However, a fixed stare may send the message they are angry.
Gestures – By using our arms and hands they help us to understand what the other person is saying.
Posture (the way we sit or stand) – The way we sit or stand can also send messages by sitting with cross arms can mean that they are not taking notice of what you are trying to say. Leaning back can show that you are bored or relaxed. Where as leaning forward can show an interest, or even intense involvement.
As well as a one to one interaction, I was also asked to particpate in a group interaction. During this, I sat a group of 5 children around a table in the classroom so they could see what I was doing, I then I placed a bag of coins in front of them.
For this task, I taught them how to play the game, they had to take it in turns to feel for a coin, say what they think it was, and then remove it from the bag. The coin was replaced each time and they had to recognise and remove the same coin three times to win the game.
By using hand gestures to help them understand, my facial expressions were positive and friendly, and they reacted to me in a happy approach and we all developed a good relationship and made sure effective communication was involved.
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The use of signed languages:-
Language does not have to be based on sounds that are heard. The “British Sign Language” is a system designed to help those who are hearing impaired and cannot use spoken language.
Signed language makes use of space and involves movement of the hands, body, face and head.
The Braille system is also used as a way of communication, it is a method that is widely used by people to read and write. This is a system of reaised marks that can be felt with fingertips, it provides a system of written communication based on sense of touch for people with limited vision.
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Communication using Information Technology:
In today’s society, communication across the world is easily achiebed with the use of emails, text messages and telephone, all of which provide efficient, fast way of communication no matter where we are in the world.
Electronic aids can also be used to provide a means of communication to the hard of hearing where typed messages can be converted to voice over the telephone system for the hard of hearing in the form of the mini com system, also the voice typing system can be used for those who suffer from dyslexia.
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Formal and informal communication:-
Health and social care work often involves the need for formal communication. Referring to Beryl Stretch’s example of this she says “if you went to a local authority social services reception desk you might expect “Good morning. How can I help you?” (Stretch, B, 2007, Pg 7). This is a good example to show how formal communication may be understood by a wide range of people. This type of communication also shows respect for others.
However, when using informal communication, for example “Hi, yer mate, how’s it goin”? (Stretch, B, 2007, Pg 7) we tend to use it when we know people for example, family or friends, using terms that other people would not understand.
Different groups of peoples use different informal language and it can be difficult to understand the informal communication of people from different social groups.
Music and drama help people to express themselves and communicate to an audience about what they are like. Music and drama are also similar to visual communication; they can also be used as a form of therapy.
Theatre is also a good form of communication is it can teach us about moral values of an individual.
Artwork helps people to communicate using colour and other objects. Artwork, objects and ornaments can also communicate emotions to certain people. As well as being sentimental value in some cases, vases, paintings and photos can describe to someone about a place or person; it can provide a lot of information.
Not only are there just types of communication, there are interpersonal interactions which also take part in a general conversation with someone, these interpersonal interactions are:-
People who are from different localities, ethnic groups, professions and work cultures all have their very own way of communicating, by having special words, phrases and even speech patterns.
Some service users may feel threatened or left out if they cannot understand what the other person is saying. The technical terminology used by care workers is called jargon (words used by a particular profession or group that are hard for others to understand – Stretch, B. 2007. Pg 8) and this can also create barriers for people who are not part of that community.
When people are from different geographical areas, they tend to use different words and pronounce them differently, this is also known as using dialect. Some social groups use slang which are non-standard words understood by people of a speech community, which can’t usually be found in a dictionary, for example:- “Up for it” which originally means you want to do something.
Touch is a way of communicating without words. By touching someone, it can send messages of care, power over them or sexual interest. Touch can be easily misinterpreted, for example- you might try and comfort someone by holding their hand, but they may take the wrong way of what you actually mean and think that the touch is an attempt to dominate.
People may also look at, or feel, the degree of muscle tension that you show when you communicate with them.
Silence can be okay as long as non-verbal messages show respect and interest are given. Silence doesn’t always stop the conversation. When one person speaks to another, the tone of voice that they use is important, this is because if they talk quickly in a loud voice along with a fixed tone, the other person may see them as angry. Where as, using a calm, slow voice with varying tone may send a message of being friendly.
The space between two people can sometimes show how intimate the conversation is.
Proximity is a very important issue in health and care work as many service users have a sense of personal space. A care worker who assumes it is fine to enter a service user’s personal space without asking or explaining mau be seen as being dominating or aggressive.
“Listening skills involve hearing another person’s words – then thinking about what they mean – then thinking how to reply to the other person. Sometimes this process is called reflective listening” (Stretch, B. 2007. Pg 13).
Skilled listening involves looking interested and ready to listen; hearing what is being said; remembering the messages being said together with non-verbal communication and checking you understand what the person is saying to you.
