Understanding Learning Difficulties

Unit 1 – Promote communication in Health, Social care or Children’s and Young people’s settings.

1.1 - Identify the different reasons people communicate.

The reasons why people communicate are complex, as are the methods. Many of the main reasons as to why people communicate are to convey feelings, wants and needs, to show emotions, to ask questions, as well as answer them and to give and receive information. These are not all of the reasons, but many of the main reasons as to why people communicate. Another important reason and one of the more complex aspects of human interaction is the want and need to build, maintain and develop relationships between people. This is a fundamental building block of what makes us human, and the building blocks of societies.

1.2 – Explain how communication affects relationships in the work setting.

Communication is the one single most important factor in creating and maintaining healthy relationships. There are different principles and factors that affect how communication affects relationships in the work setting, as well as many different relationships between different people dependent on their role in the setting. The relationships between staff i.e. Support staff/Team leaders/Management/Service users/family and friends of service users/clinical staff will all have different dynamics, and therefore different forms of communication. Understanding of these different dynamics is essential for staff to perform to the desired level. Each relationship will have different forms of communication. The conveying of information between staff and service users will be different than that of staff to staff, as the service user may use sign language/Makaton, may not have the cognitive ability to understand complex ideas and information and all so may become agitated/overstimulated at receiving too much, or certain information. These different dynamics are fundamental aspects that will affect how people communicate and the...