The distance between one another is referred to as proximity. Sometimes also known as proxemics or your physical proximity. Proximity means having your own personal space (or bubble), each and every single one of us deserve to have this space (7). However the way we use proximity varies, by this I mean that different relationships have different ways of spacing. For example people with a close intimate relationship would socialize with a very small distance between them however whilst interacting with someone you don’t know you’d want some more space. If you approach people too closely, they may feel uncomfortable. Proximity is a very important issue in care work. Many service users have a sense of personal space. If a care practitioner assumes it is ok to enter a service user’s personal space without asking or explaining, the service user may be seen as being dominating or aggressive.
The way an individual sits or stands is called posture, this is another aspect of body language. Posture can show how someone feels and can interpret their attitude; this is through the positioning of the body. People give messages from the way they sit, stand, and move their hands, arms and legs. For example someone sitting with their arms crossed tightly may give the impression of anger or tension, this kind of posture is termed a ‘closed’ posture. Whereas leaning towards the person whilst interacting to someone with loose arms tend to indicate the warmth and friendliness as well as relaxation and confidence, this is referred to as an ‘open’ posture.
Throughout the interactions I used many verbal and non-verbal skills to communicate with the clients. One of which was SOLAR, which was to help with non-verbal communication skills. SOLAR stands for:
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Sitting squarely
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Open posture
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Lean towards person (slightly)
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Eye contact
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Relaxed
There are many other aspects to spoken language which contribute to effective communication. One of which is known as paralanguage. Paralanguage is the way you talk to someone. It involves the use of tone, pitch, volume and the speed of your voice. Verbal communication can be affected by the use of the speaker’s voice. Say for instance when talking to a service user you would use a soft, bright and friendly tone. This will transmit that you value this person and that you are friendly, caring and not a threat. When talking to a service user you must also consider the impact of your pitch for example when talking to a child you would use simple and clear sentences for children whereas you would use a longer and more complicated sentence for a more mature person. You should also consider the pace of your voice for example whether you are speaking fast or slow.
Prompts are useful techniques to improve questioning skills as well as a useful way of obtaining more information when keeping a conversation flowing. They are short questions or words which say to other people in order to prompt them to answer. For example “did you like that?” or “was it difficult”, questions like these might prompt a person to keep talking. Sometimes a prompt might just be a suggested answer for example “is tomorrow ok?” This might be a prompt if a care practitioner is asking a service user when he would like to do a certain activity.
Personality characteristics can be reflected in the style of clothes worn. Conservative people prefer more muted colours and conventional styles, whilst more extrovert people tend to dress in the latest fashion and favour more attractive colours. Clothes can also convey social status, self-awareness and self-evaluation. Schools may go to great lengths to impose school uniform on their pupils, in an attempt to ‘de-individualise’ i.e. to make pupils less are of themselves as individuals.
Care practitioners need to develop good communication, an important part of this is “active listening”. There are many purposes of active listening. Some of these are to activate service users, to enable users to speak freely, to help the service user to develop skills, to gain insight into the issues which are being stated. Other purposes for active listening could be to help the service user solve problems, to help the service user reach satisfactory outcomes, to consider the options available to the same user, or to clarify what is being said. Active listening does not just consist of listening to words, but is watching the body language as well. It involves paying attention not just to what is being said but how it is being said. In addition you have to be able to show that you are paying attention and that you have understood what they are telling you. This can be through responding, nodding asking (open/closed) questions, or maybe even eye contact.
A02
For my assignment I chose to carry out my interactions at an early year setting. It was a local primary school. Both interactions took place with children aged six or seven in Yr 1. My first interaction involved listening to a child read a book aloud whereas my second interaction involved helping the class as a whole with their handwriting skills. I took witness statements with me to my setting in order to allow the teacher to give me feedback about how ell I did or what I could improve on (these statements are attached to the assignment). I also made sure that I maintained the care value base; this is shown throughout the assignment.
Some of the names in this assignment have been changed in order to protect the dignity and privacy of others. Therefore I have transmitted the confidentiality value and have maintained the care value base. During my experience at the work placement I spent my first session introducing myself to the children and getting to know the children. I did this so that the children would know a little bit more about me therefore they wouldn’t feel intimidated by me whilst interacting. By doing this I transmitted the value of getting to know the service user in an appropriate manner.
