C&G 4227- Level 3 Diploma in Children and Young People’s Workforce
Unit 051 – Promote Communication in Health, Social Care or Children’s and Young People’s Setting.
Unit 051 – 1.1
People communicate for a variety of reasons and in a variety of ways. For example some of the main reasons why people communicate are to:
Build relationships – initially this could be through a smile, a nod, a wave, or a simple 'hello'
Maintain relationships – accounts for much of people's language and communication use and may not have a professional 'purpose' within the workplace e.g. asking someone if they had a good weekend, or talking about a television program
Gaining and sharing of information – is very important within the workplace, not only between colleagues and other professionals but also between children, young people and their families in order to help us in the smooth running of the setting to the benefit of all involved
Expressing needs and feelings – people are emotional beings therefore they will need to express their feelings and needs; adults will need to allow children to do the same as children that do not have the opportunity to do so can become very frustrated and feel isolated
Sharing ideas and thoughts – as humans are creative they will have ideas and thoughts e.g. on how to expand on an activity
Gaining reassurance and knowledge - when uncertain or afraid people need to be reassured to gain confidence, this could be through a touch or encouraging words; likewise people need to feel acknowledged when entering a room or achieving a goal, either through a simple nod of the head or praise.
Unit 051 – 1.2
Within the work setting communication plays an important role in establishing good relationships with a range of people. Establishing good relations are important so that we can plan for and meet the needs of children and young people. Relationships are influenced by body language, facial expressions, how you listen to what others have to say, tone of voice, and how others listen and talk to you. The relationship you have and how you communicate with others can affect, for example, transitional periods, the sharing and gaining of information, and supporting children's play and learning. When relationships break down in professional teams, children, young people, and their families are likely to receive a less effective service.
Unit 051 – 3.1
People from different backgrounds may use or interpret communication methods in different ways therefore it is important to be able to identify/learn different cultural and background variances. For example eye contact may not be as common in some cultures as in others or may be interpreted differently. Another example is making an 'o' sign between the thumb and index finger; many English speakers will identify this as meaning that something is good or spot on but in other languages it means zero or not so good. In some cultures it may be necessary to address the male primary carer before the female primary carer as he is seen as the 'head of the household' and the decision maker. Communicating through reading and writing involves literacy skills and whereas some people have developed these to a high standard others have not through a variety of reasons e.g. a result of specific learning difficulties or using a language that they are not yet fluent in therefore it may be necessary to use face to face communication.
Unit 051 – 2.2, 3.2
Effective communication involves using a variety of methods such as tone and pitch of voice, facial expressions, body language, touch, physical gestures, posture, proximity and orientation of your body to others, the environment that you are in e.g. quiet or noisy. These methods for effective communication can also become barriers to effective communication if used wrongly. For example, you might be saying the right words but your body language may be closed i.e. crossed arms and your facial expressions may be showing that