Ramune Danileviciene

Unit 8. 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.
1.1. Identify the different reasons people communicate.

There are a variety of reasons why people communicate in work settings. We communicate building relationships with new people we meet in the setting. This might be a friendly ‚hello‘, a smile, or a wave. With this first burst of communication, we are beginning to build relationship. Working with other people we are in the process of maintaining relationships even when we are not realizing that. Each our ‚hello‘ or ‚goodbye‘ to someone we know means that we are maintaining our relationship with them. It doesn‘t strictly have a professional ‚purpose‘. It accounts for much of our language and communication use. It can be smiling across at someone, asking about someones holiday or day off etc. Communicating with colleagues and other professionals we are gaining and sharing information that will help us in the way that we work. Some of communication between people is about gaining and providing reassurance and acknowledgement. Communicating with children we may praise them, give them physical reassurance or acknowledge them by providing eye contact or taking an interest in what they are doing. Colleagues also can reassure and acknowledge each other. We all are emotional beings and most of us will need to express our needs and feelings and also be there to allow children and young people to do the same. Without having this children can become very frustrated and isolated. Communication is also about sharing ideas and thoughts with each other. We are creative beings and need to share our ideas with others.

1.2. Explain how communication affects relationships in the work setting.

If we want to work effectively with children and their families, and so that we can plan for and meet their needs, it is essential to establish good relationships with a range of people. Relationships and communication skills go hand in hand. Practitioners who have good communication skills are likely to have strong relationships with children, parents and other adults. This is because relationships are influenced by the body language, facial expressions and ways in which others listen and talk to you, that is, the way they communicate. To work effectively we will need to gain and share information we have. This might be routine information about how a child is feeling, what play interests they have or it might be information about their health and welfare, such as a referral to a speech and language therapist. Children will find it hard to settle in unless they feel comfortable with us. We need to quickly find ways of communicating with them and building a relationship. Same with parents – they will find it hard to leave their children unless they have total confidence and trust in us. This again is about communication and relationships. Children can settle into play and learn more effectively when they are relaxed. This is linked to the quality of relationships that adults have with them. They also will benefit more from play and learning activities, if practitioners can communicate effectively and so help them to build vocabulary, develop concepts and express ideas. Children‘s transitions (between different settings or different groups) are made easier when the adults involved have a good relationship with each other and also share information effectively. We have to develop good and professional relationships with colleagues that we work alongside. When relationships break down in professional teams, children, young people and their families are likely to receive a less effective service.

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