Communicating in Health

and Social care

Organizations

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Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 4
LO1: Be able to explore how communication skills are used in health and social care................4
1.1 Apply of relevant theories of communication in health and social care..........................4
1.2 Use communication skills in health and social care contexts..............................................5
1.3 Review methods of dealing with inappropriate interpersonal communication between
individuals in health and social care setting..............................................................................6
1.4 Analyze the use of strategies to support users of health and social care with specific
communication needs..............................................................................................................7
LO 2Understand how various factors influence the communication process in health and social
care............................................................................................................................................. 8
LO2.1. Explain how the communication process is influenced by values and cultural factors. .8
LO2.2 Explain how legislation, charters and codes of practice impact on the communication
process in health and social care.............................................................................................9
LO2.3 Analyse the effectiveness of organisational systems and policies in promoting good
practice in communication......................................................................................................10
LO2.4 Suggest ways of improving the communication process in a health and social care
setting.................................................................................................................................... 10
Conclusion:................................................................................................................................ 12
References:............................................................................................................................... 13

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 Communicating in Health and Social care Organisations

Introduction
Communicating perfectly is an important task for every type of organizations. In the contexts of
health and social care no organization can deny the importance of communication process. If the
healthcare organizations assure the process of communication properly they can easily manage
their clients. In this report it is very clear that healthcare organization face problems for not
maintain perfect communication with Robert and Alice (Bartlett & others 1997). As the
organization fails to communicate properly the service of the organization don’t satisfy them.

LO1: Be able to explore how communication skills are used in health and
social care

1.1 Apply of relevant theories of communication in health and social care

There are some theories exist in the contexts of health and social care services. Those theories
are very crucial and effective for the healthcare centre.

Psychodynamic: this is the combination of two words psyche and dynamic. this theory suggest
that the nature of personality depends on consciousness and unconsciousness. In the case study
we see that if the housing authority applies Psychodynamic theory in the organization they can
easily identify the problem of homeless people like Robert (Miller, 2005).

Behaviourist: this theory based on the behaviours like anxiety weight loss etc. of the clients of
healthcare centre. This theory helps the healthcare centre to identify the problems of clients and
then provide their service. In the case study if the housing authority this theory is also applicable.
If they follow this theory at first they get the problem of Robert and then take decision to provide
him the required service.

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Humanistic: self determination is crucial here. While taking decision by using this theory
healthcare centre think about the entire person who is related with the healthcare centre. In the
case study the housing authority may also apply this theory. So that they can serve all the people
like Robert equally.

Cognitive: Cognitive theory based on the information that is presented by the employees of
health care centre to the patient. In the case study if the staff of housing authority provide all of
the info ration properly the homeless people get satisfaction by getting the information.

1.2 Use communication skills in health and social care contexts

There exist different types of patients or clients in the healthcare organizations. So every
healthcare organization must prepare to maintain all types of clients by using different
techniques.
In the case study of it appears at a glance that there is a huge gap between the client’s perception
and the healthcare services. And this mainly happens for the shortage of skills of communication
(Reeves & others 2011).
As the Residential Care Home unsuccessful to assure communication with Client’s the last
outcome here we see that Client’s died by morphine intoxication. But to provide perfect
treatment to Client the organization use different communication skills like verbal, Nonverbal,
listening, written etc. As Client is a rough sleeper the organization assure the service for this
disease. To know the problem of Client the healthcare authority may ask to him about his
feelings. Communication skills can be written also. If any rough sleeper unable to use verbal
communication Residential Care Home should use written document for the patients.
In this facts Residential Care Home makes a questionnaire then provide it to the patients.
To communicate effectively with the patients like Client the Residential Care Home should
always mentor the activities of the clients. Then they find a conclusion to provide care to the
patients (Emmons & others 2001). Advocacy is also a good communication skill that is
appropriate for the given case scenario. By using this skill the organization may able to provide
mental support to Client which might help him to recover his problem. Though educating staff is
a tough task for the organization it is an obvious activities. For the absence of education of the
staff they got different message about Client which is harassing for the authority of the

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Residential Care Home . Moreover it is also important for the Residential Care Home to keep
information instantly to ensure the accuracy.

Here explain about the communication skills in a Residential Care Home like housing. For the
lack of perfect communication skills of housing authority they fail to assure communication with
Client. If the Residential Care Home practices the following discussion they might able to him.

