Promote Communication in health, social care or · PDF file · 2012-05-25Promote Communication in health, ... and abilities in your industry and help you to become more ... There

Version 1- 01/04/10

In Association With

Learning work book to contribute to the

achievement of the underpinning

knowledge for unit: SHC 31

Promote Communication in

health, social care or

children’s and young people’s

settings

Credit value 3

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reproduced, copied, stored or transmitted without the prior

permission of

The Learning Company Ltd

© The Learning Company Ltd

C / D i n C C L D L 3 L i c e n s e d u n t i l F e b 1 2 U n i t S H C 3 1

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Learner’s Name:

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INTRODUCTION

This workbook provides the learning you need to help you to

achieve a unit towards your qualification. Your qualification on the

Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) is made up of units, each

with their own credit value; some units might be worth 3 credits,

some might have 6 credits, and so on. Each credit represents 10

hours of learning and so gives you an idea of how long the unit will

take to achieve.

Qualification rules state how many credits you need to achieve and

at what levels, but your assessor or tutor will help you with this.

Awarding Organisation rules state that you need to gather evidence

from a range of sources. This means that, in addition to completing

this workbook, you should also find other ways to gather evidence

for your tutor/assessor such as observed activity; again, your

assessor will help you to plan this.

To pass your qualification, you need to achieve

all of the learning outcomes and/or performance

criteria for each unit. Your qualification may

contain essential units and optional units. You’ll

need to complete a certain amount of units with

the correct credit value to achieve your

qualification. Your tutor/assessor can talk to you more about this if you’re worried and they’ll let you know how you’re doing as you

progress.

This workbook has been provided to your learning provider under licence by The Learning Company Ltd; your training provider is

responsible for assessing this qualification. Both your provider and

your Awarding Organisation are then responsible for validating it.

THE STUDY PROGRAMME

This unit is designed for individuals who are working in or wish to

pursue a career in their chosen sector. It will provide a valuable,

detailed and informative insight into that sector and is an

interesting and enjoyable way to learn.

Your study programme will increase your knowledge, understanding

and abilities in your industry and help you to become more

confident, by underpinning any practical experience you may have

with sound theoretical knowledge.



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WHERE TO STUDY The best way to complete this workbook

is on your computer. That way you can

type in your responses to each activity

and go back and change it if you want

to. Remember, you can study at home,

work, your local library or wherever you

have access to the internet. You can also

print out this workbook and read through

it in paper form if you prefer. If you choose to do this, you’ll have to

type up your answers onto the version saved on your computer

before you send it to your tutor/assessor (or handwrite them and post the pages).

WHEN TO STUDY

It’s best to study when you know you have time to yourself. Your

tutor/assessor will help you to set some realistic targets for you to

finish each unit, so you don’t have to worry about rushing anything.

Your tutor/assessor will also let you know when they’ll next be

visiting or assessing you. It’s really important that you stick to the

deadlines you’ve agreed so that you can achieve your qualification

on time.

HOW TO STUDY

Your tutor/assessor will agree with you the

order for the workbooks to be completed;

this should match up with the other assessments you are having. Your

tutor/assessor will discuss each workbook

with you before you start working on it,

they will explain the book’s content and how they will assess your workbook once you have completed it.

Your Assessor will also advise you of the sort of evidence they will

be expecting from you and how this will map to the knowledge and

understanding of your chosen qualification. You may also have a

mentor appointed to you. This will normally be a line manager who

can support you in your tutor/assessor’s absence; they will also

confirm and sign off your evidence.



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You should be happy that you have enough information, advice and

guidance from your tutor/assessor before beginning a workbook. If you are experienced within your job and familiar with the

qualification process, your tutor/assessor may agree that you can

attempt workbooks without the detailed information, advice and

guidance.

THE UNITS

We’ll start by introducing the unit and clearly explaining the

learning outcomes you’ll have achieved by the end of the unit.

There is a learner details page at the front of each

workbook. Please ensure you fill all of the details

in as this will help when your workbooks go

through the verification process and ensure that

they are returned to you safely. If you do not

have all of the information, e.g. your learner

number, ask your tutor/assessor.

To begin with, just read through the workbook. You’ll come across

different activities for you to try. These activities won’t count

towards your qualification but they’ll help you to check your

learning.

You’ll also see small sections of text called “did you know?” These are short, interesting facts to keep you interested and to help you

enjoy the workbook and your learning.

At the end of this workbook you’ll find a section called

‘assessments’. This section is for you to fill in so that you can prove

you’ve got the knowledge and evidence for your chosen

qualification. They’re designed to assess your learning, knowledge and understanding of the unit and will prove that you can complete

all of the learning outcomes.

Each Unit should take you about 3 to 4 hours to complete, although some will take longer than others. The important

thing is that you understand, learn and work at your own pace.

