Nvq_5_Health_and_Social_Care

CU2941 – Use and develop systems that promote communication 1.1 – There are a range of people that I support that have communication needs that need addressing, some service users have high capacity and can verbally communicate with minimal assistance, however they can need support in wording their feelings and emotions in appropriate ways. Some people prefer to write things down instead of speaking as they can feel afraid of voicing their true opinions and feelings. Some people use sign language or basic makaton to communicate – staff will be placed on training to support an individual with this specific need so that communication is as effective as possible. I also work with people that cannot verbalise and use other methods such as PEC symbols which are pictures that explain words and feelings, in my role I can show the staff how to use these effectively with each individual, which PECS that person relates to more, how big the pictures should be if adding symbols to their system and how to verbally reinforce every picture shown. Some people I work with cannot use PECS or verbalise and they rely on objects of reference which means showing them the actual object or guiding their attention to the place they need to go. These people can become confused during this process so it is vital that staff have good knowledge and training to work with people that have complex needs like this so that they minimise anxiety and ensure the person feels that they can be understood. It’s important that I teach the staff the best practise ways of working with the individuals and that they attend additional training if needed that is specific to that person, and it is also key to build up a good working relationship with the person so that staff can recognise any facial expressions and body language that may indicate more of what that person is trying to express. I communicate with the service users families verbally to ensure face to face contact is made weekly as they prefer this and to do this I ensure I have built up a good relationship with the family whereby they can feel comfortable in approaching me any concerns and that I am always going to take them seriously and I that remain professional and understanding. I have to communicate with the management team and sometimes this can be over email instead of face to face as they can prefer to ensure instruction is documented clearly to avoid confusion. I communicate daily with the staff team, my communication varies from staff to staff as every staff member has an individual learning style and some people prefer formal approaches and some people prefer informal approaches. My team leader prefers to have lists of instruction of weekly tasks etc as she can find verbal instruction leaves room for error, I tend to email information to the team leaders and the staff that have extra roles like key working or being responsible for an area of the home have written lists that they can refer to. I communicate with professionals involved in service user’s care and most of the professionals I work with communicate verbally in meetings, over email or telephone. 1.2 - There are many ways that I support effective communication within my role, firstly I ensure that my understanding of the needs of the individual are effective and I continue to work on best practise ways to work with that individual and go on any additional training needed so that I set a good example and am working as best I can with that person, which I also need so that I can teach the staff the correct methods. I review the care that is given regularly and in doing this can recognise if any areas of communication have arisen whereby we need to implement more or less support to that person to ensure they are satisfied with how they are communicating. I ensure that with the staff team I support them in their preferred methods of communication as some staff like to have verbal instruction and some staff prefer to have lists of instruction written down for them to work off through the week. I ensure that I am consistent with my approaches and that the needs of the staff are met by me being vigilant in good communication. I ensure that I read and reply to all the emails I have and respond to family or professional correspondence promptly and consistently so that any issues and concerns are dealt with immediately. I ensure that I remain professional and note any communication needs I feel are present with staff or professionals to act on this accordingly so that communication remains effective. I have took part in meetings with families in the past where they feel that communication has broken down and they have issues that they wanted to raise formally to ensure management was aware of their opinions. 1.3 – Some barriers arise with communication in my role, the main one I feel occurs is time spent with every staff member each week to ensure that have all had one to one support that week in person, sometimes tasks set or critique needed occurs later than expected due to the daily needs that arise in the home that week that takes my attention elsewhere such as unexpected inspections or a high level of meetings. I have to time manage as appropriate to ensure that I address all issues and that face to face communication remains at the forefront so that problems are dealt with immediately and the staff team know I am present and ready to support them instead of having email or written communication more than verbal. Some staff members have communication barriers whereby they prefer written instruction as oppose to verbal, which I ensure I carry out for them. Barriers arise with family sometimes as some families can be unapproachable and reluctant to accept some care practises given to their child or family member as from advice form external parties, this has been challenging in the past as I have witnessed communication break down with a family and the senior of the home which lead to further problems arising and meetings being held to mediate. Some service users present challenges when their communication needs differ, which needs reviewing and assessing to see what support needs changing or if extra support is needed, sometimes barriers can occur with gaining help in terms of communication needs and waiting for referrals for external input. Sometimes service users who have complex communication needs present barriers in which it is difficult to fully understand their wants and needs and whether they are happy with the care they receive, sometimes they do not wish to communicate in their chosen method but this also indicates that something may be wrong and needs input. Professionals I communicate with can sometimes pose barriers as I have to cater to all their needs and preferred methods of communication, some professionals prefer written evidence where as others just want verbal. There are no professionals I work with that have specific communication difficulties. 