non-verbal
Non verbal communication is the way in which people interact with each other without talking. This may be through the use of body language, facial expression, posture, tone of voice, proximity, signs, symbols, pictures, object and/or other visual aids. You need to be able to read and recognize what people are telling you non-verbally as this can tell you a lot about the person and how they are feeling at any specific point.
There are many aspects of non-verbal communication, but the main one is body language. Body language shows true feelings and when somebody communicates verbally with us, only 7% of our attention is focused on words, 13% tone and pitch of voice and a whole 80%is focused on body language.
Facial expression is also a key element as we can almost always tell what people are thinking by looking at their face.
This is essential in health and social care as many different users do not like to divulge personal information about them and the staff may be able to tell how they are feeling, simply by looking at their faces and realizing what emotions that they are feeling.
communication between colleagues
People who know you well will tend to understand you, even if you communicate poorly or very informally. However, communicating with people at work is different because it is extremely important that care workers understand each other. To show your colleagues that you are a good listener and can remember details of conversations, you need to listen to all minor details in case they are important. Work settings may have their own rules and expectations about the correct way to communicate thoughts and feelings in certain environments. These may differ from the rules and expectations when communicating with your friends and family. Although communication between colleagues is often informal, it is important that care workers use a type of communication that will both develop and gain respect and trust.
communication between professional people and people using services
Professional people, such as doctors and nurses, often work within their own “language community.” A language community is a community of people that have developed their own words, phrases, rules and expectations and ways of interacting that set it apart from other different groups of people. Professionals are usually well aware of the need to translate technical language into everyday language when they work with people from other professions or people who use services. It is important that professionals check that they are not being misunderstood.
multi-agency working
Health and social care professionals often have to communicate with other people who work for different groups/institutions/organisations/charities. It is very important not to assume that people from different work settings will 100% understand the same terminology. Formal communication may help to show your respect for them and it also helps to avoid misunderstandings when interacting with unfamiliar professionals in other places.
multi-professional working
Professionals from different backgrounds often have to work together so that they can fully meet the needs and help people who use the services that they provide. Multi-professional working happens when many different professionals have to come together and work as one unit. Communication will often need to be formal and carefully planned in order to avoid barriers to understanding.
communication forms
text messaging
Text messaging is probably one of the most popular forms of daily communication between people of all ages and is the exchange of short text messages. Since it’s very easy to send a text, many people find it very convenient to use them as people can communicate with each other, even in circumstances where they would not normally be able to talk to each other. Texting is also widely used in different places where it is much cheaper and maybe easier to send a text message than it is to make a voice. There are concerns that people may almost “forget” how to communicate with people in real life as they feel as though they can speak to people without using the regular types of verbal communication (talking to each other). In some cases, people who constantly text feel awkward about talking to people face to face as they are not used to it. This can help in a health and social care context as hospitals can contact patients to organize appointments or remind them of when they are next due to have an appointment.
oral
Oral communication is the ability to talk with others. Oral communication needs to be used to give important messages to patients of colleagues, when doctors need to tell patients about illnesses related to the patient or advice and help about medications. People in the health profession need to obtain information through oral communication and this is vitally important as it can help to decide what's wrong with the patient. Exchanging ideas in care settings are also important, mainly for new colleagues in the setting or newly trained staff as they may not be aware of how to treat an illness. Other staff can help by putting across their ideas and experience through oral communication.
signing
Sign language is a language which uses visual signs instead of using sounds. These visual signs are made up of the shapes, and movement of the hands, arms or body and facial expressions to try and express a speaker’s thoughts when put into a specific position. This essential in some care situations as some users depend on communicating solely through sign language.
touch
You can communicate with other people through physical contact. Touching another person can send messages of care, affection, power or sexual interest depending on how you convey your meaning. It is important to think about the setting you are in and what you are trying to convey before touching a person in a health and social care environment.
technology
Technology is moving so quickly now that we have many electronic aids to help us communicate. For example, mobile phones can be used to make calls but we can also use them to send text messages and emails. In a health and social care context, many different setting depend on technology.
interpersonal Interactions
speech & language (slang, j argon etc)
As we have already established, different groups of people have many of their own special words, phrases and speech patterns. These groups may be called different speech communities. Some people may feel threatened or excluded by the kind of language they hear in these speech communities as they will either not fully understand it, or not agree with what is being said and potentially take offence to it. The technical terminology used by heath and social care workers (jargon) can also create barriers for people who are not a part of that ‘speech community’. Many social groups use slang (which are non-standard words that are understood by other members of a speech community but which cannot usually be found in a dictionary).
non verbal
Posture
The way you sit/stand/hold your body can send messages and convey what emotions you are feeling to the person that you are with. Your body movements will also communicate messages.