YOU WILL RECEIVE HELP AND SUPPORT

If you find that you need a bit of help and guidance with your

learning, then please get in touch with your tutor/assessor.

If you know anyone else doing the same programme as you, then

you might find it very useful to talk to them too.



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Certification

When you complete your workbook, your

tutor/assessor will check your work. They will then sign

off each unit before you move on to the next one.

When you’ve completed all of the required workbooks

and associated evidence for each unit, your assessor

will submit your work to the Internal Verifier for

validation. If it is validated, your training provider will then apply for your certificate. Your centre will send your certificate to you when

they receive it from your awarding organisation. Your tutor/assessor

will be able to tell you how long this might take.



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Unit SHC 31: Promote Communication in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings

About this unit

This unit is aimed at those who work in health or social care settings

or with children or young people in a wide range of settings. The

unit introduce s the central importance of communication in such settings, and ways to overcome barriers to meet individual needs

and preferences in communication

Learning outcomes

There are four learning outcomes to this unit. The learner will be

able to:

1. Understand why effective communication is important in the work

setting

2. Be able to meet the communication and language needs, wishes

and preferences of individuals

3. Be able to overcome barriers to communication

4. Be able to apply principles and practices relating to confidentiality

The importance of communication

Communication is the foundation for all children’s learning and

social development. The ability to use speech and language to

convey thoughts, opinions and ideas to others is a uniquely human

skill. The majority of children develop communication skills with

little or no additional help. However, for one million children in the

UK – around one in 10 – some aspect of the communication process

breaks down.

Early years practitioners have a vital role in supporting the communication development of all

children, especially those with a communication

disability. Projects such as the Effective Provision

of Pre-School Education (EPPE) and Peers Early

Education Partnership (PEEP) have been instrumental in highlighting

the long term impact that high quality early years provisions can

have on young children. Part of ensuring the quality of early years

provision involves making practitioners aware of their important role

and how they can best support children’s development.



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Spoken communication

When we think of young children communicating, we often think

first of the words and sounds they use to interact with those around

them. A child’s ability to use language to communicate, or their

expressive language, requires the development of a number of complex skills and processes. When a child is constructing and

producing a sentence they have to:

� Decide what it is they want to say

� Choose the words they want to use

� Join those words together into phrases and sentences

� Organise their speech muscles (lips, tongue, cheeks) to

produce the sounds they need.

All this has to happen before a child even begins to speak out loud!

One of the most common areas of difficulty for all young children,

even for those without a communication disability, involves

choosing the right words to use and structuring those words into meaningful phrases and sentences.

All young children go through various phases when

they are developing their communication skills. During these phases children experiment with

different ways of saying things and gradually

increase their vocabulary so that they can

communicate about more topics. We are all familiar with children

who mistakenly call a table a chair or who say ‘I goed to the park.’

Although these are perfectly normal developmental errors, there are

some simple things early years practitioners can do to help children

develop their spoken language. Such strategies will help all children

develop various communication skills and will especially support

those with a communication disability.

Be aware of your own communication

The most important strategy for early year’s practitioners is to be

aware of their own communication and interaction with children. We

all know that children learn from their environment and experiences

with others, so make sure that you are using correct, simple language when you communicate. This will provide children with a

good model on which to base their own speech and language. By

using short, simple sentences you are also helping the child to

understand more of what you say and giving them a greater

opportunity to hear the words you are saying.



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This is especially important when you are giving instructions. For

example, if you say, ‘Go and put your coat on the hook and then sit down on the rug so that we can say hello to Shariff, who is new’,

there are a lot of words for a young child to hear and understand. If

you break this down into three or four simple sentences, the child

will not only understand more of what you say but have a greater chance of hearing and remembering any ‘new’ words or sentence

structures that you may use.

Provide good speech and language models

Don’t focus on ‘correcting’ a child’s mistakes – instead provide them

with the correct model of what they should have said. Making

mistakes is a normal part of learning and developing. It is important

to let children make mistakes – if we focus too much on correcting a

child’s errors, they may become nervous and hesitant to try to

communicate. If a child makes a mistake when they speak – they

may say the wrong word or the wrong sound – the best thing to do

is to repeat the correct version of what they have said. For example, if a child said, ‘I goed to the park’, you could say, ‘Good

talking – you went to the park.’

By repeating what they said and emphasising your correction, you are praising them for trying and

giving them a chance to hear the correct word or

sentence structure. If a child says an incorrect

sound, you can follow this same principle. For

example, if a child says, ‘There is gog’, you can say, ‘Good talking –

there is a dog…a d-dog.’ When children are learning to talk and

communicate, it is important that their experiences are as positive

as possible. By focusing on modelling rather than correcting

mistakes, you can help them learn in a positive way.

Help children to correct their own mistakes

As children get older and become more competent communicators,

it is important to encourage them to monitor their own

communication. This means helping them to correct their own

mistakes in a supportive, positive way. For example, if a child says,

‘I goed to the park,’ you could say, ‘Do we say “goed to the park” or “went to the park?”’ Once again, this strategy is based around the

principle of helping a child to learn in a positive, constructive way.