1.4 – There are strategies to overcome communication barriers, for example with a service user they can be referred to a speech and language therapist so that professional input can be sought for more complex needs. If there is a communication barrier in terms of myself to a staff member for example they are struggling with understanding just from me verbally guiding them, I would call a supervision and note down the areas where communication is breaking down and the best ways I can support the person but also what they need to do to achieve effective communication with me, we would discuss writing things down and having lists on email or paper copies for them to work off and I could place them on specific communication training. If there is a communication barrier with a family for example a parent is deaf, a signing translator will be brought in for meetings so that communication is effective and the needs are met to ensure that the person can be involved correctly. If there is a communication barrier between two staff members a mediation meeting can occur with myself and the management team and the two staff whereby they get the opportunity to air their issues in a calm situation that is being overseen by management to control the situation from getting out of hand. 1.5 - People use different communication depending on their needs, I use verbal communication with the staff team, service users and management to meet their needs and also written in the form of paper copies or emails to staff and management so that I have evidence documented and I prefer using lists to work off so that I have visible plans. People that use non-verbal may use PEC symbols or sign language – this may be because of their capacity or whether they have a disabilities that affects their hearing or speech. Some people can prefer to use only electronic communication so that they have documented what they have said or because they can feel uncomfortable in a one to one situation. Some management can address issues as a group instead of having to spend time separately with each individual; this saves time and also ensures that all people have been informed. Some staff prefer to be spoken to in a closed private environment where it is formal and documented whilst others prefer to have it informal so they do not feel under pressure and where things can be raised in a more relaxed atmosphere which does not make them anxious. 4.1 – There can be times when it is needed for information to be shared between parties that want to know and parties that need to know and this can cause tensions between the care providers and families or professionals. Legally we are not permitted to provide information over the phone as we do not have verification that who we are speaking to has permission to have this information, therefore problems can arise when asking for proof of identity or for information requests to be faxed over. We also need authorisation when giving out information that the person is on a need to know basis and has authority to gain access to this information. Issues can occur also when information is needed quickly but for legal reasons the process of giving out or receiving information takes longer due to restrictions on data protection. Ethical tensions can occur between families as I have experienced a situation when a service users next of kin specifically stated that a member of the extended family is not to have any information on the service user which caused a lot of friction between that family member and the staff team who they were speaking to when they were phoning up and requesting information. Also there have been situations when a service user does not wish their parents or next of kin that visit them to know certain things that have happened that week regarding behaviours or incidents etc which causes tension for the staff and the next of kin as they want to know but the staff have been asked to withhold the information. In the event of a report of abuse that can cause huge tension as if the service user reporting has asked the staff member not to say anything but the staff member has a legal obligation to report it further that can cause the trust between them to break down and the relationship to suffer as a result of that staff member trying to do what is best for the person against their wishes. 4.2 – The features of information sharing agreements within my organisation are that only people on a need to know basis have access to information. We do not share information about service users to staff or management teams in other homes across the site. We do not share service user information with other departments in the company such as HR. We share direct information with the higher management team about the service users if something has happened and they need to be informed of it like an incident or a meeting is due and I will discuss service user related issues with the staff team in the home that work with those people. Service users that have capacity to consent will be consulted before any information has been shared and service users without consent have a wide multi-disciplinary team involved in their care and they will discuss whether the information is required to be shared for the best interest of that person. Generally, people involved directly in a service user’s case have access to all documentation related to that individual. All service user documents are stored in lockable facilities as they are classed as legal documents. We adhere to company policies and procedures in relation to data protection and confidentiality.