Communication

SHC 31: Promote communication in health, social care or children and young people’s settings Assessment: 1.1 – Identify different reasons why people communicate Communication is essential in our life. It is important every time and in every place. Without communication the world would have been a mess. Reasons why people communicate are a lot, but the most important are: * To understand others and be understood- communication makes us possible to understand other people’s ideas, thoughts, knowledge, emotions, feelings and needs. By communicating I know what others need and help them if I can and conversely, if others can, will help me with what I need. * To give and receive information – In order to tell someone something is essential the ability to communicate, because with a bad communication is impossible to transmit what we have in mind. To gain knowledge and to be successful in life we need to learn a lot of things. Most of them we will learn by asking and by seeking information. * To express our needs and feeling – In our life everyone has some vital needs. But in order to meet them we need to show them, to express what is necessary for our survival. And that we do by communicating. For example a baby that is hungry will cry or scream to show it. By expressing what we feel, people around us will know how to respond to us. * To discus a situation – Communication helps everywhere. By communicating we co-operate with others, discus about any situation or solve all problems that affect us in our family, work or in any other place. * To create and maintain relationship with others – In our life we meet a lot of people that we create a relationship with. And this we do by communicating in different ways. In my job I have to communicate with children, their parents or the members of staff. But to do my job better I have to maintain a good relationship with all of them. That I can do with an open communication and a positive attitude. * To meet the needs of children – In my job, one of basic requirements is to have a good communication. First of all because I work with children and I have to create a close relationship with them, I have to make them feel comfortable and to trust me. For that, I need to know how to communicate with them. Also a good communication with other staff members creates an effective team working. Assessment 1.2 - Explain how communication affects relationships in the work setting. Communication is essential to create positive relationships at work setting. With a good communication I support my colleagues or children and young people and when I need help or support I get it. An effective communication creates stronger relationships at workplace. If people don’t have good communication then will arise conflicts and will not have connection between them. Good communication creates positive working environment that means: In my setting good communication with other staff members makes possible to work together without any problem, which means an effective team working and the best outcome for us and for children that we work with. We have to ensure to meet the needs of children and young people. If we know to communicate, will be easier for us to know these needs and to meet them properly. We have good relations with parents. We share and gather regularly information with parents about child's progress, feelings, healthy and their interest. When a child changes setting we have to ensure that the child is feeling good, comfortable at new setting. We create a friendly and peaceful environment for new children that come to our setting. Assessment 2.2 - Describe the factors to consider when promoting effective communication In order to promote an effective communication the first thing that we should have in mind is to harmonize the verbal and non-verbal communication. This means that words and body language or facial expression have to transmit the same message. Some other factors that make the communication effective are: Verbal communication In my setting, when I talk with children, parents or staff members I’m very careful at the language that I use. I have to choose a different language when I’m talking with children and a different one when I’m talking with adults. With children I try to be more understandable, using simpler words. Tone and the pitch of voice should suit with situation. If I want to get the attention of others, my tone of voice is louder and I use direct communication. If a child is sad or desperate, then I will have a quieter and more understandable voice. Non-verbal-communication Body language is to talk without words. It reinforces what we are saying with words. Body language includes rolling eye, gesture, facial expression and hand.  Eye contact keeps children focused on what I’m saying. Eye contact is a sign that is your turn to speak, regulate the flow of conversation and gives information to both speaker and listener. Facial expressions show our real feelings, because our face can’t lie. Sometimes we say different words from what we really think, but our facial expression shows everything. Some of the people when they talk they move their hand. On example of hand gesture is when open arms in direction of child he will came a give hug because he knows the meaning. Sometime gesture can offend people. Assessment 3.1 - Explain how people from different backgrounds may use and/or interpret communication methods in different ways. People came from different cultures, different backgrounds and different educations. This means that they are different from each other. Some of the factors that have different communication methods are: Family: different families have different ways to communicate with each other. Some children may grow up in a noisy family, so they will talk with a louder voice. Some others may have quiet family and this makes them to talk very quiet. Language and literacy skills: people from different country have different language and different culture. Some children may haven’t a developed language because they may speak a language different from what other people speak on their setting or they may have learning difficulties. Confidence and self-esteem: some children may have problems to express themselves because they have fear of making mistakes. They have low self-esteem and this makes them to do not communicate. Some children have team spirit, they enjoy time on group and communicate with each other but some have lack of confidence and don’t like to work in groups. Assessment 3.2 - Identify barriers to effective communication. An effective communication is not always possible, because of some factors that prevent it. Some of these barriers are: * Different countries have different language. In every place are foreigners who don’t speak the language of that place. For example in UK some children don’t speak English so they use sign to communicate but this can bring misunderstanding of people * Communication may be blocked by environment in which people are. For example: if we are in a noisy environment, where children talk all in the same time, no one understands what others are talking about. * Communication may not be effective because of the cultural differences. Not all cultures have the same meanings of things. And this can cause misunderstanding. In some countries if a man hug a woman (friends) is respect but in some other places this is rude. * Sometime we use big words that not everyone can understand. Especially for us that work with children is important to talk with simpler words, in order to be understood by children and young people. * There are many children, young people or adults that have emotional difficulties. They are too impulsive, react immediately and became upset without reason. They don’t wait for explanation; this doesn’t allow them to listen others and to understand what are they saying. That makes a communication ineffective. Assessment 3.5 Explain how to access extra support or services to enable individuals to communicate effectively. Some support services, which help to promote effective communication, are: * Translation services are available for children, young people or parents who speak a language other than English. * Speech, language and communication therapist treat and help in speech, language and communication difficulties for people of all ages. There are some language systems that can help children with these difficulties. They are PECS and Makaton. * Picture exchange communication system (PECS) is a special type of communication, in which children and young people exchange with the teacher a picture of something they want and take what they need. For example: if a child is thirsty give teacher a picture of drinks so the teacher gives him something to drink. * Makaton has 400 sign and symbols, which are based on British Sign Language (BSL) to help and support children and young people on their spoken English. If a child is learning Makaton and their parents should learn because they have to speak with children and use the same sign for the same things. * Advocacy services: children will be assigned an advocate, if there is no other adult, such as parent or carers to speak up for them Assessment 4.1- Explain the meaning of the term confidentiality. Confidentiality means to protect the privacy of children, their family or the employers in the setting where we work, and to not share their personal information with unauthorised people without their knowledge and agreement. We at Shpresa Programme have Data Protection policy that makes us possible to protect children, parents and employer’s privacy. Is our duty to read that policy and to follow always it. Children and young people that came to Shpresa and their families entrust us personal information that is important for them and they don’t want to be disclosed with others. As professionals that we are is important to not abuse with their trust and to protect and to keep safe the information that they give to us. For everything that happens in my setting, if I can’t handle any situation by myself, I always talk only with the education development officer, who is responsible for my setting. Assessment 4.3 - Describe the potential tension between maintaining an individual's confidentiality and disclosing concern. One of basic requirements at my work is to be confidential. Is very important to keep safe the information that I get. But there are some cases in which is necessary to disclose any personal information, because a child may be in danger if we don’t do it. Something important for my work is to not promise children that I will keep his secret because maybe I wont keep it. If a child tells me a secret and ask me to keep it, I don’t promise. I have to give him a good explanation why I can’t do it, but I also have to keep the child’s trust. All information that child gives me I have to share confidently with manager and to keep the child safe. I have to record all information with the words of children and if is possible having witness. If a child commits a crime like theft or drugs this can introduce the child to danger people. It is our role to protect children by law from harm and keep them safe, even if sometimes we have to break confidentiality.