Good communication is an essential part of supporting children and

effective communication involves being able to listen to children and

young people and to demonstrate to them that you are listening.

There are four key skills that can be used to do this.



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These are:

� Body language

� Facial expression � Gestures

� Speech.

The purpose of communication is to get your message across to

others. This is a process that involves both the sender of the

message and the receiver. This process leaves room for error, with

messages often misinterpreted by one or more of the parties

involved. This causes unnecessary confusion and counter

productivity.

By successfully getting your message across, you convey your

thoughts and ideas effectively. When not successful, the thoughts

and ideas that you convey do not necessarily reflect your own,

causing a communications breakdown and creating roadblocks that

stand in the way of your goals – both personally and professionally.

Body language

This can be used in many different ways, for example, to acknowledge and agree with something a child is saying, or to show

displeasure at something they are doing. When using body

language to communicate, it is vital to ensure that you follow the

keys to good practice;

� Use appropriate eye contact

� Make sure you are at the same level as the

child you are communicating with

� Do not move too closely to the child when

communicating with them

� Try to not to give negative signs, for

example folding your arms, turning away

from them

� Ensure that you address any communication difficulties the

child may have

� Respect any cultural needs there may be in relation to

communication.

These are all important issues to be aware to make the child feel

you are listening to them, that you want to hear what they are

saying and that you have time to listen to them.



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Facial expression

You can often tell what someone is feeling or saying by looking at

their facial expression or how they are using their hands. Children

should be given the time and encouragement to understand

people’s facial expressions as part of developing their communication skills. It is important to remember that one of the

first facial expressions a baby responds to is a smile.

There are a number of activities which can help children to explore

the use of facial expressions. For example, songs and rhymes,

drama activities such as role play and games and puzzles about

feelings.

Speech

When listening to children it is important to show them you are

giving them your full attention. The following can help you to do

this:

� Give children time to say what they want to

� Talk to them when there is the opportunity

� Repeating, or reflecting back, what the child has said to you can confirm you both

understand what is being talked about

� Encourage them to talk without being

patronising

� Ask them open questions that encourage conversation

� Try not to finish their sentences � Try to avoid interrupting.

Why Is Effective Communication Important?

� Because we care for children and want them to grow up

happy, healthy, and responsible

� Because children want our guidance, approval, and support

� Because how, what, and when we communicate helps

determine how children will communicate with others

� Because children learn values from words, our tones, our

postures—they all send messages to our children about our beliefs and values

� Because our children will often need good communication

skills to address problems or situations in a positive, healthy

and affirming manner.



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Methods of Effective Communication

Verbal Examples

Listening Focusing on the

present; not

bringing up past

problems or

mistakes; creating

safety to express

anything

I feel that right now

you need me to just

listen to you.

Praising Giving earned rewards frequently;

recognising efforts

rather than products

or end results

You worked so long and so hard on the

project.

Feeling Sharing feelings such as anger, joy,

and frustration.

I feel …

I'm so angry when

you …

I love you.

Respecting Letting others make

decisions; avoiding judging and

advising; trying to

help them make

their own decisions

It's your choice.

What can I do to help

you?

Listening Identifying the

feeling as well as the content and

asking the person to

confirm it

It sounds like you

were very frustrated by the class change.

Is that right?

Trusting Being consistent;

asking for input and

understanding that

children need to

learn in their own

way even if they

make mistakes

I know you will be

thoughtful and

responsible.



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Affirming Finding the positive

to express

You are so

competent.

You make me happy

when you …

Reflective Listening Reflecting what another says;

paraphrasing a

person's words so

they know they have been heard

You sound angry about your friend's

response. Is that so?

Clarifying Asking for more

information when

unsure

Could you tell me

more about your

fight with your

friend?

Nonverbal Examples

Acting Finding physical

ways to show care,

concern, and attention

Making eye contact;

touching when

appropriate; hugging; staying

near the person

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, signed by

the United Kingdom in 1991, states in Article 12 that “it is your role

as someone who is working with children to make sure they have

the opportunity to talk and be listened to, however difficult they

might find this.”

Quieter children can often be overlooked, especially in a group

activity, and may lack the confidence to raise their hands if they

wish to speak. You can encourage children to speak by prompting

them or asking questions. Normal speech development covers a

wide range of styles. Some children speak clearly but say very little;

others chatter away but in a language which others may find hard to understand. In general, if a two-year-old child understands what

is said to them, uses gestures and facial expressions to

communicate, and uses some words, they are well on track.

Sometimes, it will be part of your role to help children to make

choices through the use of communication. Their decisions to do

this will be based on their observations of the children and their

responses to the choices offered to them.



