Eye contact: Looking at somebody’s eyes can tell you a lot about how the person is feeling, therefore eye contact is very important when communicating. Using eye contact indicates that you are interested in what the person is saying and that you are giving them your full attention. If you try to avoid eye contact this can show that you are bored, or that you are trying to hide something.
Body language: Body language is a form of non-verbal communication such as:
Eyebrows: whether they are raised or frowning
Facial expressions: You can use facial expressions to show your emotions, for example if you are smiling then this indicates that you are happy, or if you are frowning then this shows unhappiness or a concern about something.
Clarifying: Clarifying is when you try to explain what a person is trying to say by repeating what the other person has said in order to fully understand what is being said. If clarification is not used when communicating with a service user then this could lead to mistakes or confusion of information.
Questioning: There are two different types of questions; open and closed, both of which give very different results. Closed questions can be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Whereas open questions try to encourage a longer response. Open questions can support the work of a health and social care professional because it helps to collect as much information as possible.
P2
Communication is the process of sharing information between two or more people. Everyone in the conversation needs to understand the other person’s views in order for the conversation to be effective. Communication is addressed in many different theories.
Egan’s theory of the SOLER principles (1986)
Gerald Egan used the SOLER principles to summarise the most important aspects of attending. He believes that we should use the following actions whilst communicating:
Face the person SQUARELY
Adopt an OPEN posture
LEAN towards the service user
Use good and consistent EYE contact
Try to be RELAXED
S: the health and social care professional should always face the service user. They need to make sure they adopt an appropriate posture which shows that they are interested in the conversation. However it is important to remember that some service users prefer to talk at an angle, this may be due to discomfort when talking face to face, although it is still essential to pay attention to what is being said . For example, a desk could become a psychological barrier between the professional and a service user which could cause the communication to be ineffective.
A health and social care professional should always consider the type of posture that they use towards service users to make them feel comfortable and important. If you cross your legs and arms then this could become a barrier and show a lack of interest. However an open posture will show that the professional is interested in what is being said and is willing to interact within the conversation.
You should lead towards the service user when appropriate to show some interest. Leaning back or away from the service user will show that you want to keep a large distance between you both and are disinterested.
Whilst communication, it is important to hold eye contact with a service user to show interest. However direct consistent eye contact is sometimes not acceptable in some cultures and is seen as being disrespectful so you will have to check background information before having an important conversation.
The professional and service user should always be relaxed when communication. You should not become easily distracted and should give the service user your undivided attention. This will encourage the service user to be more open with you and keep them at ease.
Bruce Tuckmans sequential theory of group formation (1965)
Group structures involve two types of groups; primary and secondary groups.
A primary group consists of a group of people who know each other and a ‘feeling of belonging’ is felt within the group. This applies to people who have the same point of views on a specific subject. These people usually share the same ideas and beliefs and are also within a family or close group of friends.
A secondary group consists of people who have a lot in common with each other but are formed outside a family. There are barriers which can be found whilst interacting within a group which can include things such as:
Not knowing what their purpose or role within the group is
A lack of trust with each other
Personality clashes
There being leaders within the group who may have a lack of communication skills which can prevent other members of the group from interacting and getting involved.
Bruce Tuckman states that there are different stages in which new groups are formed:
Forming a group is the first stage and includes things like debating why someone is in the group and what their purpose is. This is the start of group formation so some members of the group may feel awkward or uncomfortable and may need to improve their communication.
Storming is the second stage and includes debating what each member’s role is and who will be the leader. Arguing and debating may improve member’s communication.
Norming is the third stage where members get to know each other better. They will generally form strong bonds and gain each other’s trust.
Performing is the final stage and it is where the group should be at its strongest point and should reach their final aims and goals. There tends to be strong relationships at this point and ideas and feelings are shared confidently.
Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1943)
Communicating is important in order to meet the needs of a service user effectively. Maslow introduced a hierarchy of needs which he argued that humans have specific needs in order to move on to their next stage in life. The first stage is physical needs which include food, water and shelter which are the basic needs that everyone should receive.
The second stage is emotional and physical safety needs such as love and value. One of these may become absent if there is a lack of communication.
The third stage of the hierarchy is belonging and affection needs which involve the sense of belonging and absence of isolation. This need can be met by socially interacting with other people as this can lead to affection and can cause attaching relationships with other people.
The fourth stage involves self-esteem needs which are your confidence and self-worth. A high or low self-esteem can be the result of somebody’s opinion of you and reactions that you can receive from people. In order to have a high self-esteem, you should receive support and encouragement in a form of communication from other people.
The final stage of the hierarchy is at the top which is known as the personal growth developing full potential (self- actualisation) need. In order to get to this need, you will need to have achieved all of the other needs. This involves how confident a person is feeling and how aware you are as an individual. You will need to know what clear goals you have set and what you want to achieve in life. This type of personal growth often depends on sharing concepts and ideas whilst interacting within society.
M1
It is essential to promote effective communication within health and social care settings as appropriate or ineffective communication can damage the professional relationship between the health and social care professional and the service user.
Egan (1986) stated the importance of his theory of the SOLER principles. Maintaining a good posture promotes effective communication and shows interest. For example, it is important for a counsellor to lean while with a service user. This shows that they want to help and reassures the service user as it allows them to feel comfortable in beginning to open up.
Egan also stated that eye contact is essential as it shows interest, therefore all health and social care professional need to ensure that they are using appropriate eye contact at all times in order to engage with the service user. If not then this will form an unhealthy relationship whilst communicating and will show that they are uninterested and unwilling to help.
Tuckman theory (1965) of group formation shows that ‘storming’ (the second stage) is important as the group will become more focused on their final aims and goals. For example, a group of students who are given instructions may have to go through the stages of Tuckman theory.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1943) shows us how it is important to have your needs met or to meet someone else’s. For example, the third stage of belonging and affection needs shows that ineffective communication between two people who share a relationship may be the cause of having your affection needs left unmet. If the two people do not interact with each other, it is most likely for them to stop having feelings for each other and will cause a lack of trust and the bond will weaken. Therefore, communication and interaction is essential within a close relationship in order to share information and emotions.