Touch
As we have already seen, touch is another way of non-verbal communication. Touch can easily be misinterpreted, so you need to make sure that your actions are clear.
Silence
Sometimes a pause in conversation can make people feel embarrassed as they think it makes it look as if they were not listening or they were not interested. However, sometimes a silent pause can simply mean that they are thinking and need some time to figure out how they are going to communicate.
Proximity
The space between people can usually show how ‘friendly’ the conversation is. However, different cultures have different customs regarding the space between people when they are talking. In Britain there are the ‘normal’ boundaries as to how close you should be when you talk to others. When talking to strangers we usually keep ‘an arm’s length’ apart because getting any closer would be kind of inappropriate and unnecessary. When you become friendlier with someone you may accept them being closer to you. Proximity is a very important issue in health and care work as many people have a sense of personal space and do not like people getting closer than is necessary.
Reflective Listening
As we have already established several times, we can often understand other people’s emotions just by watching their non-verbal communication. However, we can’t always understand someone’s thoughts without listening properly. Listening skills involve hearing another person’s words, then thinking about what their words mean, then thinking about how to reply to the other person. As well as remembering what a person says, good listeners will make sure that their non-verbal behavior shows interest.
communication and Language Needs and Preferences
individual preferred method of communication
Language
Language is one of the most important aspects in the life of all human beings either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words or actions in a structured way. We use our different languages to express our thoughts and emotions, make sense of our thoughts, and we learn to communicate with others and to fulfill our wants and needs.
Sign Language
Sign languages are mostly used in deaf communities, which can include interpreters and friends and families of deaf people as well as people who are deaf or hard of hearing themselves. Sign language is a language which, instead of sound patterns, uses visual sign patterns to show meaning by combining hand shapes, movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to try and express a speaker's thoughts easily. Sign languages are as hard (if not harder) to learn as any oral language, even though people have the misconception that they are not "real languages". There are hundreds of different types of sign languages in use across the world. “British Sign Language was officially recognised as a language by the British government in March 2003 and there are now up to 70,000 deaf people in the UK who use BSL as their first or preferred language.”
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Makaton
Makaton is a method of communication using signs and symbols and is often used as a communication process for those with learning difficulties. Signs are used, with speech, in spoken word order. Using signs can help children who have no speech or whose speech is unclear. Symbols can be used to support communication in many different ways and can help people who have limited speech and those who cannot, sign. It was first developed in the UK in the 1970s and is now used in over 40 countries around the world. Unlike British Sign Language, Makaton uses speech as well as actions and symbols.
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is used by blind people all around the world to help them both read and write. Braille was created in 1821 by Louis Braille, who was a Frenchman who taught visually impaired children.
Each Braille character is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle. A dot may be raised at any of the six positions to form sixty-four possible combinations and these raised dots are read by touch.
Use of Signs & Symbols
Gestures made with hands or arms, written symbols or diagrams (such as traffic signs) all communicate messages to people. Fire exits signs and speed limit signs are a good example of this.
Pictures and Writing
Many household objects can communicate messages and emotions to people such as paintings, sculptures etc. People often take photographs or buy souvenirs to remind them of happy experiences and emotions.. Objects can sometimes be used as a different way to communicate with people who do not use much signed or spoken language.
Written records are essential for communicating formal information that needs to be reviewed at a future date. When people remember conversations they have had, they will probably miss out or change some details. Written statements are much more permanent and, if they are accurate when they are written, they may be useful later on.
Finger spelling (manual)
People who use a sign language (British Sign Language) also use finger spelling. Finger spelling enables the people who use sign language as a way to be able to spell out words that do not have a general sign, or words that may be easily misunderstood such as the names of people and places.
Communication Passports
Communication passports are usually small books containing straightforward information about a person and their preferred style of communication. The passport may help health and care workers to understand the needs of a person with communication difficulties.
Human and Technological Aids to Communication
Many people have very specific communication needs. It may be important to employ an interpreter if a person uses a different language such as British Sign Language. If you are communicating with a person with a hearing impairment the easiest and best thing for you to do, is to ensure that the service user can see your whole face so they can grasp some of the words that you are saying to them. Touch may be an important aspect of communication for people with poor visual abilities. For instance, some registered blind people can work out what you look like if they can touch your face as they can build an understanding of your features.
Technology offers a wide range of help with communication. It is a simple solution to provide enlarged visual displays or voice descriptions for people with visual impairments. Visual aids such as flash cards or picture books can also improve communication with people who do not use a spoken or signed language.