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A child who has joined the setting recently may be observed to be

using a particular activity as a safe haven from which to view what is happening in the other activities. To help the child to engage with

one of these activities, the key person might ask the child what they

like to play with at home and use this to suggest an appropriate

activity at which they can both play.

Putting together profiles for individual children is one of the ways

through which settings promote their learning and development.

Seeing these profiles as belonging to the child and their parents will

encourage practitioners to involve both children and parents in their

creation. Again, the way in which practitioners do this will depend

upon the age and stage of development of the child. Once children

have sufficient language to understand that a collection of the

things that they can do and their interests is being kept, they can

be encouraged to contribute evidence of their achievements and

activities, for example, a photograph that they have taken of a large

block construction which they helped to build.

Balancing individual needs with those of a group

Where settings are well resourced and have

sufficient staff ratios it is easier to balance individual needs with group needs. It is also easier where a

culture of responsibility, choice and freedom has

been developed. Where routines are very

structured and children are not used to making decisions or having

choices this can be very hard. This is why it is important to adopt a

style of working with children that is not restrictive but that looks

for ways of promoting individual needs and interests. There will

be times when individual needs or wishes cannot be met because of

what is required for the rest of the group. When this occurs, it is

important to explain the reasons to children. It is also important

that the reasons are genuine, for example for health and safety

purposes or respect for others. For example sitting quietly

listening to a story being told, so that all children can listen and

enjoy the story.

With older children it can be useful to talk things through

beforehand so they understand why their own wishes or needs may need to come second. It may be that the views of younger

children need to be sought on an occasion; the older children must

wait their turn.



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Similarly, it is important to recognise that communication is a two

way process. The ability to listen is a central component in effective interpersonal communication and is linked to being sensitive and

empathetic with others. Again, some young children find it difficult

to listen carefully.

How early speech patterns develop as children express

themselves through their use of language. The communication skills of children develop in a sequence. But it

is important to realise that not all children develop at the same

rate. If a child in your care is not at the specified pattern of speech,

this does not mean that there is a delay or that there is cause for

concern.

However, there can be changes to behaviour if a child’s ability to

communicate is affected. It may be that they are not being offered

the opportunity to speak as they wish so will become anxious and

distressed. They may have a sensory impairment affecting their communication ability therefore they may become withdrawn and

not interact with others easily.

For example, the pre linguistic stage involves the following;

� Crying: The first stage in infant's phonological (language and speech) journey begins as uncontrolled response but becomes

differentiated over time.

� Cooing and Laughing: One of the child's

contented sounds!

They use just one lengthened vowel sound

then begin to add vowels together

And the first laugh is generally from around 16

weeks

� Vocal Play: 16-30 weeks

The number of sounds produced increases with marginal

babbling

Reduplicated Babbling at 6-9 months

Non-reduplicated Babbling at 10 months.

In the early weeks of life, pragmatic skills (responding to verbal and non-verbal aspects of language) develop as babies interact with

their carers through crying, blinking and smiling. First words appear

between 12 and 18 months. 12-month-olds can distinguish between

words, mouth sounds and object noises. Children aged 18 to 35

months demonstrate learning through integration of earlier

instruction with subsequent problem-solving experience.



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The most intensive period of speech and language development for

humans is during the first three years of life, a period when the brain is developing and maturing. These skills appear to develop

best in a world that is rich with sounds, sights, and consistent

exposure to the speech and language of others.

There is increasing evidence suggesting that there are "critical

periods" for speech and language development in infants and young

children. This means that the developing brain is best able to

absorb a language, any language, during this period. The ability to

learn a language will be more difficult, and perhaps less efficient or

effective, if these critical periods are allowed to pass without early

exposure to a language. The beginning signs of communication

occur during the first few days of life when an infant learns that a

cry will bring food, comfort, and companionship. The newborn also

begins to recognize important sounds in his or her environment.

The sound of a parent or voice can be one important sound. As they

grow, infants begin to sort out the speech sounds (phonemes) or building blocks that compose the words of their language. Research

has shown that by six months of age, most children recognize the

basic sounds of their native language.

As the speech mechanism (jaw, lips, and tongue)

and voice mature, an infant is able to make

controlled sound. This begins in the first few

months of life with "cooing," a quiet, pleasant,

repetitive vocalization. By six months of age, an

infant usually babbles or produces repetitive

syllables such as "ba, ba, ba" or "da, da, da." Babbling soon turns

into a type of nonsense speech (jargon) that often has the tone and

cadence of human speech but does not contain real words. By the

end of their first year, most children have mastered the ability to

say a few simple words. Children are most likely unaware of the

meaning of their first words, but soon learn the power of those

words as others respond to them.

By eighteen months of age, most children can say eight to ten

words. By age two, most are putting words together in crude

sentences such as "more milk." During this period, children rapidly learn that words symbolize or represent objects, actions, and

thoughts. At this age they also engage in representational or

pretend play. At ages three, four, and five, a child's vocabulary

rapidly increases, and they begin to master the rules of language.



