CHCCOM005 Communicate and

Work in Health or Community

Services

CHC43015 Certificate IV in Ageing Support

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verbal and non-verbal communication

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Communication is simply the act of
transferring
information from one place to another.
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�use of verbal and non-verbal techniques which promote

clear, respectful communication is fundamental to all
aspects of a health and community services worker’s
role.

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verbal communication
�Grammar
�use of correct grammar helps to ensure communication
is professional, that the meaning of complex concepts
is clear, and that a message is received in the manner
intended by the sender, etc.

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�Speed
�an appropriate pace can enhance the communication of
complex information (e.g. by allowing the speaker time
to organise their thoughts logically, and the listener
time to understand the message being communicated),
and may allow the emotion behind a message to be
communicated, etc.

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�Pronunciation
�use of correct pronunciation helps to ensure
communication is professional, that the meaning of
complex concepts is clear, and that a message is
received in the manner intended by the sender, etc.

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non-verbal communication
�non-verbal communication is used constantly in every
interaction we have with others.
�non-verbal communication should be used in a manner
conscious of the subtle messages being communicated.
�non-verbal communication is used constantly in every
interaction we have with others. It may be recognised
by watching others’ movements and behaviour

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industry terminology
�using industry terminology correctly helps to ensure
communication is professional, that the meaning of
complex concepts is clear, and that a message is
received in the manner intended by the sender
(particularly between professionals), etc.

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 correct meaning of each term
Access All clients should have equal access to health and
community services.
Activities of Activities of daily living – including hygiene, toileting and
ambulation – are important aspects of a client’s wellbeing.
daily living
(ADLs)
Advanced It is important that clients engage in advanced care planning
prior to them becoming mentally incompetent and losing the
care
ability to make decisions for themselves.
planning

Advocate Health and community services workers must advocate for

the client’s best interests.

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Ambulatory Health and community services workers are important providers
care of ambulatory care.

Care plan It is important for health and community services workers to follow a
client’s care plan.

Case Case management is important to ensure that a client’s best interests

are met.
management

Chronic A chronic disease is a long-term disease which may have significant

impacts on a client.
disease

Compliant It is important to support a client to be compliant with cares, including

medications.

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 Consent A client must give consent, or permission, before a health or
community services worker can perform any cares.

Dignity Health and community services workers must respect a client’s dignity
at all times.

Discharge Planning for a client’s discharge is important if they are to be

independent in the community.

Empower Health and community services workers must empower a client

towards positive outcomes.

Independent The term independent living describes a client who lives in the
community with little help from others.
living

Key worker A key worker, also called a ‘case manager’, is the person responsible
for coordinating the overall care of a client.

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 Lifestyle The term lifestyle describes how a person chooses to live their
life.

Outreach Outreach services are designed to reach clients who may be unaware
of the services available to them.

Personal care One of the most fundamental aspects of the health and community
services worker’s role is to provide personal care to clients, including
assisting them with ADLs.

Provider A provider is an individual, group or organisation which delivers health

or community services.

Quality of life Quality of life describes the general wellbeing of a person.

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 Respite care Respite care involves services to provide relief temporary to
informal caregivers (e.g. family).

Supported Health and community services workers are often employed in

supported accommodation settings where clients are encouraged to
accommodatio
live as independently as possible.
n

Terminal The term terminal illness describes an illness, disease or condition

which is life-limiting.
illness

Target group Services must be designed and delivered with the needs of the target
group in mind.

Wellbeing The term wellbeing describes how well a client is on the physical,
mental and social levels.

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communication protocols (e.g.
guidelines, policies, procedures)

�following communication protocols applicable to

interactions with different people and different lines of
authority helps to ensure that communication takes
place in an ordered, structured way consistent with
organisation expectations.

