Report: Communication Influences in Health and Social Care Environment

This report examines the multifaceted aspects of communication within the health and social care sectors. It begins by exploring the impact of cultural beliefs and values on communication processes, emphasizing how diverse perspectives influence interactions. The report then delves into the effects of legislation, charters, and codes of practice, such as the Data Protection Act and the Equality Act, highlighting their roles in shaping ethical and effective communication. Furthermore, it analyzes organizational policies and strategies designed to promote effective communication, including the provision of interpreters, the implementation of diversity policies, and the adoption of whistleblowing policies. The report also outlines strategies for improving communication, such as ensuring data security, providing training, and utilizing technological tools. The conclusion stresses the importance of patient-centered communication, the preservation of client dignity, and the upholding of basic client rights within health and social care settings. This report provides a comprehensive overview of the factors influencing effective communication and offers practical insights into enhancing patient care and service delivery.

Running head: COMMUNICATION IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
COMMUNICATION IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

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Unit 1
Task 2
Factors influencing the communication process in health and social care
Introduction
In order to deliver best practices in health and social care, one has to understand how the
cultural beliefs can affect the communication process. This paper would describe how the
legislation, charters and the codes of practice influence the communication process in health and
the social care. Finally the paper would throw light upon the strategies and the organizational
policies for effective communication development in the health and the social care sectors.
Cultures and values influencing the communication Process in Health and Social care
Cultural beliefs and faith plays an important role in the process of communication. A
child from the beginning is exposed to the diverse cultural values of the family and the peers and
the things that it learns shapes the viewpoint or personal ideology of an individual. People from
different cultures have different approaches of communication (Norouzinia et al. 2016). For
example, certain culture considers maintenance of the eye contact to be a sign off disrespect,
whereas it other cultures it may display dignity. Communication needs vary with age, gender,
educational and socioeconomic status (Norouzinia et al. 2016). For example in certain cultures
women may be debarred from interacting with a male caregiver or a women might feel
uncomfortable to discuss the birthing information to a male health care professionals. Linguistic
differences in various culture also affects the communication process. (Landmark et al. 2017).

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Hence it can be seen how different cultures, gender, age influences or provides barriers to
effective communication.
Effect of legislation, charters and codes of practice on communication process
Legislations are sets of rules and regulations that are set by the government for improving
the life of people. Several legislations, charters and codes of practice are there that supports or
influences the communication between the clients and the health care professionals. A care
worker has to work as per the established rules and the regulations advocating the rights of the
client as well as the confidentiality. Some of the key words that come in to mind while reflecting
about communication are privacy and confidentiality, consent, sharing of the information and
disclosure.
Legislation
The data protection act of 1998, regulates how the medical information of a client should
be used by the organization. It includes that personal data should only be used in accordance
with the purpose for which it is collected. The Equality act, 2010, protects the individuals from
the unfair treatment and promotes a fair and an equal treatment to the society. The case scenario
reveals the fact that the communication needs of the patients are not addressed which is directly
in contradiction with the equality act. The Access to health records act, enables that the patients
should have the right to access his/her health information under the network of privacy (Access
to health records act, 1990). Hence the health records can be channelized to the patient
electronically.
Charters

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Department of health information charter, ensures that correct information is
communicated to the patient, by maintaining privacy and confidentiality (Personal information
charter. 2015). The CQC regulates the health and social care services in England and ensures
that all the grievances of the disabled persons are addressed. The voice in to action charter
ensures that ensures that an effective communication between the health care professionals and
the patient which mainly promotes patient safety and advocacy.
Codes of practice
Health and Care Professions Council Standards (HCPC) states that one has to be considerate
and polite to the service users and the peers (HCPC 2014). The Caldicott principles justifies the
transfer of every single piece of information that should be clearly defined and scrutinized before
and should not be used unless needed for an urgent purpose (Department of health U.K. 2013).
Every information should be lawful and should comply with the legal requirements.
Moreover, all the lawsuits implies the communication should be done in a confidential
manner, such as using private rooms for discussing the medical information for avoiding
overhearing. Electronic ways of communication such as messaging system can be used to ensure
confidentiality in communication.
Organizational setting and policies in promoting communication in health care settings
The health and the social care institutions should be able to implement suitable policy
frame works in order to foster effective communication between the clients and the health care
professionals (Arnold and Boggs 2015). The organization should develop the oral
communication process, such as the provision of the interpreters while addressing the culturally
backward class of people or those belonging to linguistically diverse background. The strategies

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taken by the health care professionals should make the communication process more interactive
and less interruptive. Identification of the barriers to communication is extremely necessary to
make out suitable communication policies.
A proper supervision provides opportunities to the staffs and the members to
communicate, clarify or reflect. It has been found that the originations conducting supervisions
on the staffs has low staff turnover. Some of the essential policies for promoting good practice in
communication are The equality and the diversity policy helps in managing a diverse workforce,
that helps in producing satisfied and productive work force.
Equal opportunities can be defined as treating an individual regardless of the disability, race,
socio economic status, gender and sexual orientation. Even if the patient can have disability in
the case scenario, she is bound to get a safe care.
The whistle blowing policy can be defined as the practice where a worker has got the right to
report concerns regarding the omissions or the malpractices of their colleague or the organization
for the greater good of the patient (Bjørkelo, 2013). It is to be mentioned that the disclosure
about the poor practice in an organization may cause tension among the staffs but this policy can
be helpful for the clients as well as the health care staffs to communicate the grievances
regarding the financial, emotional or sexual abuse. Policy on bullying and discrimination,
provides the scope of effective communication between the nurses and the organization in
regards to workplace bullying and harassment at workplace (Castronovo et al. 2013). Every
clients as well as the workers have the basic human rights to work with dignity and hence any
racial discrimination at the workplace should not be tolerated and should be subjected to lawsuit.
In health and social care organizations special action plans should be constructed for each of the

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clients as per their requirements in communications, such as separate action plans for person
with hearing disabilities, intellectual disabilities, vision impairment and more (Anderson et al.
2013).
Ways of Improving the Communication Process in a health and social care setting
Communication is the basis of any relationship, be it between the service users and the
service providers. Communication process can be improved by ensuring security to the medical
information. Security helps to resolve the misinterpretations and confusion in the process of
communication (Watson et al. 2013). Dynamic and robust rules can be implemented in relation
to the documentation, preservation of the reports, rules to empower the vulnerable group such
that they can communicate easily with the higher authority, like policies against bullying, racial
discrimination (Smedley et al. 2013).
Other strategies involve provision of communication access to the vulnerable patients
with disabilities, train the workers to practice a culturally safe care practices (Smedley et al.
2013). Use of technological tools in the communication process can also be used, such as e-
messaging services for those who cannot get access to services due to remoteness.
Conclusion
Communication is the integral part of providing a safe care in both social and the health
care sectors. The communication strategies has to be patient centered and should upheld the
dignity and the integrity of the client. Privacy and confidentiality should be taken care off while
communicating with the clients. The main aim of effective communication is such that the basic
rights of the clients are preserved.

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References
Access to health records act, 1990 .Access date: 19.6.2018. Retrieved from:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1990/23/pdfs/ukpga_19900023_en.pdf
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Department of health U.K. 2013. Caldicott Principles. Access date : 19.6.2018. Retrieved
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HCPC 2014. Standards of Conduct, performance and ethics. Access date : 18.6.2018, Retrieved
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ethics.pdf.

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