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DID YOU KNOW?

President Kennedy was the fastest random speaker in the world with

upwards of 350 words per minute.

ACTIVITY ONE

Circle the words or phrases you would associate with

children’s language development Train Rules Objects

Sentences Ferry Words Actions Thoughts Tram

What to look out for

You can assess how well a child speaks in a number of ways;

� Speech – sounds made and their clarity

� Language – sentences and understanding of language � Fluency – whether a child speaks easily or has a tendency to

stammer

� Language – how wide their vocabulary is

� Articulation – how clear their pronunciation is

� Voice – whether they speaks easily or has to force their voice or shout

� Comprehension – how well they understand.

Aspects to monitor for:

� Delayed language development. If a child speaks later or uses

fewer words than expected, don't worry, a number of studies have shown that children who learn no language at all in their

early years can still learn it perfectly well later. However if an

18-month-old has fewer than 10 words or appears not to

understand simple commands, such as 'bring me teddy', it

may be advisable to suggest to the parents that they contact

their health visitor or GP and ask for a referral to a speech

and language therapist.



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� Difficult-to-understand speech, for example a lisp. This is

when a child has problems pronouncing sounds or words (delayed phonological development). Some children have

trouble with sounds such as S, R and SH, which are among

the last to be learned. Referral to a speech and language

therapist can help but often it's a question of allowing the child time to develop the muscles they use for speech.

� Stammering or stuttering. Stammering is

normal between two and five. It is four

times more common in boys than girls and

often runs in families. Usually they just

cannot match their words to their fast-

moving brains and think quicker than they

can talk. Your child may repeat words or phrases or use lots

of 'ums' and 'ers'. Children usually grow out of it but you may

want to encourage the parents to seek help for them sooner

from a speech and language therapist.

� Playground /screamers voice. When a child speaks or shouts

with a hoarse or breathy voice. This is not usually something to worry about unless it becomes a prolonged problem when

there is a risk of the screaming damaging the throat.

� Baby talk. If a child regresses and starts to use baby talk –

quite common when there's a new baby in the family � Accent. Children may imitate a friend's speech mannerisms or

accent.

Why does it happen?'

� Genetic. Some children inherit a tendency to later maturation

of the speech-processing parts in the left hemisphere of the

brain.

� Social/environmental. Children whose parents talk and listen

to them tend to have more advanced speech.

� Emotional trauma. Stress at home, nursery or school may

affect your child's speech.

� Neurological. Occasionally late development may be related to

a neurological disorder such as autism, or to specific brain

damage.

� Deafness. Repeated ear infections can cause glue ear – a

build-up of mucus that blocks hearing. If a baby suddenly stops babbling at around seven to nine months, ask for their

hearing to be checked.

� Dyspraxia. This is when a child is disorganised in her speech.

This may go with the 'clumsy child' syndrome in which the

child also has difficulty organising motor movements.



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� Playground voice is due to enlarged or roughened vocal

chords caused by constant shouting. This happens in a noisy family where the child literally has to shout to be heard.

� A child may speak late because they are focussing on some

other aspect of their development – for example a child

absorbed in motor development may spend all day running and climbing.

Early checks Routine developmental checks as a toddler may pick up or help

prevent early speech problems.

Developmental reviews are carried out at different

stages by different health authorities, but guidelines

suggest that one takes place around 18 months,

and another between three to four years. The health

visitor can use these reviews to assess a child's

emerging speech – its clarity, how well she understands language, the range of their vocabulary, and the complexity of their

sentences.

What parents and carers can do

� Talk to children when you are playing together.

� Enjoy songs and nursery rhymes together, especially those

with actions.

� Gain a child's attention when you want to talk together.

� Listen to them carefully and give them time to finish. Take

turns to speak and encourage other members of the family to

take turns too.

� Slow down your own rate of talking.

� Talk about things as they happen, for example as you prepare

lunch or tidy the book corner.

� Involve each other in activities and conversations � Increase their vocabulary by giving choices, for example,

'would you like orange or blackcurrant to drink'?



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Speech in children-

Age Comprehension Expressive language

Speech-articulation phonology

Play Attention

Birth-6 months

Comprehension of tone of voice.

Pre-linguistic babbling-

intonation patterns.

Exploratory e.g. mouthing,

banging-hitting.

Level 1 Fleeting

attention, highly distractible.

6-9 months

Comprehension of gesture e.g. waving bye-bye.

Linguistic babbling i.e. consistent

with meaning: laughs, chuckles.

Frolic, rough and tumble.

9-12

months

Situational

understanding: "give mummy a kiss", words have no individual meaning.

First words

(range 9-30 months).

Relational.

12-18 months

12 months: object recognition

• generalises labels

• knows name

Beginning of symbolic understanding.