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early signs of potentially complicated or difficult
communication situations
�include:
�Misunderstandings
�Emotionally-charged situations
�Patients who are ‘difficult’, abusive, non-compliant
�Sensitive topics (e.g. palliation, death, etc.)
�Impairments to communication (e.g. language,
disability, etc.)
�Cultural differences

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three (3) constraints to effective
communication

�CONSTRAINTS TO EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION: language, disability, highly-
emotional situations, use of jargon in the medical
context, distance, cultural diversity, gender differences,
status differences, etc

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�COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES: using
communication aids (e.g. telephone, language book,
translator, diagrams, etc.), verbal communication
techniques (e.g. speaking clearly, using correct
grammar / pronunciation, slowing speech, using simpler
words, etc.), non-verbal communication techniques (e.g.
ensuring congruency of body language, open body
language, gestures, eye contact, etc.).

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communication skills
� include:
� Demonstrate that you are listening to the client, don’t
interrupt
� Maintain eye contact, get on the same level as the client
� Be aware of personal space and non-verbal communication
(e.g. open, relaxed posture)
� Don’t rush or coerce the client
� Use a calm, quiet voice
� Remove physical barriers
� Avoid arguing

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legal responsibility
�include:
�Privacy and confidentiality
�Duty of care ‘mandatory reporting
�Infection control
�Occupational health and safety (OHS)
�Accident and incident reporting

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ethical responsibility
�include:
�Beneficence – to do good
�Non-maleficence – to do no harm
�Respect for autonomy
�Fairness
�Truthfulness
�Justice

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breach or non-adherence

�reporting such issues to appropriate people is both a

legal and ethical requirement, and that this helps to
facilitate an appropriate response to the issue.

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‘appropriate people’ to report breach or
non-adherence
�include:
�Supervisor
�Supervisor’s supervisor
�Service manager
�Department of Community Services (as per mandatory
reporting legislation)
�Senior colleagues

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documentation
�include:
�Ensuring documentation is legible, signed, dated
�Ensuring documentation is contemporaneous
�Ensuring documentation is accurate, complete,
unaltered

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organisation communication policies and procedures
for using digital media
� include:
� ‘No social media at work’ policy
� Policies preventing employees from ‘friending’ clients on
social media
� Using social media for professional development
opportunities
� Not sharing private, confidential information on social
media (e.g. posting patient photographs)
� Not advertising services on social media

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clear, accurate and objective language
when documenting
�using clear, accurate and objective language when
documenting events ensures that the record of events is
clear, unbiased and easy to understand, that there are no
judgements of the client, that there are no unfounded
conclusions, and that there are no opinions expressed
(allowing the reader to form their own view).

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 legal and ethical considerations relating
to communication
Privacy, Health and community services have a legal and ethical
confidentiality responsibility to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of
and disclosure their clients, colleagues, others attending their service and
the service itself. This includes, for example, ensuring that
records are kept safe (e.g. in a locked filing cabinet),
ensuring that records are only shared appropriately and with
relevant people, ensuring that records are shared with the
consent of the client, ensuring that records are not
discussed in public spaces (e.g. tea-rooms), informing
clients of what is done with the records the service collects,
and only using records about a client in a way that is
reasonable / expected, etc. However, there are situations
where disclosure of confidential information without their
consent is legally mandated – such as where abuse is
suspected. The student may mention the Privacy Act 1988
and the Privacy Amendment Act 2000.

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Discrimination Discrimination refers to the unfair treatment of someone on
the basis of an aspect of difference – such as sex, race, age or
other category. A person may discriminate against another in
communication either directly (e.g. by labelling or name-
calling) or indirectly (e.g. by excluding someone from a
conversation). Discrimination is illegal in Australia under the
Age Discrimination Ace 2004, the Australian Human Rights
Commission Act 1986, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992,
the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 and the Sex Discrimination
Act 1984 and state / territory equivalents.

Duty of care Duty of care is owed – in legal and ethical terms – to any person
who may be affected by a health and community services worker’s
actions, advice or omissions. A breach of duty of care occurs when
a community services worker fails to provide the service expected
(that is, they fail to do what ‘a reasonable person’ would do in a
similar situation, or they do what ‘a reasonable person’ would not
do). If this results in damage, a health and community services
worker may be deemed negligent and responsible for civil and
criminal legal action.

