Principles of communication in adult social care settings Essay

Assignment overview In this assignment, you will complete tasks to demonstrate your knowledge of the importance of effective communication in adult social care settings, and ways to overcome barriers to meet individual needs, wishes and preferences in communication. You will also address the principles and practices relating to confidentiality. Tasks There are two tasks to this assignment. A Short answer questions B Case study This is a summary of the evidence required for the unit. Task Evidence Learning outcomes covered A Short answer questions 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5 B Case study 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 Task B Case study You are a social care worker and a service user, Hannah, tells you that she is unhappy taking her new medication as she thinks she does not need it and so she is throwing it away. You know from her care plan that Hannah does need to take the medication regularly and gets confused. Hannah begs you to keep this confidential and not tell anyone especially her daughter, who she sees regularly, as her daughter will be very angry. Bi How would you explain the term ‘confidentiality’ to Hannah? Marks Confidentiality means that what ever you tell me will be kept in the strictest security however it may need to be told to a select few people to ensure your safety and that of the people around you. It would not be told to anyone that does not need to know. Bii Identify the range of people who may need to know about Hannah’s situation, and describe any tensions that may occur if the information is shared. Marks The people that would need to be informed of the service users condition could include line manager, regular carers, doctors, social worker and family members but only if relevant permission is granted by service user or law. This may cause tension in the family if they feel it is there right to know what is going on with the service user even when there is no consent from service user or legally. Biii Describe ways to maintain confidentiality in day to day communication. Read more:  Describe Strategies That Can Be Used to Clarify Misunderstandings Marks Ensure you only talk about the service user when it is required with the correct people and that it is essential that if communication is need to do it somewhere discrete and a level that is appropriate. Biv Explain when and how a social care worker should get advice about confidentiality. Marks A care worker can seek advice from their line manager, overall manager within their organisation if they feel a breach can or has occured. Or a carer can go to Citizens Advice Bureau, Government websites or CQC if they feel they can’t get the correct advice from the office and it has not been resolved . Assignment 301 Principles of communication in adult social care settings Question Booklet Task A Question and Answers Ai Identify four different reasons why people communicate. Marks The four reasons why someone may want to communicate could be: to express wants and needs, maintain relationships, feel part of society and ensure a content level of well-being. Aii Explain how effective communication can affect relationships in an adult social care setting between: a) Colleagues and other professionals Marks b) Individuals using the service and their carers Marks Effective communication is essential to maintaining the quality of life that a care user requires to enable them to stay at home and be safe. If there is any need to talk to other members of the care team it should be done in a professional and timely manner. If this isn’t adhered to clients well-being can be impacted on Effective communication between service user and carer is a day to day issue that has to be effective. If communication is not maintained a service user may lose trust and confidence leading into a break down in the relationship. Thus leading to a detrimental impact on the client. Also is good communication is not followed mistakes could occur. Aiii Using the table below, identify three ways of finding out the communication and language needs of an individual. For each method, describe how effective it is at establishing the needs of the individual. Marks Method How effective is this method? _____________________________ _____________________________________________ 1. Talk to the individual involved to see what they need and require, this is a pretty efficient method as long as the individual has their full mental  capacity. _____________________________ _____________________________________________ 2. Liaise with the family or NOK to establish the requirements, this is useful if the individual has any form of dementia, confusion or presents very well when denying when care is needed. _____________________________ ______________________________________________ 3. Put it down in writing so that all people involved can see it, follow it and discuss. If everone is following the same instructions its easier to follow ____________________________ _______________________________________________ Aiv Describe three factors to consider when promoting effective communication. Marks Three impacting factors could be the appropriate language used, the volume, pitch, tone of voice and the body language used whilst trying to communicate. Av Describe three verbal and three non verbal communication methods and styles that a social care worker may use in an adult care setting. Marks Verbal Non verbal _____________________________ _____________________________________________ 1. volume eye contact _____________________________ _____________________________________________ 2. pitch positioning to client _____________________________ ______________________________________________ 3 language used posture ____________________________ _______________________________________________ Avi Explain why it is important to respond to an individual’s reactions during communication. Marks To show the person that you are involved with the conversation, show them that what they are saying is important, interact and to make sure you actually take in what they are saying and not just hearing them Avii Explain how an individual’s background can influence their communication methods. Marks A persons background can lead to a few differences but one of these can be the type of language used, e.g. colloquial slang or swearing Aviii Identify three examples of barriers to communication and explain how you could overcome each barrier. Barrier How it can be overcome _____________________________ _____________________________________________ 1.Deafness: You could use a communication board to convey the conversation or use basic sign language to get the meaning across. _____________________________ _____________________________________________ 2.Blindness: Ensure you are describing what you are going to do, before and during the interaction so they are aware of what your doing and where you are in relation to the service user. _____________________________ ______________________________________________ 3.Dementia: Slow your speech, clearly talk and use more simple language but do this without talking down and being patronising. ____________________________ _______________________________________________ Aix Describe two strategies that you could use to clarify misunderstandings. Marks Apologise for any misunderstandings and you could either reiterate any instructions given and ensure clarity or write it down to ensure all is clearly shown. Ax A social care worker wants to enable more effective communication with individuals using the service. Explain how they could access extra support or services that may be helpful. Marks They could talk to a social worker, doctor or community liaison to find any  information out on any service they think maybe compatible with the service user