Two words (range 10-

44 months)

Symbolic play begins

Level 2 Will attend to

own choice of activities.

18-24

months � 14-15 months:

comprehension of large doll play.

� 18-21 months:

comprehension of small doll play.

� 24 months:

comprehension of 2-dimensional

representations - pictures.

18 months:

� p

� b

� m

� n

� h

� w

Sequences

� patterns

� puzzles.



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24-30 months

24-27 months:

� match small toys to pictures

� one symbol to

another

� true verbal

comprehension

� relates 2 named

objects - "put

brush into box".

� Three words

� Uses own

name

24 months

� k

� g

� d

� t

� ng

Level 3

� Single channel attention

� Will attend

to adults choice of activity but difficult to

control.

30-36 months

� Comprehension of

verbs increases

� Relate 2 concepts

� Comprehension

by function eg "which do we cook with, which

one barks?"

� Four words

+

30 months

� f

� y

� 36 months

� r

� l

� s

� Simple

construction

� Make-

believe

36-48 months

� Complex directions

� adjectives � colour

� size � prepositions � pronouns

� negatives

� Complex sentences

� Language directs and

integrates practical activities

� Speech understood by family

� 42 months � ch � sh

� Planning and organising

� Role-play

� Level 4 � Single

channel attention

easily controlled.

48-54

months

� Language

internalised and integrative.

� Discussive

style � Questions

why/when

48 months

� z � j � v � blends � Speech

generally clear,

may not use s clusters or k, g and th (fully developed by 7-8 years).

� Indoor

games with complex rules.

Level 5

� Integrated for short spells

Level 6 � 5 years.

Integrated attention,

well controlled and sustained.

4-8 years

� Begins to define language

� uses language to recount and to socialise

� vocabulary is at about 5, 000 at 5 years

� tells and

hears jokes

� more complex and sophisticated games

� At 8 years is more fluent as a speaker, reader and

writer

8-16 years

� Language is fully developing

� uses complex sentence structure

� able to use language to

negotiate � able to

converse in large groups



Page 22

Uses of language

Infant � Commenting and directing � Initiation of conversation

with familiar adults and children

� Awareness of feelings/Awareness of social

context � Use of questioning � Use of descriptive language � Reporting previous

experience � Reasoning/explaining � Prediction of events

� Planning � Imagining � Instructing � Awareness of language

Pre-school � Expression of

feelings, needs and wants

� Commenting and directing

� Social greetings

� Use of language in play

� Response to and maintenance of conversation

� Use of questioning

� Use of descriptive language

� Reporting previous experience

� Reasoning � Prediction of

events

Junior � Initiation of

conversation with unfamiliar adults and children

� Projection of thoughts and

feelings � Instructing � Explaining

Imaginative use of language

� Extended use of questions

� Planning � Hypothesising � Inferring and

deducing � Reflecting on and

exploring language � Presenting

sequenced oral account

� Giving and considering opinions

It is important to remember that communication and interaction

must be at a level and pace agreed with the individual child.

Children need to be encouraged to express themselves in order to

become confident in their learning.

DID YOU KNOW?

There are 10 human body parts that are only 3 letters long (eye hip arm leg ear

toe jaw rib lip gum).

ACTIVITY TWO

Circle the words or phrases you would associate with how language is used

Raspberry Expressed Learning

Opinions Strawberry Interaction

Games Reader Blackberry



Page 23

Communications Skills - The Importance of Removing

Barriers:

Communication barriers can pop-up at every stage of the

communication process (which consists of sender, message,

channel, receiver, feedback and context - see the diagram below) and have the potential to create misunderstanding and confusion.

People speak at 100 to 175 words per minute, but they can listen

intelligently at 600 to 800 words per minute. Since only a part of

our mind is paying attention, it is easy to go into mind drift -

thinking about other things while listening to someone. The cure for

this is active listening - which involves listening with a purpose. It

may be to gain information, obtain directions, understand others,

solve problems, share interest, see how another person feels or to

show support.

If you're finding it particularly difficult to concentrate on what

someone is saying, try repeating their words mentally as they say it - this will reinforce their message and help you control mind drift.

To be an effective communicator and to get your point

across without misunderstanding and confusion, your goal should be to lessen the frequency of these

barriers at each stage of this process with clear,

concise, accurate, well-planned communications. We

follow the process through below:

Sender... You must also know your audience, individuals or groups to which

you are delivering your message. Failure to understand the needs

of the person or group who you are communicating with will result

in delivering messages that are misunderstood and lead to

confusion.

Message... Next, consider the message itself. What exactly is it you need to

get across, or receive? It may be that using questions effectively

will endure you get the information you need.

Channel...

Messages are passed through channels, with verbal including face-

to-face meetings, telephone and videoconferencing; and written

including letters, emails, memos and reports.



Page 24

Receiver...