1.3 Review methods of dealing with inappropriate interpersonal

communication between individuals in health and social care setting.
In the contexts of health and social care organizations they must prepare to deal with
inappropriate interpersonal communication.
From the case study we found that there is a huge gap in communication between the housing
authority and the local homeless project. To ensure effective service housing authority must deal
with the inappropriate communication through different ways (Kamel Boulos & others 2007).
In the case study if the healthcare organizations unable to understand the language of Client they
can use another ways to understood the language. Housing authority may recruit employer who
convert the language of patients like Client. Moreover it should be in concern that the employee
doesn’t misinterpret the language. Housing authority must be confident to serve the homeless
people. They attempt their best to manage all the equipment and instructions to ensure the
service to the homeless like Client. Trust is crucial for every sector in the healthcare
organizations. Among the employees of housing authority there should be create trust. If there is
absence of trust different types of dilemma happening on the activities of the service. Housing
project may have some privacy of own. If those privacy issues break any way they face difficulty
in operating their organization. Another method is ensuring quality of the staff and professionals
of the organization by which the staff can easily identify the problem and ways of solution of the
homeless people of the project (Wanzer & others 2005).
In the case study we see that staff got the understood the problem while some others staff of out
of hours housing service don’t get the problem of Client clearly. So that authority get
incongruent message from different sections of the organization. Authority of housing should be
careful to remove such incongruent message. Authority of housing must concern about the
access of individual. Only allowed person may able to know the privacy concern of the housing

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authority. To deal with inappropriate interpersonal communication housing authority should
analyze the choice of the homeless people. Identifying choice the authority can take decision
about the ways of service.
From the above discussion we learn about the ways of dealing inappropriate communication with
interpersonal between housing authority and the homeless project. If housing authority follow
the discussion they would provide better service to the homeless people and also able to saving
life of homeless people.

1.4 Analyze the use of strategies to support users of health and social care with
specific communication needs.
Communicating with the clients of healthcare organization is not occurs in the same way at all
time. Sometimes healthcare organization falls in complexity to understand the communication of
their clients. In the case study of Client we see that the housing authority failed to ensure the
service of the homeless people. At last seen of the case study we found Client as a dead man.
This is mainly happen for the shortage of focus on the strategies of communication. Here
provides two important communication strategies that might help the housing authority to ensure
communication with the local homeless people (Thorne & others 2004).
Alternative language: most of homeless people may be illiterate. They may not be able to speak
as the formal language. Housing authority should recruit employees to understand the language
of the homeless people like Client. If the authority and staff able to recognize the problems of
Client they easily serve the homeless people.
Environmental condition: as the healthcare organization is based on the service of homeless
people environmental condition is an important topic here. If the homeless people get a good
environment there is an opportunity of leading a healthy life. In the case study we see that
housing authority don’t able to provide a good environmental condition to the homeless people.
So that Client could not adapt with the environment. Housing authority should assure the
condition of the environment to save the homeless people like Client (Hanseth, & others2003).

Finally we can reach the decision that if the housing authority using these two strategies
homeless people like Client may save their life. So I suggest for the housing authority to use
these strategy to assure their service for the homeless people.

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LO 2Understand how various factors influence the communication process
in health and social care

LO2.1. Explain how the communication process is influenced by values and

cultural factors
Definition of communication process in health and social care has been illustrated at the Here
beginning of the discussion. In the given scenario Alice is service taker, Don is housing values
officer, Meiling is social worker and in the case other safeguard authority is related. of
Now we will find how people’s values and society’s cultural factors influence the
communication process of health and social care service. Alice has a hoarding problem.
She looks dirty and disheveled which is creating problems and sufferings for her
neighbors. Besides this hoarding problem is also leading her to danger and risk. Now
she is badly in need of housing and social service and she is vulnerable. But due to
improper communication process safeguard authority could not realize the condition of
Alice and she was deprived of appropriate treatment. When Don visited again along
with Meiling and explored the fact once again then the safeguard authority was
convinced to serve care for Alice just as a result of appropriate communication.
safeguard influenced the communication process. They did not take the dirty condition of Alice
easily and addressed her as not eligible of care. But they did not analyze her condition. Again
from cultural point neighbors of Alice took her problem as their disturbance and advised her to
take necessary treatment (Hall and others 1994). One of them had already complained about the
bad smell emitting from Alice’s flat. These facts influenced overall communication. Again Alice
personally herself influenced communication. She did not allow Don as well as Meiling to access
into her flat. This ultimately interrupted the communication among them (Street Jr, and
others2007). Actually she was not comfort to show the dirty view of her flat and this is a type of
value. Again communication gap between Don and safeguard is also a fact here. Safeguard made
an assumption based on usual culture and feature but after further visit of social worker and Don
they served care and Alice got cured. Thus sometime religious belief, social rules and features,

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human characteristics, language etc make impact on communication process of health and social
care service (Kushniruk, & others 2008).