My first interaction was a one-to-one interaction. This involved listening to a child read aloud, a girl of 6. I began my interaction by kindly asking the child to get her book bag. Once she did this I asked her were she wanted to sit, once she chose a table which was at the back of the classroom, I gently took her hand and walked her over. This made it easier for us to interact as it was quieter, and calmer as there weren’t children around to disturb our interaction.
First of all I started off my interaction by using SOLER; this helped me show a clear positive body language. I began my interaction by coming down to the same level as the child; I did this by sitting on a chair beside her so that she didn’t feel intimidated by me. Also by doing this I wouldn’t struggle to hear what she was saying. I had an open posture, this was to show that I was focused as well as interested in what she was saying.
I made sure that there was good eye contact, this was a good indicator as it showed she was concentrating as well as her feelings and emotions, this was through her facial expressions, for example whilst reading the if an unexpected scene appeared she seemed surprised whereas were an adventurous scene came up she felt excited. Other examples of feeling that can be expressed are anger, concentration, contempt, desire, disgust, excitement, fear, happiness, confusion, sadness, and surprise.
I established a positive relationship with the child by calling her by her first name and allowing her to call me by my first name. This transmitted the value of respecting a service user as an individual. I also gave the child independency by letting her choose the book she wanted to read, this then transmitted the value of considering choice and preference. In care it is highly important that service users are empowered by being given a chance to make decisions and choices so that they feel in control and valued. By showing that I valued the girl I transmitted the value of promoting dignity and worthiness. Also during this interaction I let the child decide how much she would read as long as it was at least a chapter. By doing this I transmitted the value of supporting and promoting rights, as I wasn’t forcing them to do anything they wished to not do.
I made sure I didn’t discriminate the child under any circumstances on the grounds of gender, religion or racial backgrounds. This transmitted the value of anti-discriminatory practice. During the interaction I also was aware of the girls’ needs as well as her reading abilities this is because the teacher had informed me before beginning the interaction. It was better to know this before the interaction took place as I knew not to patronise the child by giving her too much help. I also knew how long to wait before helping the girl when she struggled. This transmitted the value of showing awareness of an individuals needs.
Whilst communicating with the child I tried to use short sharp sentences and a clear, bright, friendly tone. This was so that the girl understood what I was saying. I lowered my volume slightly so that the other children in the classroom were not disturbed by our communication whilst interacting.
Once the little girl had finished the book, I reflected on the book by asking her a range of open and closed questions. An example of a closed question I used was “did you enjoy the book?” whereas an example of a closed question was “what part of the story did you enjoy the most?” By this I could see that the child was paying attention and interest in the book she read as well as myself being interested in her opinions. By this I transmitted the value of promoting and supporting individuals’ beliefs and rights as I was prepared to listen to the girl whilst expressing ideas and feelings.
After reading the story I then wrote inside the girls reading diary book, which was important as it showed a record of all the books she had read. I wrote that the child read brilliantly, showed great expressions and use a very good tone of voice. I finished off the comment by saying how confident she was whilst reading and a big ‘well done’ I also drew a big smiley face to give a positive sign. By doing this I helped build the girls’ confidence as well as self-esteem. This also showed that she achieved something and it showed a sense of pride as she could then take her reading book home and show her parents how well she did. By doing so I transmitted the value of praise.
During this interaction I helped build the self-esteem of the children by praising them through comments such as ‘well done’, ‘that’s brilliant’, ‘excellent work’, and ‘keep it up’. It is very important to praise as it helps build self-confidence. This transmits the value of promoting dignity and worthiness. This will give them the feeling of achieving something in life so by saying prompts and encouraging the children I transmitted the value of praise. I also smiled frequently to encourage the children.
I called the children by their chosen names; by doing this I was transmitting the value of respecting service users as individuals. I also made sure I wasn’t discriminating the children by their religion, race, ethnicity or any other background. I transmitted this value by treating them fairly and giving them the same. opportunities. This transmitted the value of respecting individual’s beliefs and identities. By transmitting these values I have maintained the care value base.