These messages are delivered to a person or persons. No doubt, you have in mind the actions or reactions you hope your message

prompts from this person. Keep in mind, your audience also enters

into the communication process with ideas and feelings that will

undoubtedly influence their understanding of your message and their response. To be a successful communicator, you should

consider these before delivering your message, acting

appropriately. For example if communicating with an upset parent,

you will need to take into account their anxiety and the fact that

they may not hear everything you have to say to them.

Feedback... The person or persons will provide you with feedback, verbal and

nonverbal reactions to your communicated message. Pay close

attention to this feedback as it is crucial to ensuring the

understanding of your message.

Use nonverbal behaviours to raise the channel of interpersonal communication. Nonverbal

communication is facial expressions like smiles,

gestures, eye contact, and even your posture.

This shows the person you are communicating with that you are indeed listening actively and

will prompt further communications while

keeping costly, time-consuming misunderstandings at a minimum.

Remember that what someone says and what we hear can be

amazingly different! Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments,

and beliefs can distort what we hear.

Repeat back or summarise to ensure that you understand. Restate

what you think you heard and ask, "Have I understood you

correctly?" If you find yourself responding emotionally to what

someone said, say so, and ask for more information: "I may not be

understanding you correctly, and I find myself taking what you said

personally. What I thought you just said is XXX; is that what you

meant?"

Feedback is a verbal communications means used to clearly

demonstrate you are actively listening and to confirm the communications between you and others. Obviously, this serves to

further ensure the communications are understood and is a great

tool to use to verify everything you heard while actively listening.



Page 25

Context...

The situation in which your message is delivered is the context. This may include the surrounding environment or broader culture, for

example local culture or international cultures.

Removing Barriers At All These Stages

To deliver your messages effectively, you must commit to breaking

or reducing down the barriers that exist in each of these stages of

the communication process.

Let’s begin with the message itself. If your message is too lengthy,

disorganised, or contains errors, you can expect the message to be

misunderstood and misinterpreted. Use of poor verbal and body

language can also confuse the message.

Barriers in context tend to stem from senders offering too much

information too fast. When in doubt here, less is often more. It is

best to be mindful of the demands on other people’s time, especially in today’s ultra-busy society.

Other problems with communication could be:

� Long chain of command.

� Language - complex, and hard to

understand.

� Vague purpose – not detailed enough, more

explanation required

� Inappropriate medium (method used, e.g.

written, electronically etc).

� Red tape – message gets passed on to many different people

before finally reaching the recipient making the process too

long and the message changing. Also, actions can be delayed

as a result of a late arrival of the message.

� Status of two parties – can be intimidated by the other

person’s status because of their gender, age etc.

� Location – distance of recipient or where message has to

reach.

� Distraction – Communication channels breaking up.

Once you understand this, you need to work to understand your

audience’s culture, making sure you can converse and deliver your

message to people of different backgrounds and cultures within

your own organisation, in this country and even abroad.

This element has identified some of the skills you need to

encourage positive interaction with adults.



Page 26

This differs in that a higher level of communication can generally be

used and responses will be more in depth, as appropriate. It is equally important to remember that communication and interaction

must be at a level and pace agreed with the individual.

Communicating effectively with children

In your role as someone who is working with children, it is, as we

have previously discussed, vital to ensure that children are

encouraged to communicate, irrespective of the time available or

individual needs of children. For example, a well thought out and

put together feely bag can encourage communication at all levels

and abilities. It will also give children the opportunity to be listened

to. The activity could be based around items hidden in the bag that

relate to the seaside and the items could be pebbles or shells.

Enabling children to communicate to make choices

It is important to help the children in your setting to develop the skills to enable them to express their needs and make choices. It is

also important that children know they can safely make their own

choices, and must feel they are able to do so.

How to help children to make choices;

� Give children time to make their own

choices, for example during play activities

� Do not be too governed by timetables and

routines

� Always respond positively to children’s ideas

and contributions

� Involve children in the planning of activities

� Ask children for feedback on how they think activities went

� Make sure resources are accessible

� Offer positive feedback throughout activities

How you can overcome communication difficulties.

Communication plays a part in every aspect of our lives. Problems

can occur at any age, as a result of:-

� Stroke

� Learning disability � Neurological disorders such as parkinson's disease, multiple

sclerosis or developmental difficulties



Page 27

� Cancer of the head or neck

� Head injury or surgery � Hearing loss

� Cleft palate

� Physical disability such as occurs with cerebral palsy

� Dementia � Psychiatric disorders � Stammering

� Voice disorders

� Feeding and swallowing difficulties

� Dyslexia

Other communication barriers can include;

� Personality clashes � Differing views on practice or identified needs

� Gender differences

� Cultural differences

� The use of terminology or jargon

What is communication impairment?

Try to imagine...

� Being unable to read this.

� Being unable to tell someone else about it.

� Being unable to find the words you

wanted to say.

� Opening your mouth and no sound

coming out.

� Words coming out jumbled up.

