Analyzing Communication Methods in Health and Social Care Environments

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of communication within the health and social care (HSC) context. It begins by exploring the humanistic theory of communication and its application in patient care, emphasizing the importance of individual patient needs. The report then examines various effective communication methods, including person-centered approaches, listening techniques, empathy, and appropriate body language, and how factors like age, values, and education influence the communication process. It also identifies common barriers to communication, such as language differences and negative perceptions, and proposes strategies for managers to overcome these barriers. Furthermore, the report highlights the role of information technology aids, such as Makaton and Talking Tom, in improving communication with patients with learning disabilities. Finally, it discusses the impact of legislation and codes of practice on communication processes within HSC settings.

Communicating in the Health and Social
Care
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
(a.) Humanistic theory of communication...................................................................................3
(b.) Various effective communication methods and John's values, age and education might
influence his positive communication approach..........................................................................4
(c.) Barriers of communication and two strategies that must be adopted by the manager to
remove barriers and to promote good practices...........................................................................5
(d.) Information technology aids that are used to improve communication................................6
(e.) Impact of legislation and codes of practices on communication process..............................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................9
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INTRODUCTION
The role of communication in health and social care is essential as it helps in
understanding the needs and wants of patients (Goldbart and Caton, 2010). The appropriate
communication skills in HSC workers will help in providing proper aid to the patients with
different diseases. Communication is an effective method to exchange and understand the
information in health care organization so that care workers may take appropriate actions and
help people to overcome with the illness. According to the report, John is the heath care assistant
in the organization that render services to the people with learning disabilities. The
communication skills of John is effective as he understands the non-verbal signals that are given
by their patients.
This report focuses on exploring the communication skills that are being needed in the
health and social care organization. Along with that, the report also concentrates on identifying
various factors that influences the communication process in HSC. Lastly, the report also
diagnoses the use of various information technology aids that are used in HSC to communicate
with the patients with learning disabilities.
TASK 1
(a.) Humanistic theory of communication
Humanistic theory of communication determines that each patient possess unique
problems or illness so, they cannot be enclosed in a particular category. Humanistic Theory is
accomplish when the care assistant in the organization approach an individual in the positive
manner. In health and social care patients are considered to be vulnerable and the care assistant
should approach in the effective manner by respecting their behavior and providing quality and
relevant care according to the legislation. Humanistic theory of communication focuses on the
patient's emotions and feelings. By understanding the perspective of every patient, it will benefit
John in understanding their feelings and emotions and with the help of this, they can render
quality treatment to the patients. This theory emphasizes on the concept that is by providing
proper care and love to the patients, they will connect with the outside people and can easily
overcome with their communication difficulties (Hawn, 2009).
By using humanistic theory of communication, care workers also believe that patient's
behavior is related with their inner feelings. By influencing the colleague's mind and community,
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it will help in developing their attitude towards the people who are having learning disabilities.
John can influence their colleagues and local community group to accept the disabled people by
organizing a seminar or talk show so that they should promote the myths and facts about people
that possesses the learning disabilities (Curtis, 2012). By communicating through organizing,
talk show will cover large number of people or community group. To address their colleagues,
John should organize meetings or lectures in which he can promote the positive attitude towards
people with learning disabilities (Edwards and et.al., 2012).
(b.) Various effective communication method and John's values, age and education might
influence his positive communication approach
Person-centered approach is being focused by John in HSC. This approach focuses on
others values and potential skills to make the right choices. To successfully engage with the
disabled patients, health care workers need to listen to the patient's needs and wants as well as
they must treat their patients as human beings who requires care and affection from them.
Person-centered approach will ensure the respect for their patients as well as the services will
also revolve around the pateints. Adopting person-centered approach by the John to
communicate with their clients is an effective method (Scott, Gazmararian and Baker, 2002). To
promote effective communication with their learning disabled patients, John might use following
techniques which are: Listening techniques: Effective listening abilities of health care assistant in the
organization will help in promoting communication with his patients. With the proper
listening John pays attention while their patients and uses the non-verbal language to
convey the right message. He listens attentively that lead to understand their message and
also helps in providing an effective treatment (Wilson and Yoshikawa, 2007). The
listening will promote the effective communication between the care assistant and the
service users and result in delivering quality services. Empathy: Empathy is also an impressive method to understand the feelings and emotions
of their clients so that care workers may provide proper medical aid facilities to the
disabled people. It refers to placing oneself in others shoes. Empathy also support the
communication process as it will result in understanding the emotions of the patients in
the health care organization. John by using person-centered approach get in touch with
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the patients and their family members to know about their life and to provide an effective
treatment.
 Appropriate body language: John works with the young people that possess learning
disabilities (Kurtz, Silverman and Platt, 2005). This problem is related with the basic
learning skills like reading or writing. It is a life long challenge that cannot be healed.
With the proper support and participation, patients with learning disabilities can
accomplish success at the workplace and in their life as well. The suitable body language
that must be used by the patients are their facial expressions or expressing through hand
movements etc. With the suitable body language, care worker understands the problem of
patients and promotes effective communication with their clients. Using body language
by the care worker in organization will benefit them to communicate with their patients.
While, John's values and cultural factors like education, age etc. might influence his
positive communication process with the clients (Rabiee, Sloper and Beresford, 2005). John's
major belief is to maintain professionalism at the workplace where they can render their services.
This belief of the care worker will also lead to keep their patients at the first priority. This
positive belief to maintain and respect the work will benefit them in communicating with their
patients. This will also help in creating a positive environment in the health care organization
among their patients (Folland, Goodman and Stano, 2007). While in terms of cultural values like
education, educated care worker must be aware with their duties and rights that they have to
perform so, this factor will also positively benefit the care worker to effectively communicate
with the patients.
