Communication Skills in Social Work - Coursework Example

Communication Skills in Social Work Table of Contents Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………2 Effective Communication………………………………………………………………………...2 Non verbal communication……………………………………………………………….4 Verbal and written communication……………………………………………………….4 Barriers to Communication……………………………………………………………………….4 Physical barriers…………………………………………………………………………..4 Emotional barriers………………………………………………………………………...4 Language problem………………………………………………………………………...5 Poor listening skills………………………………………………………………………..5 Differing emotional states………………………………………………………………...5 Differing background……………………………………………………………………..6 Understanding the Communication Needs of Different Client Groups…………………………..6 Babies and children……………………………………………………………………….6 Adolescents……………………………………………………………………………….7 Older people………………………………………………………………………………7 Disabled people…………………………………………………………………………...8 People from different cultures…………………………………………………………….9 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….10 Introduction Communication skills are those skills that enable us to interact with another person - in other words, those skills that allow us to interact successfully with another person. Good communication skills are vital to care workers because they help them to: Develop social relationships in which they understand and meet the needs of others Provide information Receive information Report in the work they do on clients Social workers need to communicate with many different people like clients, their friends and families, other social workers and their managers etc. Effective Communication Social workers have to develop a range of communication skills like Understanding the communication cycle Understanding nonverbal cues Using nonverbal message to communicate Understanding cultural differences Knowing how to ask questions effectively Using skills to keep a conversation going Using listening skills to check understanding Being able to organize a conversation (4) According to Haworth, effective communication skills can help to establish and support positive relationships with colleagues, clients and their families because they enable care workers to: Understand the needs of others Form relationship with clients Show respect towards clients and other members of staff Meet the clients’ social, emotional and intellectual needs (8). Being an effective social worker involves learning about the individual people you work with. Learning about other people involves listening to what they have to say and understand the messages people send with their body language. It is not always easy to get to know people. To communicate effectively we need to understand the processes and skills that make up human communication. The basic skills are: Questioning Some of the questions we ask will not encourage people to talk: these are close ended questions because there is only one simple answer. Open questions ‘open’ up the conversation. The person is encouraged to consider his or her reply. For example, ‘How do you feel about the food here?’ should get the person talking a little more (5). Listening Skilled listening involves looking interested and ready to listen, hearing what is said, remembering what is said, and checking understanding(5). Explaining Reflecting Reflecting means to check our understanding, which involves hearing what the other person says and asking the other person questions. Another way is to put what the person said into our own words and to say this back to him or her to see whether we did understand what he or she said (5). There are two types of communication: Non verbal communication The proper term for body language is ‘non-verbal communication’. This refers to the messages we send out without putting them in words. Most people are able to understand these messages but social workers should go one step further and understand the messages that they are sending with their own bodies, for example, if we talk in a loud voice with a fixed tone people may think we are angry. A calm, slow voice with a varying tone may give out the message that we are being friendly. Verbal and written communication Social workers also need to be able to communicate with the written word. This could be by writing something themselves or filling in a form to help a client receive a particular treatment or benefit. Social workers also need to be able to read information provided by other care workers. They need to identify the main points of what they have read and to summarize the information accurately and concisely. Barriers to Communication It is ironic that most of us have an understanding of the basic skills, but so often we fail to put them into practice. Human communication is, of course, complex and therefore it is often difficult to identify our personal deficiencies in this area. According to Hagen, barriers to good communication can be split into two main groups: physical and emotional. Physical barriers such as speech impediment, poor mental ability, deafness and poor sight, can be easily identified and we make allowances when dealing with such people. Emotional barriers might be less obvious, but failure to take time to understand a situation will lead to a false perception of the issues and could even cause us to censure someone wrongly. Other common barriers of effective communication are (6) 1. Language problems When you choose the words for your message, you signal that you are a member of a particular culture or subculture and that you know the code. The nature of your code imposes its own barriers on your message. Barriers also exist because words can be interpreted in more than one way. Language is an arbitrary code that depends on shared definitions, but there’s a limit to how completely any of us share the same meaning for a given word. To overcome language barriers, use the most specific and accurate words possible. Always try to use words your audience will understand. Increase the accuracy of your messages by using language that describes rather than evaluates and by presenting observable facts, events, and circumstances (4). 2. Poor listening skills Perhaps the most common barrier to reception is simply a lack of attention on the receiver’s part. We all let our minds wander now and then, regardless of how hard we try to concentrate. People are essentially likely to drift off when they are forced to listen to information that is difficult to understand or that has little direct bearing on their own lives. Too few of us simply do not listen well! To overcome barriers, paraphrase what you have understood, try to view the situation through the eyes of other speakers and resist jumping to conclusions. Clarify meaning by asking non-threatening questions, and listen without interrupting (4) 3. Differing emotional states Every message contains both a content meaning, which deals with the subject of the message, and a relationship meaning, which suggests the nature of the interaction between sender and receiver. Communication can break down when the receiver reacts negatively to either of these meanings. You may have to deal with people when they are upset or when you are. An upset person tends to ignore or distort what the other person is saying and is often unable to present feelings and ideas effectively. This is not to say that you should avoid all communication when you are emotionally involved, but you should be alert to the greater potential for misunderstanding that accompanies aroused emotions. To overcome emotional barriers, be aware of the feelings that arise in you and in others as you communicate, and attempt to control them. Most important, be alert to the greater potential for misunderstanding that accompanies emotional messages (5). 