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Mandatory Many professionals in Australia – including, in many
reporting jurisdictions, health and community services workers – are
mandatory reporters. This means they are legally and ethically
required to report situations of actual or suspected abuse to
appropriate authorities (usually the relevant government
department). A worker must have ‘reasonable grounds’ and
‘reasonable suspicion’ on which to base a report of abuse;
they are not obliged to ‘prove’ the abuse has taken / is taking
place.

Translation Translators or interpreters are useful in assisting with

communication with people who speak English as a second
language. However, to ensure the client’s privacy and confidentiality
is maintained, relatives and friends should not be used as
translators or interpreters. Instead, professional translating and
interpreting services (often via the telephone), with trained
professionals bound by privacy and confidentiality legislation,
should be employed. This is particularly important in situations
when legal consent is to be obtained.

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Informed Informed consent means that patient is provided with
consent sufficient information (including relevant benefits and
risks) to make an appropriate decision about whether to
go ahead with the proposed examination or procedure.
This is a legal and ethical requirement in Australia.

Work role Work role boundaries (including responsibilities and

boundaries limitations) are defined by a person’s scope of practice.
(responsibilities Scope of practice refers to providing the level of care you
and limitations) have been trained and deemed competent to provide. This is
a legal and ethical requirement in Australia.

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‘conflict of interest’
�conflict of interest occurs when a person’s interests are
incompatible with the interests of their organisation or
their client

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‘ethical decision making’
�ethical decision-making involves using the ethical
principles (outlined in Q14b) to balance competing
choices when choosing among alternatives. Ethical
decision-making can assist in finding the best
resolution to a conflict of interest situation – that is,
one which effectively balances the interests of a person
with the interests of their organisation or their client.

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 principles of effective communication
Open-ended Open-ended questions are designed to elicit a full and
questions meaningful answer, rather than just a ‘yes / no’ response.

Affirmations Affirmations are positive thoughts and statements which seek to

offer emotional support and encouragement

Reflections Reflection involves looking back on practice (including

communication) to identify what was done well, and what could be
done better next time.

Summaries Summarising involves making a brief statement covering the most

important points.

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motivational interviewing VS coercive
approach

�motivational interviewing involves assisting a client to

improve their motivation to achieve a goal by resolving
their ambivalence, whilst coercion involves persuading
a person to achieve their goal through force, threats or
other inappropriate behaviour

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collaboration VS confrontation

�collaboration involves working together to achieve a

shared goal, whilst confrontation involves hostility,
arguments and conflict between opposing parties.

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simple communication model:

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modes or types of communication
�include:
�Face-to-face
�Text, written
�Video, audio
�One-way versus two-way
�Verbal
�Non-verbal

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 influence communication
Language Language differences may directly impede communication by
hindering the transmission of a message, and by contributing to
the development of misunderstandings.

Culture and Cultural and religious differences may impact on preferred

communication styles, the topics deemed ‘appropriate’ to be
religion
discussed, and even the meaning of certain messages.

Emotional A person’s emotional state can impact on how they interpret a

message and the extent to which they understand the message.
state

Disability, Disability – including physical and mental disabilities – and health

status can impact on how well (or otherwise) a message is
health
communicated and understood.

Age Age can have a significant impact on a person’s preferred

communication techniques and styles.
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 health and community services sector
have used digital media
Web Website to communicate information on services, provide health
promotion information.
Email Email newsletters and factsheets.

Social Tips for good health, engagement in healthy initiatives.

media
Podcasts Health promotion.

and videos
Tablets and Activity and food trackers, weight loss monitoring, exercise
monitoring.
applications
Newsletters Communicate organisation activity, provide health promotion
information.
and
broadcasts
Intranet Repository of organisation policies, procedures.
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Thank you

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