(c.) Barriers of communication and two strategies that must be adopted by the manager to
remove barriers and to promote good practices
While communicating in the health care organization, social worker will acquire many
blockages in their communication process that will directly affect the teams which are working
in the organization and that provides effective care to their patients (Scott, Gazmararian and
Baker, 2002). Barriers in the communication process arise from cultural differences at the
workplace, language difference, hearing problems etc. This barrier of communication in health
care organization will lead to improper attending of patients. On the other hand, barriers of
communication will also affect the carer-client relationship.
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As per the case study, John collaboratively work in the team nevertheless he is being
aware that one of the co-worker in team possesses negative perspective of him (Starfield, Shi and
Macinko, 2005). Negative perception from the colleague will result in barrier of the
communication as he will not pay attention to his words. For example, as John is aware about the
fact that their co-worker possess negative perception about him. If the co-workers will
demoralize the John then he will render quality service to the patients by avoiding their words.
On the contrary, the ineffective communication process at health-care organization will also lead
to affect the carer-client relationship. Language barrier in communication will affect their
relationship as using terminology in the message that is being conveyed will not be completely
understood by the patients (Fischer and et.al., 2005).
The line manager who is working in health-care organization may adopt two strategies to
remove the language or psychological barriers from the communication process. The two
strategies are: Ensure proper feedback: While communicating with the patients, care worker must
ensure the feedback from patients after conveying the message to understand
effectiveness of message (Roter and Hall, 2006). By ensuring feedback from the patients,
it will help in reducing or overcoming the barriers of communication.
 Selection of proper media: The line manager must select proper medium or channel for
the communication process (Ewles and Simnett, 2003). For example, the social workers
in the care unit organization needs to make inquiry about the patient's health that is
whether they are feeling good or not. So, they can ask them orally about their health.
Hence, line manager should use proper media in order to avoid any confusion or
misinterpretation for communicating the message.
While, the line manager can also adopt two strategies in their organization to promote
good practices (Goldbart and Caton, 2010). These are: Get patients involved: To promote good practices at the health-care organization, line
manager should initiate conversations with the clients or their family members. This
technique will help in encouraging their patients to communicate their ideas and thoughts
to the care workers or managers.
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 Training to the care workers: By providing training to the care workers, line manager
will promote good practices at the organization (Bandura, 2004). by providing training
sessions they will change the perception and attitude of the staff so that they should
provide quality treatment with respecting the diversity within the organization.
(d.) Information technology aids that are used to improve communication
Being able to transmit the message to another person is an important skill that is needed
in life. The learning disabled patients can overcome with their communication difficulties by
adopting various methods of information technology. These methods help the patients to
effectively communicate with the care workers that will ultimately help in improving the
communication process between clients and care workers. Information technology aids like
Makaton will help the people to communicate effectively (Betancourt, Green and Ananeh-
Firempong, 2003).
It is a language program that is planned by using symbols and signs that will help the
handicapped people or individuals to communicate with the service provider or the different care
workers. Talking tom is also information technology tools whose vision is to better or change the
lives of disabled people that possess difficulty in communicating with the service providers.
Talking tom is the effective IT tools that is being designed for the patients that are not able to
speak and through this they can easily communicate with the care worker and tell them about
their difficulty. This technique helps the patients to get rid away from the frustration and to get
connected with the people. This information technology aid satisfies the needs of disabled
individuals and can be used to share the feelings and thoughts to another person. Apart from that,
this sign language program enables the patients to connect with their carer workers and also help
in improving their relationship (Edwards and et.al., 2012).
(e.) Impact of legislation and codes of practices on communication process
John, who is the health care assistant in HSC setting is being shocked by the behavior of
their colleague at the workplace. It has been identified that some colleagues in the care unit are
abusing their clients or patients by calling them with the derogatory names (Hawn, 2009). Hence,
the manager of health care organization has decided to cater training session on the “Respect for
Diversity”. The company for presenting training session with respect to diversity uses certain
acts and code of conduct for the guidance. They are like:
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 Equality Act 2010: Equality Act 2010 is being framed by UK that is being formed to
reduce the inequalities and harmonizing equality at the workplace. While, the act will
focus on providing equal treatment to male and female employees (Street and Epstein,
2009). The care worker can equally disclose the information to the patients they should
not discriminate on the basis of their sex, caste or creed. Care worker should also provide
equal and fair treatment to all the patients and disclose the relevant information to their
family member also. This act also aim to protect the discrimination at workplace on the
basis of religion, beliefs or sex.
 Code of Conduct: While, the general social care council have developed the certain code
of practices to the social or care workers that are rendering their services in the care unit
to provide effective treatment to different disabled people (O'Malley, Cohen and
Grossman, 2010). The care worker must respect patient's values and beliefs while
providing services and also protects them from the unwanted risk and harm. The code of
practice describes certain responsibilities and duties of social workers that they have to
follow while providing services. These codes of conduct ensures that in the organization,
it will lead to reflect good practices and also eliminates unwanted practices at the work
place. Code of conduct will also not get engaged in crossing professional boundaries by
accepting gifts or monetary rewards from the patients.
With studying all these legislation and code of practices as well as by enabling them in
the health care organization, it will help in abstracting the key components that should be
addressed in the training session that is on “Respect for diversity”. The six key elements are:
 Respecting the rights of patients and behaving in the professional manner along with not
abusing them by calling their derogatory names (Pope and Mays, 2013).
 Care workers must respect the clients and their family members.
 Providing equal and fair treatment to all the patients.
 Respecting diversity and patient's different cultural values.
 Do not get engaged in crossing professional boundaries by accepting gifts or monetary
rewards from the patients.
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 Social worker should not discriminate their patients or colleagues on the ground of caste,
religion, sex etc. (Curtis, 2012).
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