Unit name: Communication in Care Settings
Learning outcome: 1. Understand why communication is important in the work setting
Assessment criteria: 1.2 Explain how effective communication affects all aspects of your own work
As a care worker, effective communication will encompass all aspects of your role.
You will need to communicate effectively with the individuals that you support, their families, your co-workers and managers and other professionals, such as doctors, social workers and occupational therapists.
Effective communication will enable you to provide safe, high-quality care because you will be working in partnership with other stakeholders in an individual’s care and be able to share ideas and work towards the best possible outcomes.
For example, communication with the individuals that you support will allow you to provide care services in a person-centred way that is tailored towards their needs, wishes and preferences. Similarly, by communicating with the individual’s family, you will discover information that can help to provide better care.
Effective communication with your colleagues means that everyone providing care will do so in a consistent manner and any changes to their needs can be passed on quickly. You can also share ideas for improving the services you provide, for example, in team meetings.
Two-way communication with your manager is important because it means that you will be able to report any concerns you have and ask for support if you are unsure about anything. Your manager can help you to establish which areas of your work you have a talent for and which may require improvement.
You will come into contact with several other professionals as part of your role. This can include health professionals, such as doctors, nurses, psychologists and dieticians as well as other professionals, such as social workers. They may ask you your thoughts about an individual’s wellbeing or ask you to perform tasks in certain tasks on their behalf. For example, a doctor may prescribe medication for an individual that you support and it may be your responsibility to ensure that the medication is provided in line with the doctor’s instructions.