Whilst on placement, I made sure I listened to what my colleagues and of course what the children had to say when taking part in tasks I was asked to participate in. For them to realise I was listening to them, I made sure my body language was easy to read as I would relax my posture and lean gently towards them, but not in a intimidating way. I would then slant the angle of my head to show that I was taking an interest in what they were saying to me.
Task B
P2)
- Describe the stages of the communication cycle.
Verbal and non-verbal communication is not always straighforward. Communication involves a kind of code that has to be translated. You have to work our what another person’s behaviour really means.
The communication cycle is an easy way of looking at this:-
Communication needs to be a two-way process where each person is trying to understand the
viewpoint of the other. When two people communicate, they need to check that their ideas have
been understood.
Effective communication involves the process of checking understanding is involved in
reflective or active listening.
Referring to the communication cycle, I will illustrate the cycle by describing an interaction
that I have taken part in.
1. Ideas Occur –
As I (the sender) am about to send a message to my friend (the receivier) as I have an idea to go
shopping.
2. Message Coded –
To do this, I will ask her if she wants to go in to town shopping.
3. Message Sent –
Do you want to come to town shopping with me later?
4. Message Perceived –
My friend (the receiver) nods in acknowledgement that they have received my message.
5. Message Decoded –
She is now thinking whether to go.
6. Message Understood and Given Feedback –
She feedbacks to me and her message was “yeah sure, I need something to wear for Saturday”.
M1)
- Explain how the communication cycle may be used to communicate difficult, complex and sensitive issues.
The communication cycle can be used to help people to give the news in each of these situations and by knowing how they will react; you will know how to respond. By using the communication cycle, it will help to tell people news and may help them to control their emotions and as a result are able to take the news rather than being hysterical.
As well as it being a possible way to control their emotions, it may also help to control their behaviour; they might become angry and lash out.
Example:-
The person I have chosen for my example is an elderly woman, who is 62 years old, and to maintain confidentiality for the purpose of this task I will call her Dee.
For the past 6 weeks she has been experiencing increasingly more painful headaches several times a day, which were not completely relieved by simple pain killers. At the same time her energy levels had dropped and she was finding it difficult to undertake day to day tasks.
Her family had noticed that she getting increasingly bad mood swings and her memory was worsening.
That following week, whilst hanging washing on the line, Dee collapsed and went into a convulsion, this was witnessed by her daughter who immediately dialed 999 and called for paramedic help.
Dee was admitted to the local general hospital where she under-went several tests and scans and was found to have a brain tumour.
The doctors and nurses at the hospital asked for close members to come in to discuss the results with Dee and her doctors.
Referring to the communication cycle, it was left to Dee’s consultant to break the news to herself and her close family members. The consultant devised an idea of how he was going to break such tragic news to them. He would invite them to a private area within the ward, sit them down and make them comfortable and explain exactly what the problem was.
In his mind, he composes what he is going to say before the interview takes place, he needs to make it as concise and informative as possible, without giving too negative an approach to the situation. He needs to emphasise the positive aspects of treatment, support and general prognosis.
They are now all gathered in a room together, the consultant explains the reason for Dee’s symptoms over the last few weeks is a result of a brain tumour. He shows them the scan images and follows on to explain that treatment is possible, that she will need surgery and following that chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy to ensure that all remnants of the tumour have been removed. He explains that the treatment will not be pleasant, but that the advances of medical technology mean that there is a good chance they can cure her condition.
Dee and her family were obviously shocked by the news and at first could only hear the words “brain tumour” and associated this with cancer and inevitable death. They felt numb, scared and angry that this should happen to them and were scared of what the future held.
However, as the consultant explained the treatment process and went on to tell them that the prognosis of survival following such treatments was good, as a family, they grouped together and decided there and then that they would support each other and help Dee overcome the hurdles that her treatment would bring and remain positive for her sake that the treatment will work.
The consultant needed to know that Dee and her family understood what he had said and realised the seriousness of the situation. He asked them did they understand what was happening and did they have any questions. Dee and her family responded by asking several questions relating to their fears about the surgery, the treatment and overall chances of Dee making a good recovery. The question and answer session with the consultant helped both sides in the long term. The consultant was able to understand the families fear and helped allay them, the family on the other hand, were able to get honest and factual information of what the short term future would be during Dee’s treatment, they were told that support would be available from both community and hospital staff, all of which would provide them support and help them cope.
Bibliography
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Stretch, B, BTEC National Health and Social Care Book 1, edited Whitehouse, M. (2007)
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Self Growth, non-verbal communication.
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Duncan, B (2005). The Communication Cycle. http://www.google.co.uk/images