LO2.2 Explain how legislation, charters and codes of practice impact on the
communication process in health and social care
Legislation, charters mean laws and regulations that health and social care organizations have to
follow in their overall activities. Besides organizations also develop several codes of practices,
rules, code of conduct across the centre to bring effectiveness in operations (Anderson, & others
2006).
In the discussed scenario clients or patients like Alice need their privacy. It means about Alice’s
sensitive matters not allowed persons will not be informed and only approved facts are to be
shared (Romero-Ortuño, 2004). It is people’s data privacy surety. For this there is Data Privacy
Act 1998 exists. Another matter is data security related with data privacy. Housing officer Don
and safeguard authority will ensure to keep Alice’s information private and secured to avoid
creating bad records among society. The Equality Act 2010 says about proper right of vulnerable
service takers. It means Alice will be treated with due dignity and service should be according to
her comfort. Authority will consider about her choice, experience, physical and mental condition.
These two factors influence communication process. There should be communication codes and
regulations to ensure information security. Staffs will be trained well in communication and will
not practice code of conduct which is against Alice’s wellbeing. To establish equality proper
contact is to be made with Alice because without knowing Alice well proper service cannot be
provide. So communication process is influenced by laws and legislations at a great extent.
Code of practices is generally generated by the internal administration. In the case safeguard
authority denied to serve care for Alice as they considered her as not eligible. Again they
analyzed the fact by social worker and find something different at that time. This time Alice got
cured. This is a variation of code of practice. Without suitable communication (first time) Alice
could be deprived of. So administration may change their code of practices and assumptions to
establish appropriate service to people. Again administration of health and social care
organizations develop code of conduct, rules and regulations considering their personnel
performance, environment and motivation. This is also for wellbeing of people like Alice.

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LO2.3 Analyse the effectiveness of organisational systems and policies in
promoting good practice in communication
Previously we said that not only health and social care centers but also any type of organization
develops its own organizational systems and policies to promote good practice in
communication. They consider the whole circumstance and generate rules.
In the given scenario housing officer Don practiced face to face conduct. He got complain about
Alice from one of her neighbors and visited Alice physically. When he was unable to convince
safeguard authority he tried several times and managed further visit to Alice. But what about the
issue of safeguard? They were indifferent about Alice and denied her problem without proper
analyzing. After Don’s, his manager’s and Meiling’s effort they Alice was cared of and got
cured.
Here, two types of organization system we find. One is of Don and another is of safeguard.
These two are opposite. Due to Don’s congenial system and policy proper communication with
Alice was done and they came to know about her needs. But if they would follow system of
safeguard then necessary communication will not be arranged and Alice would be at danger. Don
also accessed into her neighbourhood and knew about her problem (Hobday, 2000).
Again if we say about Meiling – a social worker followed also congenial method to serve Alice.
He visited her and understanding her problem managed mental care and other required remedy.
This also facilitated the overall communication process. Thus systems and policies that an
organization practices influence the communication process. Flexible, liberal and customer or
patient or client oriented policies and systems contribute to make effective communication which
helps understand them effectively, whereas uncongenial, rude, strict type of practices bring
reluctance in appropriate and congenial communication development.

LO2.4 Suggest ways of improving the communication process in a health and

social care setting
Health and social care organizations assess their performance of communication when they
complete numbers of tasks. After completing some operations, on the basis of their result
manager can bring correction in their process as well as communication process. It can be
compared with controlling of management process (Gibson & others 2004).

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In the case of Alice what do we find as result? Alice got cured. But this is after a little bit
complexity. This complexity could be easily avoided if communication system would be
appropriate. The social worker and safeguard authority understood Alice’s condition efficiently
only when proper communication was set up among them. So now Don, Meiling and safeguard
is thinking to improve the communication process.
 Health and social care organizations should develop skilled personnel who can capture
people as well as society’s needs within minimum time and effort. In the scenario
housing and safeguard authority took lengthy time to capture what Alice needs and
wants.
 Developing effective communication planning is important. It says, before taking step
organization should estimate the future and plan how to communicate with respective
service users. In the case safeguard authority acted without any forecasting and analyzing
where if they would work with plan they could understand Alice. Same recommendation
for Don too.
 The local people who are basically service user may not be literate and normal in nature.
To conduct with them staffs need to learn their native language, their gesture and posture,
non-verbal language and so on. Symbolic language is effective for physically unable
people who cannot express normally. Alice was a little bit mentally disorder and dirty
and for the purpose Meiling managed mental care for her. At first time communication
was not proper with Alice.
 As we told communication process is influenced by cultural factors and values at a large
extent organization should pay deep attention to cultural patterns, norms, changes,
behavior and others factors.
 We also discussed the influence made by legislation, charter and codes of practices on
communication process. So to improve communication skill manager have to cope with
laws, regulations, code of conduct to maintain effectiveness.
 Proper interpretation of information is very essential in communication for health and
social care organization. In the case between Don and safe guard there was
misinterpretation which was corrected lately.
 Manager has to pay attention while developing systems and policies weather it is relevant
with and beneficial to communication system.

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Thus through several recommendation communication systems may be improved. But these
recommendations vary according to differentiation of situations and circumstances.

Conclusion:
Communication should be based on the situation. Health and social care organization should give
importance in this issue. To effectively serve all of the patients like Client and Alice healthcare
organization should take different techniques and procedures. To perform the exercises of a
health and social consideration focus flawless communication is fundamental today's globalized
and aggressive world. In this task significance of this communication procedure and obstructions
of this procedure are recognized.

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