Good communication

Introduction

In this section about communicating well, you will look at the different ways in which we communicate, whether we are aware of it or not. Communication is something we all do, but if you are caring for someone, either paid or unpaid, the way you communicate can have a significant impact on your relationship with that person. You will be checking your interpersonal skills and your ability to listen fully and with empathy. (Empathy is the ability to identify with and understand somebody else’s feelings or difficulties.) The next thing you will look at is how you can help the people you support to communicate more effectively, and your written communication in particular. So you will be considering the place recording and reporting have in the care you offer.

At the end of the section there is a short quiz to test how much you have learned about communicating well. On successful completion of the quiz you will earn a digital badge.

The section is divided into five topics and each of these should take you around half an hour to study and complete. The topics are as follows:

  1. What is communication? looks at the ways and reasons people communicate, the barriers to communication and ways to overcome them.
  2. Developing your interpersonal skills explores interpersonal skills and the way we use them in all areas of our lives. It also looks at ways to develop those skills, including becoming a better listener and working as part of a team.
  3. Are you listening or waiting to speak? examines the importance of being able to listen, and looks in further depth at the different levels of listening and how and when to use them.
  4. Ways to help people communicate discusses ways to become a better communicator, including ways to communicate with people with dementia and learning disabilities.
  5. Recording and reporting outlines the reasons for being clear and specific in written records and reporting situations, and gives guidance on how best to complete documentation of this nature.

Learning outcomes