Identify and Explain Communication Relationships

Promote Communication in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings 1. 1 Identify the different reasons people communicate Communication is very important and can be non-verbal: making eye contact, body language and gestures, verbal: talking, singing, listening and responding, and written. People communicate usually to provide or receive information. The information provided can be passed on and used for teaching and learning. It is also used to share our ideas and thoughts, to interact with others, and to understand others.Communication allows us to make decisions, to inform others, to resolve conflicts and problems, and to meet social and physical needs. We need to communicate in a nursery especially, as it is part of child development. Communication allows for connection with a young child, and enabling positive relationships to build by sharing and relating information. We also use communication whilst experiencing different things, such as new fo od, which allows everyone to express their ideas and extend their vocabulary. . 2 Explain how communication affects relationships in the work setting Communication in the workplace is a system for sending and receiving messages. Communication is a process that enables us to have good relationships with parents, colleagues, and children. Good relationships can create a welcoming and secure atmosphere for the children. This then helps the child to settle in and feel relaxed. Children are ‘social learners’, and learn by copying other people.Adults working with them should model good communication, both speaking and listening, so children will learn from them. Children need to know that they are being listened to and heard. This helps them to build up trust with adults, and promotes better relationships. The more you learn how to listen to the child, the better you will be able to assess their abilities and interests, and planning for their next steps in learning and develo pment. You will also get to know them well and then you can support their emotional needs by being in tune with them.The better and sooner children learn to communicate, the more easily they will form friendships and their confidence and self-esteem will increase. Very young children often aren’t able to express their thoughts and feelings in words, so it is important that adults working with them can listen carefully, and help children to learn how to express themselves. Good relationships also benefit the quality of interaction between the setting and the parent. Parents are more likely to share information, make comments and take an interest in what their child has been doing.This also benefits the child as additional information will be passed on to help the practitioner meet the child’s needs. There also needs to be good communication between staff members in the setting so they can enjoy their work. A good relationship in a team means that during times of stress and difficulties, practitioners can support each other. If there is lack of communication between staff members, vital information may not be passed on, and the child’s safety could be affected. This could be what a child’s allergies are, or who will be picking the child up. ConfidentialityConfidential information is information of some sensitivity, which has been shared in a relationship where the person giving the information understood it would not be shared with others. This also means the discretion in keeping secret or private information. All childcare settings must intend to fully respect the privacy of children and families. It is good to try and ensure that all parents and carers can share their information in the confidence that it will only be used to enhance the welfare of their child. Settings can respect confidentiality in the following ways: Allowing parents to have access to files and records of their own children, but do not have access to information about any other child. * Staff will not discuss personal information given by parents with other members of staff, except where it effects planning for the child’s needs. All staff is aware of the importance of confidentiality in the role of the key person. * Any concerns relating to a child’s personal safety are kept in a secure, confidential file and are shared with as few people as possible on a â€Å"need to know† basis. Personal information about children, families and staff is kept securely in a lockable file. * Issues to do with employment of staff, whether paid or unpaid, remain confidential to the people directly involved with making decisions. * Students attending the nursery on placement are made aware of the confidentiality policy and are required to respect it. Multi-Agency Approach to Communication Unifying Communications for a Safer Response The Programme is funded jointly by the Department of Communities and Local Government, National Policing I mprovement Agency, Cabinet Office and the Department of Health.The Public rightfully expect a  quick and effective  response from the emergency services and responder community. Experience  of major incidents and large scale events have highlighted the requirement for responders to communicate more effectively. Common communications tools are available, including Airwave radio and data tools such as the National Resilience Extranet. Airwave is the common radio platform in use by the Police Service, Ambulance Trusts, Fire and Rescue Service and those responding within the Civil Contingencies Act, 2004.The exchange of critical voice and data information between emergency responders is essential to: * Maximise the opportunity for  an effective  provision of services to the Public * Minimise risks to the public and emergency services personnel * Alert personnel to an immediate hazard * Support decision-making by Commanders * Assist in the creation and maintenance of a Common O perating Picture (COP) * Deliver a common operational approach across borders at emergencies, incidents and events http://www. pia. police. uk Communicating with children It is important to communicate clearly with young children as it helps them to understand what is expected of them, and they also learn to become good communicators themselves. Good communication:- * Check that you have their attention * Make good eye contact * Use positive facial expressions and body language * Use a friendly tone of voice * Call children by their preferred name * Keep sentences to the point * Listen to what the child says them respond Do not be sarcastic * Think about children’s language level and needs * Remember that they may not know phrases and words such as ‘a couple’ To build a good relationship with children, it is important that you encourage them to interact with you. This should be in a relaxed and natural way. Sometimes rather than telling a child what to do, you ma y ask them what they think and allow them to make suggestions. Listening plays a vital role here and teaches the children how to listen.Adapting communication to meet the individual needs of children Every child is different, so it is important to think about the communication needs of each individual child, and then adapt your approaches accordingly. For example, a child who stammers will need more opportunities to talk calmly in unhurried situations, away from other children who may interrupt. Another example is a child who has English as a second language. In this case, you may need to simplify sentences or use visual cues. They may need a little more time to respond.If there are particular difficulties with a child, firstly you need to talk to parents as they know what works best for their child. If these strategies don’t work, you may need to contact a speech and language team to try and extend these strategies. For example, a visual approach alongside spoken word, to he lp children understand the meaning, or a pictorial system which allows the children to show what they want by photographs. A child with a hearing loss may benefit from communicating in areas that are well lit, and away from distracting background noises.Recognising communication differences and difficulties It is important to learn about what a particular child is use to. If you have parents of different cultures or nationalities in the setting, take note of how they interact and communicate with children. For example, a parent may kiss and hug their child more, so their child will be used to a much more active style of communication. The use of eye contact and body language also vary across languages and cultures. The gesture for ‘no’ may be different so it is good to learn by watching and taking an interest in the way parents interacts with their children.There are many reasons why a child may have delayed speech or communication difficulties. If early intervention ca n take place, it could make a significant difference. Environmental causes include: Parents/carers or practitioners being ‘too busy’ to talk to the children Lack of understanding by parents/carers or practitioners of the importance of talking and listening to children Meal times not being shared with adults Noisy home environment – radio always on Child being left alone for long periods of time Children with communication difficulties do not necessarily have any learning impairment.It is important to not assume that a child’s ability to understand, listen and learn is diminished because of difficulties in communication. It is also essential to ensure that the child is not being bullied or teased by the other children. If so, it must be prevented straight away as there are many effects such as a decrease in confidence and self esteem. Type of difficulty| Examples/Characteristics| Speech and Language Delay| A child with these difficulties follow the normal p attern for speech and language, but at a slower rate or later than usual. Emotional Problems| Being withdrawn and fearful of adults. A child with emotional problems is usually a result of abuse or neglect. | Expressive Difficulties| The child finds it hard to convey thoughts in words. For example, a child may say ‘chair’ meaning ‘table’ but does fully understand the difference between the two. | Stuttering| Most children go through a phase of not being able to pronounce words in the accepted way, repeating words and not being fluent. If a stutter does develop, it will be between the age of two and five years.Children who have a stutter have difficulty in coordinating the airflow in their mouths and the muscles around their mouths. Stressful situations, such as talking in front of a group, can make it worse. It is very important to allow the child to speak and not finish their sentences. You can help with props and provide lots of reassurance. Referral to a specialist may be required. | Specialists include: * Translation services * Interpreting services * Speech and language services * Advocacy services