During this period of the interaction I made sure that I used my verbal skills effectively, as some of the children had difficulties in communicating correct English. I showed awareness of the needs of these children by making sure that I was speaking clearly when talking to them. I did this by talking to them with respect, by asking them gently about if they understood what they were being told to do so by the teacher. Were children struggled I helped overcome their struggle by explaining to them one-to-one. By doing this I maintained the value of dignity and worthiness. I also transmitted the anti-discriminatory value by treating them equally to the other children.
Again I tried to make good eye contact with the children however this time I did not make too much as this would make the children feel intimidated. Therefore in order to break down my eye contact I continuously looked down at their books and glanced to see the rest of the children were doing ok. I used paralanguage whilst interacting by using a high pith and a bright, friendly and soft tone of voice. By doing this I did not intimidate the children and it gave me a friendly and caring appearance. However when communicating with the staff it might have been slightly disrespectful if spoke to talk in the same manner therefore I used a lower pitch and a higher tone of voice. Whilst in a different care setting such as a residential care home, care practitioners would use several different paralanguages. They might feel patronised if you spoke to them in a jolly high tone, therefore it is important to speak in a friendly manner as if you were talking to an adult.
Another skill I also used was SOLER again throughout the activity as this skill helped me with my interactions as I felt more confident with the children. I used gestures were they seemed appropriate as this was a group interaction. I also made sure there was proximity between myself and the children, in order to make sure they weren’t nervous or scared. I made sure I gave the children personal space which is also known as proximity, this was so that she didn’t feel anxious.
Throughout this interaction I continually observed the body language of the children. At the beginning of the interaction the children seemed slightly uncomfortable however I think they gradually gained confidence as they got more involved and seemed to enjoy themselves.
Overall I felt that this interaction was very successful and I used my verbal and non verbal skills efficiently. I feel that my interaction was a success because all of the children managed to complete the task that was given by the teacher on time. By this interaction I have gained the confidence and knowledge of working with young children.
A03
Anything that prevents people from understanding a message effectively is known as a barrier to communication. This could be things people say or do which keep someone from a good conversation. There are many physical, social, emotional and other factors that restrict or limit the effectiveness of this communication, some are as followed below:
Another chief and one of the most common barriers to open and free communication could be someone’s appearance, this would be a social barrier. This not only means what you wear but how you appear to others including factors such as height, weight, hair style or even make-up. All these factors can create impressions about what people think about you. For example in a school setting a new child has just joined year 4, however due to wearing a headscarf none of the children are ready to play with her during break and lunchtimes. This might be because she is different from the other people. To overcome this barrier people need to avoid making assumptions about people based upon their appearance, clothing or belief. (6)
One last form of a barrier to communication could be a physical barrier. This may involve people with learning difficulties or a disability such as hearing impairment or sight impairment (7). Somebody with learning difficulties might find it difficult to speak clearly or use a wide range of vocabulary. Or their eye-hand co-ordination might be adequate. Communication like this is slow and can lead to transfusion unless the service user is helped with patience and sensitivity. To overcome this barrier care practitioners can provide the service users with a writing board, a word processor or even resources such as pictures and symbol which they can point to when they need something.
Below are some of the barriers that I overcame during my one to one interaction.
The first barrier that I came across during the one to one interaction was the lightning condition in the classroom. When I entered the classroom it was quite dark and I knew that the child would find it difficult to read therefore to overcome this potential barrier I switched the lights on so it was better and easier for the little girl to read. Also as we were doing a one to one interaction it would have been difficult for the both of us see each other and it would also have been intimidating for the girl if she wasn’t able to see me.
A second barrier that I overcame during the one to one was an emotional barrier. The girl at first seemed very shy however by me being friendly to her and showing a relaxed body language and open posture I think she felt more comfortable and I seemed more approachable too. I also kept my distance making sure I didn’t sit too close to her as this would make her feel uncomfortable. However I sat at an attentive angle so she knew I was listening and it showed that I valued her. I sat on chair at the same level as her so she didn’t feel intimidated and I made sure I maintained eye contact. I dressed smartly making sure I didn’t give the children the wrong impression. I made sure I wasn’t wearing anything that would put the children off their work such as jingly bracelets or bright shocking colours.
