Health Social Care

Assignment 1
Learning Outcome 1 – Understand why communication is important in adult social care settings
Communication is very important in a care setting because it is the number one tool used to forge relationships between carers and individuals. People communicate to show someone how they feel, to share their ideas, to tell someone what they need, to ask a question, and to socialise with other people. Working in the care environment, one gets used to observing people’s reactions, such as the way the pitch of their voice changes when they talk. Body language can alter as well; facial expressions or no eye contact can mean an individual is unhappy or angry with someone. If these changes are recognised then the situation can be dealt with properly without any misunderstanding.
It’s very important in health and social care that carers listen carefully to individuals in their care. Listening to people involves more than just hearing what service users and their families say. To listen effectively, also known as active listening, one needs to hear the words being spoken, think about what they mean, and then provide an appropriate response.  There will be times when communicating with others is not going to be easy. For example, language differences, learning difficulties, environment, hearing or sight impairments, and jargon can all hinder communication. If a carer doesn’t pay attention to what an individual says, the individual may get distressed and frustrated if they are not understood. However, with the right training and education, these communication barriers can be overcome.

Learning Outcome 2 – Understand how to meet the communication and language needs, wishes and preferences of an individual
An individual’s way of communicating varies due to differences in mother tongues, culture, lifestyle, etc. Communication is also affected by disability, age, and gender.
There are two different ways of communication: verbal and nonverbal. Verbal communication...