What Is The Importance Of Communication Skills In Health And Social Care
Communication skills are used within care settings to engage within a better conversation. They consist of physical attributes which make conversation and discussion more effective by conveying interest in what the carer/professional is saying.
My first example of a communication skill is body language. Body language is the conscious and unconscious use of physical bodily positioning in order to convey attitude and emotion. Open body language would consist of sitting with a straight back with hands/arms being positioned in a manner which doesn’t ‘block’ the person who you are talking to. This is important as it conveys respect and encourages the service user to speak within the conversation. This would then mean that the service user is more …show more content…
likely to say everything which they are thinking and ask questions because they would feel as if they have the right to without being judged or ignored by the carer.
For example, arms should not be crossed as it suggests reluctance to be involved within the conversation. It makes your arms act as a barrier and means that the conversation is much less personal due to the obstruction between you and the person you’re having a conversation with.
This can be negative as within a care setting such as a hospital, a conversation which could be very personal such as a doctor discussing with a patient their chemotherapy treatment with arms crossed and slouching, it would suggest that the doctor didn’t want to be there, and is not interested about the patient’s treatment or questions. This would then make the service user feel belittled as they would feel that the doctor isn’t bothered by their treatment. This may lead to raised concerns within the service user as they may feel that because the carer wasn’t paying attention, they may have given the wrong information about their treatment. This may lead to the service user no longer wishing to access the service due to feeling unvalued by the carer.
This would then mean that the equality and diversity care value would not be achieved, and therefore the service user wouldn’t be getting equal care for their need. This is because the care wouldn’t be adapted to meet the service user’s individual needs. For example; if one service user gets spoken to by the carer in an acceptable manner and the body language is respectful, but the carer then communicates with a different service user in a different way that is rude and negligent to the service user; they would then not be equal to the other service user. Therefore, treating each service user in a respectful and equal way, will help to keep the equality and diversity care value being achieved, and that would mean that each service user has equal access to the service.
Open body language should be used throughout the conversation to relax the service user, and make them more open to conversation. This would therefore mean that a relationship could be formed between the carer and the service user, meaning that all issues would be discussed more comfortably, and that means that the service user would feel more valued because they would feel happy and very comfortable with their treatment.
Secondly, a positive tone of voice when communicating with the service user is essential. The tone of voice is the quality of a person’s voice, which alongside other factors, determines how the meaning of what is being said, is conveyed to the service user. So, if a carer spoke with an aggressive tone of voice to the service user, it would give the impression of the carer being annoyed/angry and may therefore lead to the service user feeling intimidated and less likely to communicate effectively. For example; if within a physiotherapy session, the carer started shouting aggressively at the service user because the carer didn’t feel that they was trying hard enough, the service user may feel unvalued as the carer wouldn’t be empathetic towards them and their emotions regarding the injury or accident. They may also feel intimidated by the carer shouting at them, as they may be emotionally affected by their injury and be experiencing other things such as depression or anxiety and may lack self-confidence following the injury. Therefore, by the carer shouting at them, it would mean that they would be offended and embarrassed by the carer’s actions so consequently would no longer wish to access the service as they would feel unvalued by the lack of empathy.
Because having a harsh tone of voice could cause intimidation, it would also mean that the care values are not being achieved as individual rights would not be met. This is because a service user has the right to feel safe within the environment, and if they feel intimidated and frightened by the carer; the care values would fail to be achieved.
Instead, the carer should use a calmer tone of voice to enable a more encouraging and supportive technique of motivation, in order to convey empathy and understanding. This would then push the service user to try their best, but would also maintain the service user/carer relationship; meaning that the best possible care is able to be achieved.
Pace also plays a role within a conversation. Pace is the speed in which we speak and is important because if the pace is too fast, information could be forgotten or not heard correctly. Equally, if the pace is too slow, the service user would get bored and stop listening to the carer, and consequently not know what was said. For example; if within a residential care home, a carer was trying to explain to a service user with a memory slip (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-108102/The-different-types-memory-disorders.html) the process and regularity of a service user’s bathing schedule, but rushed through, only some of the information would be obtained. This would leave the service user confused. Because important information may be missed, such as that service user being allergic to lavender, the service user may still use lavender soap and cause themselves an allergic reaction. This would lead to the service user feeling as if the doctor didn’t have time or didn’t care for their welfare, making them feel unvalued as it would give the impression that the carer didn’t care.
If the service user gains the opinion that the carer doesn’t care, it would mean that they would no longer wish to access the service, and may choose another residential care home to attend. This would then mean that the care values wouldn’t be achieved due to the lack of equality and diversity. Equality wouldn’t be achieved as the service user wouldn’t be receiving as much time asking questions as other service users would due to the carer rushing through the discussion.
