Effective communication
Effective communication in health and care setting helps both service users and services providers to form good relationships and to work well together.
People communicate more effectively when they:
Feel relaxed
Are Able to empathise with other people
Show respect
Experience warmth and kindness.
Health and social care workers also need to communicate effectively with their colleagues, managers and other professionals. For example they need to understand instructions, and be able to pass on information which others can understand.
Understanding others, passing on information and making ourselves understood are key elements of the communication cycle.
Effective communication is achieved by one-to-one and group interactions. While working at Brookside Residence as a manager, I (Shagufta) did have a one-to one interaction with a volunteer named Henry who was unsure about the suitable forms of communication available to the services users, whose second language is English. Our interaction is provided in a script below:
Shagufta: [greets henry] Hello, it has been brought to my attention that you are unsure about the ways to communicate with young adults at Brookside Residence, whose second language is English?
Henry: yes I do, as I tried to communicate with them using my body language they seemed upset. Can you tell me what I did that made them upset?
Shagufta: I think they misread your body language and felt uncomfortable and upset.
Henry: How can i communicate with them?
Shagufta: you can communicate with them using different types of communication like sign language, lip reading, interpreter, Makaton.
Henry: can you tell me, what is Makaton?
Shagufta: MakatonĀ is a language programme using signs and symbols to help people to communicate. It is designed to support spoken language and the signs and symbols are used with speech, in spoken word order. With Makaton, children and adults can communicate straight away using signs...