A last barrier that I came across quite frequently during the one to one was the fact that other children kept coming over to see what was happening. This was a barrier as it was distracting the girl who was reading as well as myself. Therefore to overcome this barrier I told them in a gentle voice that they would get their turn later, but for the meanwhile they would have to read silently somewhere else.
Below are some of the barriers that I overcame during my group interaction.
During the group interaction one of the main barriers that I came across whilst interacting with the children at my chosen placement was the background noise. The background noise made it difficult for the children to hear me as well as for me to hear the children. Therefore I raised the volume of my voice however it was important that I didn’t shout because this would lead the children to thinking that I was cross and they could feel scared.
Another barrier I overcame during the group interaction was a language barrier. During this interaction some of the children had difficulties in communicating therefore in this situation I used my non verbal skills to the best of ability and I spoke to them in short sentences and used a slow and clear tone of voice. I also made sure that I used a limited tone voice as I knew that the children knew limited English.
A04
Comparison
When taking part in the interaction at Bridgewater Primary school I have realised how important effective communication is especially when interacting with children at such a young age. Reflecting back on my interactions when comparing the two different interactions, I can see that my verbal skills were very much the same. I used paralanguage and listened to the children equally as they spoke. One of the main skills in an interaction should be speaking and listening to the person opposite, which I think I did very well. In both interactions I made sure I focussed on each child and their individual needs, this was slightly easier with the one-to-one interaction then the group interaction.
When I first went to the school I found it very easy to communicate with the staff. I also got on well with the children as I had worked with children at another school before. Therefore communicating with the children was very easy because there were no problems while explaining to them what to do, I felt that I communicated well with the children throughout the activity for example whilst giving them instructions of what to do and if they wanted something or spoke to me about something, I did not hesitate to reply back as I felt comfortable with them. But I think that I could have used body language and a bit more eye contact in order to interact with them with much more confidence. I realise that interacting with children that you don’t know is much harder than if you do know them because they get to know you, however good communications come with experience and next time I feel I will be much better at it.
I didn’t really have any problems communicating with children in year 1 as I had already worked with children before around the same age group. However in order to communicate well I used facial expressions, gestures and relaxed and approachable body language. I maintained eye contact with all students and kept a relaxed body language and an open posture. I was always facing the students, especially children who had slight learning difficulties as it made it much easier to communicate with them as they could see my face. However I could have interacted more with them and in order to improve my communication skills I could have used a little more eye contact when taking to them and carrying out the activity.
I used a lot of verbal skills such as tone, tempo, pitch, and clarity, pace, volume, emphasis on particular words, open questions and closed questions. Reflecting back on my experience at the early year setting I felt that my attempt to apply communication skills whilst incorporating and transmitting values of care during interactions was very good. I felt that my tone and pitch of my voice was appropriate as I didn’t shout at the children as this would make them feel intimated. I made sure used a clam but bright tone so that it conveyed warmth and genuine interest in the children. I spoke at an appropriate volume, making sure I wasn’t too loud or too quite. I spoke in a loud voice and had to emphasise on particular words especially when talking to some of the children who had difficulties in speaking English. When I spoke to the children whilst doing the group interaction I used a higher pitch than when talking to individuals. I also made good use of open and closed questions when talking to the children.
However my weakness I think was when talking at a slow pace. I didn’t find that very successful as I sometimes spoke abit too quickly and was having to repeat what I was saying clearly. I need to develop these skills a bit more by speaking a bit slower depending on who I am talking to. I think to develop my verbal skills I could have used less gestures as I think I used my hands too much when explaining things to the children and sometimes they concentrated more on my hands rather then what I was saying to them, making this skill ineffective.
It was not possible for me to cover all types of communication during my interactions. Some of these methods were sign language, braille and electronic. This was because these methods were not essential for the interactions I carried out that took place between myself the children. However yet most the forms of communication were demonstrated and discussed.
