Supporting Individuals with Specific Communication Needs in NHS

This report discusses the importance of communication in health and social care organizations, focusing on supporting individuals with specific communication needs. It highlights how the environment can either help or hinder communication, emphasizing factors like background noise and physical barriers. Various communication methods and aids, including listening, non-verbal cues, questioning, and recording, are identified as crucial for effective interaction. The report also explores specialist services and support types for using communication technology, stressing the importance of correct setup and training. Accessing information and support is crucial, with methods like sign language and interpreters playing a key role. The conclusion underscores the right to communicate and the significance of effective communication in healthcare for both patients and employees.

1
Support individuals with specific communication needs
INTRODUCTION
Communication involves actions about making contact with others and
making them understand the situation. In a health and social care organisation, it is
very important to have good communication among staff and patients. This will
initiate attainment of effective treatment for patients. This poster provides information
about how communication is helping health and social care organisation. National
Health Service is the publicly funded healthcare system working in UK. This
organisation is providing free healthcare service for needy people and they charge
very less for individuals so that they can have good treatment. dementia patient's more
capable to perform their daily living tasks and live life more independently (The Care
Act 2014 and Dementia, 2021.
Explain how the environment can help or hinder communication
The physical environment hinders communication within healthcare professionals. Communication is very
important factor that helps to manage the treatment of all individuals. There are few factors that can hinder
communication which are mentioned below –
• Background noise – In a health and social care organisation, it is important to keep environment
peaceful so that there is ease of interaction. It is not easy for individual without communication problems for
concentrating when there is background noise.
• Individuals with poor lightning are unable to see properly and individual with hearing impairment can
rely upon reading facial expression or lip reading.
• Obstacles in between the individuals who have to communicate – There are windows or desks which
create barrier between two people who are trying to communicate. It is possible for creating a sense of
hierarchy or superiority and this causes unease (The Mental Health Act 1983, 2022 ).

2
Give reasons why an individual may use a form of communication that is not based on a formal
language system
In context of health and social care organisation, communication is beyond expertise and knowledge for the
incorporation of every aspect of experience and interaction. Different care workers require to have ability for
empathising when they need potential procedures. It is evaluated that confrontation and disagreements can
happen and there is need for defusing such challenges. Healthcare leaders have to understand that an effective
communication in NHS is initiated with recognition of importance to listening. The medical professionals are
having knowledge as well as expertise. Skilful communication is very important within healthcare
organisation. Honest and clear communication between provider and patient is involved in enhancing way for
accurate diagnosis and treatment decisions. In the same manner, confidential and clear communication
between care team members helps in providing ethical delivery of care. Providers can help patients to feel
heard and encourage them for disclosing relevant information (Dementia - activities and exercise, 2014).
Identify a range of communication methods and aids to support individuals to communicate
There are different communication methods used by NHS for conveying message in the healthcare premises.
Some of the ways are mentioned below –
Listening and attending – It is very essential to listen what residents and colleagues are saying. This is a two-way
process. It is essential to listen to each and every patient so that professionals can help them effectively.
Non-verbal – This communication is about body language and the way by which one is presenting oneself. It is essential
for residents to be positive and confident so that they can make patients normal in any disengaged or negative situation.
Questioning – This includes the way in which questions are asked regarding the patient problem. There is need to have
difference between closed and open questions because it helps carers for asking right sort of questions and solve the
problem effectively (Supporting and Protecting People’s Rights, 2011).
Recording – Within healthcare, it is considered as an essential aspect because recording the data of important patient as
well as sharing it with concerned people is a significant element of healthcare in managing patient data and improving
Identify specialist services relating to communication technology and aids
It is found that communication services are including internet, radio, television, and telephone. On the other
hand, communication aids include charts with pictures, letters, symbols, words, etc. There are many
specialist services that identify in communication technology and aids such as assessing information,
conveying message, research for a particular subject matter, etc (Dementia - activities and exercise, 2014).

3
Describe types of support that an individual may need in order to use communication technology
and aids
Some of the service users need assistance at all the times with the advice regarding the use of their communication aids,
it is significant in identifying the stage of support that has carried by each service user. Members of the family can
be the best example and are really good in supporting the service user basically in the beginning levels of using
the different aids of communication. For better ensuring that service user is receiving a large number of benefits
from their communication aid, the sessions of training must be given to the persons. This will helps the service
user in being competent. It is very crucial for all the few or support human resources are provided with the
sessions of training regarding the process of using communication aids also. The equipment or the device should
be personalised or customised in order to fulfil or satisfy the requirements or needs of an individual and set up in
a correct manner. Other supporting teams as well as an individual should attend the sessions of training about how
to use the device. A person should be supported or assisted in order to read as well as understand the instructions
and along with it, to follow any kind of safety and health advice on how to use the device in a best possible way
(Supporting and Protecting People’s Rights, 2011 ).
Explain how and when to access information and support about identifying and addressing specific
communication needs
It is important to note that an individual should access information when they need. They can be access
information with the help of using internet. Some important methods are identified that supports individuals to
communicate such as sign language, interpreters, hearing loops, etc.
Explain the importance of ensuring that communication equipment is correctly set up and working properly
Communication is an important part of different relationships and for health & care social workers. There is

4
CONCLUSION
From above explanation of the poster, it has been
concluded that every individual has a right to communicate. The
process of communication is very significant in a healthcare
organization because having effective communication can
facilitate the patients as well as employees of the organization in
sharing their problems, ideas, opinions and thoughts.
REFERENCES
The Care Act 2014 and Dementia, 2021 [Online] Available through: <http://londonadass.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Alz-
Society-The-Care-Act-and-Dementia-TM-15th-Jan-2015-handout.pdf>
The Mental Health Act 1983, 2022 [Online] Available through:
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/legal-and-financial/mental-health-act-1983
Dementia - activities and exercise, 2014 [Online] Available through:
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/dementia-activities-and-exercise
Supporting and Protecting People’s Rights, 2011 [Online] Available through:
http://www.knowledge.scot.nhs.uk/media/5222805/dementia%20skilled%20final_1_module5.pdf
How to Encourage Social Interaction for a Person with Dementia, 2019 [Online] Available through:
https://www.griswoldhomecare.com/blog/2019/august/how-to-encourage-social-interaction-for-a-person/