers to effective communication