Diversity would also fail to be achieved as the service user may suffer anxiety and may need to be reassured about what they are doing for the fear of something going wrong. If this isn’t met by the carer, then the service user is going to feel scared and belittled due to the negligence of the carer.
Finally, eye contact is direct visual contact, whereby two people look each other in the eyes. It is used when interacting with people to show that the carer is listening to the service user and that in return, the service user is listening to the carer. It shows interest and respect which helps to form a relationship between the carer and the service user to allow the best communication possible, because when the carer and the service user have a strong relationship it creates an environment in which topics can be discussed comfortably.
For example; if in an early years setting, a child was talking to the teacher about issues at home and the teacher wasn’t holding eye contact with the child, they would feel belittled due to the misinterpretation of the teacher not caring about what the child was saying. They would feel unvalued as the teacher would be listening to other children, therefore the service user would feel less valued to the other children. This would then mean that the child wouldn’t want to talk to the teacher about any issues again, and may end up suffering in silence as a result of the poor communication skill.
This would mean the child would no longer wish to access the service for the lack of interest from the teacher; meaning equality and diversity would not be achieved because the service user wouldn’t feel equal to the other children who the carer was listening to.
Diversity would also fail to be achieved as the service users specific need of talking to someone about their issues wouldn’t be achieved; leaving the service user feeling belittled and unvalued as they wouldn’t have received the necessary help.
However, sometimes eye contact is not appropriate due to things such as culture and religion.
For example; some cultures consider eye contact with certain people to be aggressive, rude or disrespectful, where as other cultures consider it to be threatening or flirtatious when men and women use eye contact. Also, in many Asian cultures, avoiding eye contact with the opposite sex or someone elder than them would be seen as a sign of respect.
So, if within a counselling session, the service user was looking at the floor instead of at the person, it may be because their culture suggests that it would be flirtatious – and therefore inappropriate to hold eye contact. Consequently, the counsellor would also have to respect the culture of the service user and not attempt to make eye contact with them in order to achieve the care values of promoting equality and diversity, and promoting individual rights and beliefs.
Equality would be achieved because by not trying to make eye contact with the service user, they would be showing respect to the service user, as they would also be showing respect to other cultures by holding eye contact. This would then make the service user feel valued and appreciated by the carer for respecting their
beliefs.
Diversity would also be achieved because the carer would be accepting that this individual is different to the other service users that they handle, and therefore handling them differently as an individual but ensuring that they are just as valued as the other service users.
My first example of a communication skill is body language. Body language is the conscious and unconscious use of physical bodily positioning in order to convey attitude and emotion. Open body language would consist of sitting with a straight back with hands/arms being positioned in a manner which doesn’t ‘block’ the person who you are talking to. This is important as it conveys respect and encourages the service user to speak within the conversation. This would then mean that the service user is more …show more content…
likely to say everything which they are thinking and ask questions because they would feel as if they have the right to without being judged or ignored by the carer.
For example, arms should not be crossed as it suggests reluctance to be involved within the conversation. It makes your arms act as a barrier and means that the conversation is much less personal due to the obstruction between you and the person you’re having a conversation with.
This can be negative as within a care setting such as a hospital, a conversation which could be very personal such as a doctor discussing with a patient their chemotherapy treatment with arms crossed and slouching, it would suggest that the doctor didn’t want to be there, and is not interested about the patient’s treatment or questions. This would then make the service user feel belittled as they would feel that the doctor isn’t bothered by their treatment. This may lead to raised concerns within the service user as they may feel that because the carer wasn’t paying attention, they may have given the wrong information about their treatment. This may lead to the service user no longer wishing to access the service due to feeling unvalued by the carer.
This would then mean that the equality and diversity care value would not be achieved, and therefore the service user wouldn’t be getting equal care for their need. This is because the care wouldn’t be adapted to meet the service user’s individual needs. For example; if one service user gets spoken to by the carer in an acceptable manner and the body language is respectful, but the carer then communicates with a different service user in a different way that is rude and negligent to the service user; they would then not be equal to the other service user. Therefore, treating each service user in a respectful and equal way, will help to keep the equality and diversity care value being achieved, and that would mean that each service user has equal access to the service.
Open body language should be used throughout the conversation to relax the service user, and make them more open to conversation. This would therefore mean that a relationship could be formed between the carer and the service user, meaning that all issues would be discussed more comfortably, and that means that the service user would feel more valued because they would feel happy and very comfortable with their treatment.