Throughout both my interactions I covered some of the barriers which could conflict to effective communication. However there were many which were not experienced, some of these were physical disabilities, cultural differences, labelling and stereotyping. There were possibilities of encountering these barriers at the setting I carried my interactions at however it varied on the service users I worked with. Therefore I was unable to demonstrate how to overcome certain barriers.
Evaluation
Overall I think my interactions were successful. The tasks set by the teacher were completed on time by the children. I think I made good use of SOLER. This was one of my strongest skills i used during my interactions with the children. I think this because the children didn’t seem intimidated or uncomfortable by me. I made sure I didn’t lean over them or have a unsympathetic posture. I used eye contact in both the interactions so the children knew that I was paying attention, as well as for me to know that they were concentrating. I made sure that I tried to give out a friendly and open appearance.
Another and one of the main reasons why I feel the interactions were successful because I transmitted many different aspects of the CVB. For example one of the aspects of the care value base that were maintained in both my interactions was that I kept the children’s names confidential; I treated every one with respect. This included their personal beliefs as well as their individual needs. I also established positive relationships between myself and the children by letting them call me by my first name.
During my interactions I was much more aware of treating the children with equality. This was because I was working with a range of children from different ethnical backgrounds. Each child was different and had different needs, beliefs, racial backgrounds etc. therefore it was important that I used an anti-discriminatory practise. I also maintained the care value base by showing respect for differences and choices. Some of the children were slightly louder than others. Therefore I made sure that I gave the quieter children the same amount of attention and also made sure that they didn’t feel left out. I also think that I encouraged a sense of empowerment in these children by giving them a sense of worthiness and showing sensitivity and awareness of her needs.
During my interactions I saw how people behave and interact differently in one to one interactions then they do in group interactions. However I think I need to practise more on reflecting and showing empathy because there weren’t many opportunities for me to do this in my two interactions. Overall I think that my activities were fairly successful as a whole. The only key problems were mainly the barriers that I faced however as I managed to overcome these barriers it shows that I am able to deal with problems effectively.
Another part that wasn’t covered in depth was the importance of legislation. However I mentioned the importance of anti-discrimination and confidentiality but legislations such as the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, which are related with these issues were not explained.
I think if I was to re-do this report, I would carry out my interactions at two different settings. The first, an early years setting and the second, a residential care home. This is because I could then compare and contrast the different ways of communication between service users at different care settings. For example paralanguage, my paralanguage between children at an early age and adults would be very much the opposite. I would use a soft, bright tone for younger children whereas I would use a clearer and louder volume. The one thing that I would definitely maintain would be transmission of the values within the care value base, as these apply to all care practitioners in all care settings.
By doing these interactions I have gained knowledge about communication and the impact it can have on others. It is something people take for granted and don’t think about. I am aware of which communication skills are needed to communicate effectively and I now know the importance of transmitting the values of the care value base when working with service users. Whilst working with the children and the wonderful staff at this care setting. I have also had a chance to develop my verbal and non verbal skills and my active listening skills within a care setting. I have also gained confidence and a lot more awareness about how communication varies between care practitioners and the service users.
Bibliography
Throughout this assignment I have put in brackets. For example (1), next to key terms/skills or definitions. This then refers to the bibliography that is set at the back of my assignment, which shows where I got the information as shown below:
(1) Barratt, C. 1996. Intermediate Health and Social Care. Oxford, University Press.
(2) Hilary, T. 1998. Hodder Intermediate GNVQ Health and Social Care. Oxon, British Library Cataloguing.
(3) Lynda, M. 2000. Heinemann GNVQ Foundation Health and Social Care. Oxford, Reed Educational and Professional Publishing.
(4) Meggit, C. 1994. Hodder Vocational A-Level Health and Social Care. Oxon, British Library Cataloguing.
(5) Moonie, N. 1996. HEINEMANN AVCE Health and Social Care. Oxford, Harcourt Education Limited.
(6) Sylvia, A. 1996. Hodder Vocational A-Level Health and Social Care Second Edition. Oxon, British Library Cataloguing.
(7) Walsh, M. Collins Health and Social Care. London, HarperCollinsPublishers
(8) Website:
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(10) Website:
(11) www.businessballs.com/tuckmanformingstormingnormingperforming