4. Differing backgrounds Differences in background can be one of the hardest communication barriers to overcome. Age, education, gender, social status, economic position, cultural background, temperament, health, beauty, popularity, religion, political belief, even a passing mood can all separate one person from another and make understanding difficult. To overcome the barriers associated with differing backgrounds, avoid projecting your own background or culture onto others. Clarify your own and understand the background of others, spheres of knowledge, personalities and perceptions and don’t assume that certain behaviors mean the same thing to everyone (8). Understanding the Communication Needs of Different Client Groups Babies and children Babies and children might be apprehensive or worried if they have to go, for example, to see the doctor or the dentist. It is therefore important that the social worker talks in a kind, friendly way and is calm and reassuring even when something is seriously wrong. Children will feel intimidated by someone talking to them in a formal way and using words they do not understand. The social worker should also sit down at their level rather than towering over them. Sometimes, exaggerating nonverbal communication can be useful when communicating with young children (for example, stretching your arms as far as you can when saying something is really big) (10). Adolescents Again, someone talking very formally will more than likely intimidate an adolescent. However, adolescents will expect a social worker to explain things to them clearly yet not in a patronizing manner, as though they were not intelligent enough to understand. They will also not like a social worker invading their personal space by getting to close to them unless the social worker explains to them that this is necessary, for example, in order to examine them. It is also easy for a social worker to look disapprovingly at a young person because he or she is dressed in a rather bizarre way. This might make the young person feel that the social worker doesn’t like him or her. It is important a social worker avoid such non verbal communication so as not to damage the relationship (8). Older people Older people might not like to be spoken to in an over familiar and informal manner. They may prefer not to be called by their first name by a social worker who is much younger than themselves or whom they do not know very well. Also, some people have a tendency to speak loudly and patronizingly to older people, assuming that, just because they are older and perhaps not as physically active as they were, that they are lacking in intelligence and/or are slow to understand(9). Disabled people People with a visual disability may need to have letters or other written information provided in Braille, so they can read it for themselves, or communicated verbally instead of non-verbally. They might also want to sit closer to the social worker so they can touch the social worker’s face in order to recognize him or her (1). Those with a hearing impairment might want to face the social worker so that they can read the expressions clearly and also help them lip-read the face. It might also be necessary to use pictures or write messages. Those who can hear with the use of hearing aids or who are a little hard of hearing will not want to be shouted at as though they are unintelligent. They will want to be spoken to normally or just loud enough in a quiet room. People who can use sign language should have access to a professional translator or interpreter (3). According to Thompson, Social workers should sit down when talking to someone in a wheelchair so that their faces are at the same level, rather than looking down, which can be intimidating or uncomfortable if the person in the wheelchair has to tilt his or her head up all through the conversation. Again, it is important not to talk loudly and slowly or to talk over the person’s head to whoever is accompanying the client, as if the person in the wheelchair doesn’t understand just because he or she cannot walk (7). Those with learning difficulties may struggle to understand unfamiliar words or ideas. The social worker needs to empathize with the client and try to find a way to explain things simply and clearly, perhaps using diagrams or signs. It is also important to speak calmly and patiently so the client does not get flustered and confused (3). People from a different culture Information in leaflets, reports, letters, application forms, signs, and so on need to be provided in a variety of languages so that those who speak a different language can understand the information. It might be necessary to use pictures and signs if an interpreter is not available. For a client to provide information, it might be necessary for an interpreter to be available. It is also important for social workers not to use slang, jargon or dialect when speaking to someone who understands only a little English or who speaks English as a second language. The social worker should try to find a different, simpler way to say thing and should speak in short, clear sentences (2). Hagen suggests that it is also necessary for social workers to remember that in some cultures it is disrespectful to look directly to the person you are talking to. Hence, when clients look down most of the time, this should not be interpreted as meaning they are being dishonest or are feeling sad(6). Conclusion Social workers deal with all sorts of people from different backgrounds, religions, cultures and of different ages. They therefore need to respect individuals’ personal beliefs, identities and the choices they make. They also need to be very good communicators, both verbally and non-verbally. Bibliography 1. Beveridge, M., Conti-Ramsden, G. & Levdar, I. (1997) Language and Communication in People with Learning Disabilities London: Routledge Falmer 2. DeVito, J (2005) Human Communication: the Basic Course (10th Edition) London: Pearson Education 3. Diggins, M. Teaching and Learning Communication Skills in Social Work Education London: SCIE 4. Koprowska, J (2005) Communication and Interpersonal Skills in Social Work Exeter: Learning Matters 5. Moss, B. (2007) Communication Skills in Health and Social Care 6. O’Hagan, K. (2001) Cultural Competence in the Caring Professions London: Jessica Kingsley 7. Thompson, N. (2006) People Problems Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan 8. Haworth & Forshaw, Health and Social Care, , [Accessed on 18-11-2008] 9. Effective social work with older people, , [Accessed on 19-11-2008] 10. Key capabilities in child care, , [Accessed on 20-11-2008] Read More