Variations between Cultures
Culture means the history, customs and ways of behaving that people learn as they grow up. People from different regions of Britain use different expressions. You should try to notice and remember what people do by looking at what non-verbal messages they are sending. The next step is to try and figure out what messages the person is trying to give you. When you think you know what they are trying to tell you, ask them and make sure that you have understood the message correctly.
Argyles Communication Cycle Stages
The communication cycle is a structure that was thought up by Michael Argyle and was about how we communicate. Argyle was one of the best known of the twentieth century. He spent most of his career at the , and worked on numerous topics.
Argyle's six stages of the communication cycle were;
- an idea occurs
- message coded
- message sent
- message received
- message decoded
- message understood.
The first stage in Argyle’s communication cycle is ‘ideas occur’ this is the process where we think about what we want to communicate. This may be to pass on information or to try to persuade somebody to do something etc. The second stage, ‘message coded’, is where we think about our idea and plan/decide what form we are going to be communicating in. . The third stage in the cycle is ‘message sent’, this is where we speak or sign what we are attempting to communicate. The fourth stage is ‘message received’, this is where the person you are speaking to has listened to your words or have seen the signs to what you are trying to communicate. The fifth stage is ‘message decoded’ this is where the message can be translated/interpreted if needed to. The final stage in the cycle is ‘message understood’, this is where the receiver can clarify the meaning or ask any questions.
These stages of the communication cycle are repeated backwards and forwards as long as the conversation goes on. The sender of the message becomes the receiver of a message sent back and so the receiver becomes the sender and so on. Each person almost has to continue the conversation because they have to check that they have understood what the other person meant. They do this by listening to what the person says and clarifying what the message entailed and asking any questions if they did not fully understand it.
Here is an example of this in an everyday situation, whilst speaking to my Mum:
- Idea: Hungry
- Message coded: I'm hungry, I need food
- Message sent: "I'm hungry, what time will dinner be ready?”
- Message received: I can tell from her body language that she has heard my message, she moves her head slightly
- Message decoded: She decodes the message in his head
- Message understood: She understands what I have said and replies saying “Around 10 minutes.”
Tuckman’s Stages Of Group Interaction
Bruce Tuckman is an educational psychologist who first described the four stages of group development in 1965, soon after leaving Princeton University. He looked at the behaviour of small groups in a variety of environments, and he recognised that they all go through similar, distinct phases and suggested they need to experience all four stages before they achieve maximum effectiveness in group communication.
four stages of group development
Tuckman described the four stages that a group can go through as it comes together and starts to operate and functioning properly. This process can be subconscious, although an understanding of the stages can help groups reach effectiveness more quickly and efficiently.
Stage 1: Forming
This is the stage in which members are positive and polite. Some members are anxious, as they haven't yet worked out exactly what work the team will be completing. Others are simply excited about the task ahead. As leader, you play a dominant role at this stage: other members' roles and responsibilities are less clear. This stage is usually fairly short, and may only last for the single meeting at which people are introduced to one-another.
Stage 2: Storming
People in the group can only remain platonic to each other for so long, as important issues start to be sorted out and addressed. Some people's patience will break early, and minor confrontations will arise because of this. Sometimes they are issues that are quickly dealt with. These may relate to the actual group work, or to one individual roles and responsibilities within the group. Some group members will think that it's good to be getting stuck into the real issues and sorting them out, whilst others will wish to remain in the comfort and security of stage 1. Depending on the type of the group work and the individuals, the conflict will be more or less suppressed, but it'll be there, under the surface. To deal with the conflict, individuals may feel they are winning or losing battles, and will look for structure and will set rules on how to stop the problem from reoccurring.
Stage 3: Norming
As Stage 2 carries on evolving, the hierarchy of the group become established, and the main aim of the group’s tasks or responsibilities is clear and agreed. Now that the group members have had their arguments, they now understand each other better, and can appreciate each other's skills and experience and put them to good use. Individuals will now listen to each other, appreciate and support each other, and are prepared to change their views that they had before as they now see themselves as if they're part of a solid and effective group that can successfully deal with the work. However, many individuals have had to work hard to get to this stage of group working, and so may resist any pressure to change just in case the group disband because of an argument.
Stage 4: Performing
Not all groups reach this stage as they are considered to be independent and flexible. Everybody in the group knows each other well enough to be able to work together, and they trust each other enough to allow independent activity. Also, if there were any problems within the team, they all feel comfortable enough to talk about it and try to resolve the issue without their being major arguments. Roles and responsibilities change according to need as the team workers all know each other’s individual strengths and weaknesses in specific areas. This high level of comfort means that all the energy of the group can be directed towards the task in hand, which means that the task can be completed quickly.