Question 1.1
Review the range of groups and individuals whose communication needs must be addressed in own job role
Communication with clients / service users can take many different forms, depending on the service user and their needs. In general cases we may be assisting an elderly client in their own home, who still has all their faculties and competency. Is this circumstance we would at initial set up stage consult with the client on how they would prefer to have service provided, this includes the type of staff they are allocated to their home. Preferences are set up and adhered through the care plan. Communication needs to be available 24 hours per day to ensure that the client feels like they have full and final decision with their care. With some client they may suffer from different conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, Dementia, Borderline Personality Disorder etc, this situation would require specific methods of communication. For example with a client who has a sensory disability I may need to communicate via sign language such as makaton, I may require to use picture boards for communication. With clients who live with Autism, eye contact and direct attention can sometimes be hard to process for them, in this circumstance I may need to approach them slowly, and speak in short closed sentences. Communication will vary to a great degree with each client. Risk management plans are put in place to assist ourselves and out staff to communicate effectively with clients.
In my job role I must effectively communicate with a wide range of people. Directly in my workplace I must be able to communicate with people applying for work through different mediums i.e. internet applications, telephone, face to face or mailed in CV's. These forms of communication needs to be dealt with efficiently and effectively. I will communicate with this group further at telephone interview stage in which a range of different personal and professional information needs to be gathered to ensure that we are nationally and legally compliant. If a person is successful past telephone screening stage I would offer to invite the person in for a face to face interview. However if they are not I would inform the candidate they have been unsuccessful and attempt to offer feedback for future job applications. This information can be distressing for people so needs to be handled delicately. I will communicate with the successful group at face to face interview stage. Communication needs to alter from purely data and fact finding to include a relationship building aspect and establishing a precedent for future communication as the employer / employee relationship. Once the candidate is successful I remain in regular contact with them through their training and induction to ensure they feel supported. Once compliant I would communicate with them regularly via shift offers, payroll enquiries, regular supervisions and appraisals, any miscellaneous enquiries they may have and if required disciplinary procedures. I must also communicate with colleagues in my immediate office environments, for instance the resource team who assist me in registering