Secondly, a positive tone of voice when communicating with the service user is essential. The tone of voice is the quality of a person’s voice, which alongside other factors, determines how the meaning of what is being said, is conveyed to the service user. So, if a carer spoke with an aggressive tone of voice to the service user, it would give the impression of the carer being annoyed/angry and may therefore lead to the service user feeling intimidated and less likely to communicate effectively. For example; if within a physiotherapy session, the carer started shouting aggressively at the service user because the carer didn’t feel that they was trying hard enough, the service user may feel unvalued as the carer wouldn’t be empathetic towards them and their emotions regarding the injury or accident. They may also feel intimidated by the carer shouting at them, as they may be emotionally affected by their injury and be experiencing other things such as depression or anxiety and may lack self-confidence following the injury. Therefore, by the carer shouting at them, it would mean that they would be offended and embarrassed by the carer’s actions so consequently would no longer wish to access the service as they would feel unvalued by the lack of empathy.
Because having a harsh tone of voice could cause intimidation, it would also mean that the care values are not being achieved as individual rights would not be met. This is because a service user has the right to feel safe within the environment, and if they feel intimidated and frightened by the carer; the care values would fail to be achieved.
Instead, the carer should use a calmer tone of voice to enable a more encouraging and supportive technique of motivation, in order to convey empathy and understanding. This would then push the service user to try their best, but would also maintain the service user/carer relationship; meaning that the best possible care is able to be achieved.
Pace also plays a role within a conversation. Pace is the speed in which we speak and is important because if the pace is too fast, information could be forgotten or not heard correctly. Equally, if the pace is too slow, the service user would get bored and stop listening to the carer, and consequently not know what was said. For example; if within a residential care home, a carer was trying to explain to a service user with a memory slip (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-108102/The-different-types-memory-disorders.html) the process and regularity of a service user’s bathing schedule, but rushed through, only some of the information would be obtained. This would leave the service user confused. Because important information may be missed, such as that service user being allergic to lavender, the service user may still use lavender soap and cause themselves an allergic reaction. This would lead to the service user feeling as if the doctor didn’t have time or didn’t care for their welfare, making them feel unvalued as it would give the impression that the carer didn’t care.
If the service user gains the opinion that the carer doesn’t care, it would mean that they would no longer wish to access the service, and may choose another residential care home to attend. This would then mean that the care values wouldn’t be achieved due to the lack of equality and diversity. Equality wouldn’t be achieved as the service user wouldn’t be receiving as much time asking questions as other service users would due to the carer rushing through the discussion.
Diversity would also fail to be achieved as the service user may suffer anxiety and may need to be reassured about what they are doing for the fear of something going wrong. If this isn’t met by the carer, then the service user is going to feel scared and belittled due to the negligence of the carer.
Finally, eye contact is direct visual contact, whereby two people look each other in the eyes. It is used when interacting with people to show that the carer is listening to the service user and that in return, the service user is listening to the carer. It shows interest and respect which helps to form a relationship between the carer and the service user to allow the best communication possible, because when the carer and the service user have a strong relationship it creates an environment in which topics can be discussed comfortably.
For example; if in an early years setting, a child was talking to the teacher about issues at home and the teacher wasn’t holding eye contact with the child, they would feel belittled due to the misinterpretation of the teacher not caring about what the child was saying. They would feel unvalued as the teacher would be listening to other children, therefore the service user would feel less valued to the other children. This would then mean that the child wouldn’t want to talk to the teacher about any issues again, and may end up suffering in silence as a result of the poor communication skill.
This would mean the child would no longer wish to access the service for the lack of interest from the teacher; meaning equality and diversity would not be achieved because the service user wouldn’t feel equal to the other children who the carer was listening to.
Diversity would also fail to be achieved as the service users specific need of talking to someone about their issues wouldn’t be achieved; leaving the service user feeling belittled and unvalued as they wouldn’t have received the necessary help.
However, sometimes eye contact is not appropriate due to things such as culture and religion.
For example; some cultures consider eye contact with certain people to be aggressive, rude or disrespectful, where as other cultures consider it to be threatening or flirtatious when men and women use eye contact. Also, in many Asian cultures, avoiding eye contact with the opposite sex or someone elder than them would be seen as a sign of respect.
So, if within a counselling session, the service user was looking at the floor instead of at the person, it may be because their culture suggests that it would be flirtatious – and therefore inappropriate to hold eye contact. Consequently, the counsellor would also have to respect the culture of the service user and not attempt to make eye contact with them in order to achieve the care values of promoting equality and diversity, and promoting individual rights and beliefs.
Equality would be achieved because by not trying to make eye contact with the service user, they would be showing respect to the service user, as they would also be showing respect to other cultures by holding eye contact. This would then make the service user feel valued and appreciated by the carer for respecting their
beliefs.
Diversity would also be achieved because the carer would be accepting that this individual is different to the other service users that they handle, and therefore handling them differently as an individual but ensuring that they are just as valued as the other service users.