UNIT 1 COMMUNICATION P5, P6, M3 AND D1 , D2

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Contents page

Page 2 Introduction

Page 3 Task 1 (D2) analysing communications between service users and key people

Page 6 Task 2 (P5) participation in two interactions

Page 8 Task 3 (P6) review of communications in the two interactions undertaken

Page 10 Task 4 (M3) explanation of how communications could be more effective

Page 12 Task 5 (D1) analysing the two interactions

Page 14 Bibliographies

Appendix

The following assessment is about communications in the work placement. There are five pass criteria’s to this assessment, which consists of two passes, one merit and two distinctions. The assessment focuses on how communication skills are used and their effectiveness.

Task 1 (D2)

Analyse how communication in health and social care settings assists patient/service users and other key people.

The following observations were done in a 70-bed residential care/nursing home with a separate EMI unit, which caters for the mentally ill. There are two floors, each one a mirror image of the other. On each floor there are 35 bedrooms, 20 in the main part and 15 in the EMI unit. There is a resident’s lounge on each floor that has a conservatory on the end where the residents who smoke can sit. In each lounge there is a central fireplace, a television at one end and a display cabinet at the other end, which has a music system on it. There are approximately 20 reclining chairs in each lounge.

I observed a care assistant as she went about her daily duties. I was sat in the resident’s lounge talking to one of the residents. The lounge does get busy and can be quite hectic at times as care workers assist residents. There are also residents who come in and out to see what’s going on along residents who have family visiting them. I was in the lounge talking to Mary (one of the residents) when Joan (another resident) shouted for a nurse to come. Joan shouted several times for the nurse but no one came, despite a care worker walking past several times.

The lounge was quite noisy as the television was on and another resident had the stereo on but I’m sure Joan could still have been heard. Joan had been shouting for a while before anybody came in to see what she wanted. When the care assistant did come over to see what she wanted she did it in a way that would have made Joan feel like an inconvenience. She would also have been over empowered as the care assistant was stood up and didn’t make any attempt to go down to her level or make eye contact. Her body language could also have been better as she was stood there with her hands on her hips. Joan wanted to go to the toilet but the care assistant said she was unable to take her because there was nobody else about, Joan needs a hoist due to her lack of mobility and the hoist must be operated with two carers due to the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974). The Health and Safety at Work Act is in effect an umbrella for the protection of employers, employees and service users. It encompasses the promotion, monitoring and maintenance of health and safety policy in the workplace. This includes the manual handling regulations, which prevented the care assistant from operating the hoist by herself.

The care assistant began to walk away when Joan told her she needed the toilet urgently. The care assistant said that she only went to the toilet about half an hour ago and how could she possibly want it again so soon. I was a bit surprised at this remark. How could a care assistant possibly make the assumption that a service user does not need the toilet? Every service user in that care setting has the right to freedom of choice. The Care Value Base is a policy that was put in place to guide the practice of professionals working in the health and social care sector and to protect service users. The aim is to improve client’s quality of life by making sure every service user gets individual appropriate care. There is also a mission statement and their aim, which reads,

To be recognised at all levels for our high standards of professionalism, service and quality of care provided within appropriate, safe and therapeutic environments.  

(Appendix 1)

Our aim is to help those who come to live with us to remain in control of their own lives as far as possible and thus, to maintain their personhood – an approach and a benefit we call person centred care. (Appendix 2)

 Later the same day I overheard the same care assistant referring to Joan by a derogatory term. It is not possible for me to state what the derogatory comment was as this could lead to the identity of the service user being revealed. This would be a breach of The Data Protection Act (1998) as to reveal the comment may lead to the service user being identified. Some of the principles of The Data Protection Act (1998) are data must protected, be accurate, be secure and no information revealed should identify a living individual.

The behaviour of the care assistant was both unacceptable and unprofessional. If I had been the care assistant instead of a student observing then I would have first have gone down to Joan’s level instead of towering over her and made eye contact. I would then explain verbally why I was unable to take her there and then but that I will go find another care assistant to help me and come back. It is a care assistant’s responsibility to do their job to the best of their ability and they should promote the care value base and the holistic care of service users.

I had taken Ethel, a resident to the bathroom who needed to use the toilet. The bathroom is to the right of the resident’s lounge and approximately 10 meters away. Ethel is able to walk on her own but likes to have the reassurance of somebody there since she had a fall. Once Ethel was safely in the bathroom I sat on a sofa that was just out side the bathroom and waited for Ethel to finish. The bathroom is situated at the end of a corridor where all the resident’s bedrooms are.

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 There are two sofas and a chair that are for residents to take a rest or wait for the bathroom. Whilst I was sat there I observed a conversation that happened in the corridor between two care assistants. I saw the two care assistants come out of a resident’s room that was occupied by a gentleman who was terminally ill and who’s wife was in there with him. The two carers were only a few yards away from the gentleman’s room when they began talking about him, although they were talking quietly I’m sure there was a possibility that ...

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Star rating of 4 This assignment is well written and covers P5, P6, M3, D1 and D2 of unit 1 on effective communication. Strengths of the assignment include the references to policies, codes of conduct and aims of the organisation, as well as some of the examples of analysis covered. Some suggestions have also been identified by the learner on how communication could have been improved within the two interactions. In places the assignment could be improved as is indicated, particularly with reference to the specific task (P6) on the effectiveness of the communication skills used, although it is noted that some of these are covered in other criteria and so, with cross referencing between tasks, P6 would be met. Analytical skills could also be improved where indicated.