There are two types of communication: Non verbal communication The proper term for body language is ‘non-verbal communication’. This refers to the messages we send out without putting them in words. Most people are able to understand these messages but social workers should go one step further and understand the messages that they are sending with their own bodies, for example, if we talk in a loud voice with a fixed tone people may think we are angry. A calm, slow voice with a varying tone may give out the message that we are being friendly.

Verbal and written communication Social workers also need to be able to communicate with the written word. This could be by writing something themselves or filling in a form to help a client receive a particular treatment or benefit. Social workers also need to be able to read information provided by other care workers. They need to identify the main points of what they have read and to summarize the information accurately and concisely. Barriers to Communication It is ironic that most of us have an understanding of the basic skills, but so often we fail to put them into practice.

Human communication is, of course, complex and therefore it is often difficult to identify our personal deficiencies in this area. According to Hagen, barriers to good communication can be split into two main groups: physical and emotional. Physical barriers such as speech impediment, poor mental ability, deafness and poor sight, can be easily identified and we make allowances when dealing with such people. Emotional barriers might be less obvious, but failure to take time to understand a situation will lead to a false perception of the issues and could even cause us to censure someone wrongly.

Other common barriers of effective communication are (6) 1. Language problems When you choose the words for your message, you signal that you are a member of a particular culture or subculture and that you know the code. The nature of your code imposes its own barriers on your message. Barriers also exist because words can be interpreted in more than one way. Language is an arbitrary code that depends on shared definitions, but there’s a limit to how completely any of us share the same meaning for a given word.

To overcome language barriers, use the most specific and accurate words possible. Always try to use words your audience will understand. Increase the accuracy of your messages by using language that describes rather than evaluates and by presenting observable facts, events, and circumstances (4). 2. Poor listening skills Perhaps the most common barrier to reception is simply a lack of attention on the receiver’s part. We all let our minds wander now and then, regardless of how hard we try to concentrate.

People are essentially likely to drift off when they are forced to listen to information that is difficult to understand or that has little direct bearing on their own lives. Too few of us simply do not listen well! To overcome barriers, paraphrase what you have understood, try to view the situation through the eyes of other speakers and resist jumping to conclusions. Clarify meaning by asking non-threatening questions, and listen without interrupting (4) 3. Differing emotional states Every message contains both a content meaning, which deals with the subject of the message, and a relationship meaning, which suggests the nature of the interaction between sender and receiver.

Communication can break down when the receiver reacts negatively to either of these meanings. You may have to deal with people when they are upset or when you are. An upset person tends to ignore or distort what the other person is saying and is often unable to present feelings and ideas effectively. This is not to say that you should avoid all communication when you are emotionally involved, but you should be alert to the greater potential for misunderstanding that accompanies aroused emotions.

To overcome emotional barriers, be aware of the feelings that arise in you and in others as you communicate, and attempt to control them.

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