� Not getting the sounds right.

� Words getting stuck, someone jumping

in, saying words for you.

� Not hearing the questions.

� Not being able to see, or not being able to understand, the

signs and symbols around you.

� Not understanding the words or phrases.

� Not being able to write down your ideas.

� Being unable to join a conversation. � People ignoring what you are trying to say; feeling

embarrassed; and moving away...



Page 28

Why does it happen?

Good communication skills help us to solve problems successfully

and maintain good interpersonal relationships. This is as true for

young children as it is for adults. The process of communicating

with others begins at birth and continues to develop throughout life. Primary school children are at an age when their abilities to express

themselves, listen to others and successfully communicate their

thoughts and feelings undergo rapid change. They are often eager

to learn how to communicate better.

People of all ages can have trouble expressing what they think and

feel. Sometimes we just find it difficult to find the right words.

Sometimes a situation seems intimidating and we feel shy to say

what we really feel.

Sometimes we are afraid that others will make fun of us or reject

us. All of these difficulties are particularly common with young

children.

Similarly, it is important to recognise that communication is a two

way process. The ability to listen is vital in effective interpersonal

communication and is linked to being sensitive and empathetic with others. Again, some young children find it difficult to listen carefully.

A few simple rules can help young children to communicate

effectively:

� Think before you speak � Don't shout

� Speak clearly

� Tell the other person how you feel

� Say all you want to say

� Listen carefully

Communication is one of the most complicated skills we learn. Effective communication (speech, language, reading, writing and

social skills) needs many parts of the brain to be working together.

It needs the 'equipment' (hearing, vision, lips, tongue, roof of the

mouth, voice box) to be in full working order. We need the right opportunities at the right time for communication to develop along

normal lines. For some 7% of children this does not happen and

their communication skills are delayed or disrupted. Both children

and adults may have illnesses or accidents, which cause them to

lose these learned skills. Sometimes, we misuse or damage the

'equipment'.



Page 29

Communication patterns and abilities vary greatly from one child to

another and depend to a large extent upon experiences before entering school. For example, some children may be used to

communicating a lot with parents or older brothers and sisters,

while others may have had little social interaction. Some children

talk a lot and are very excited when they communicate, whereas others either don't talk much or seem uninterested.

For all children, though, this is a time when their communicative

abilities are increasing dramatically. They are learning to

differentiate. Where a younger child simply yells, a six or seven

year old can often understand and explain the cause of its

frustration or pain. A very young child may call all animals 'dog', but

an older child differentiates between 'dog' and 'cat' - and eventually

learns to tell the difference between different breeds of dog. The

child's view of the world becomes more sophisticated.

However, while the child's vocabulary is expanding, it is still fairly

unsophisticated. Starting school and learning to read introduces

children to many new words, but they often find themselves unable to say exactly what they mean. For instance, a child will have

experienced feelings of jealousy and being nervous but may not be

able to describe them in words.

Regardless of the different communication abilities

or patterns that they have established, children of

six and seven years old are aware of the power that

communication gives them. For instance, they may

have learned that one way to express displeasure is

to sulk and not to respond to questions or attempts

to engage them in conversation. Sometimes children do this with

parents, and may get pleasure and a sense of control from seeing

how upset their parents become. On the other hand, children at this

age can become frustrated when they are not able to communicate

effectively and need to be helped to say what they want to say.

It is important to help children understand that the ability to

express yourself directly does not give you licence to say anything

you think or feel in any situation.

Good communication involves being conscious of other people's feelings. We are not encouraging children to say whatever they

want to say, regardless of how hurtful or inappropriate it may be.

When infants first learn to speak, they do little to censor what

comes out of their mouths, whether what they say has a specific

purpose (such as getting something to eat) or is simply produced

for the pleasure of making sounds.



Page 30

By the time children are six or seven, though, they have learned

that there are certain things that are said in some social contexts which are not to be expressed in other situations. For example,

children tell other children things they would not say to a teacher.

They should be encouraged to think about what they want to

express in different social contexts. Then, when they do try to say something, they should communicate it clearly and directly.

In the process of coping, one of the central elements is the ability to

use available resources in order to obtain help. Children vary

greatly in the extent to which they seek support and help on a daily

basis. Some children appear to seek help all the time, even when it

is not needed. Others rarely ask for help, possibly because they lack

practice in communicating requests for help to others. For many

children, the fact that the potential helper is an adult and an

authority figure can make it more difficult to ask for help.

Learning to read and write opens up a whole new world for children.

In early childhood, communication with and by children mainly involves the spoken word, but most six year olds are beginning to

rapidly expand their reading skills. The standard of skills is still very

uneven, with some children managing a few words and others able

to read simple books on their own. Reading allows children to access knowledge on their own, without relying on anyone else, and

gives them power. It is another example of how children in this age

group are rapidly expanding their communicative abilities.

What is the effect?

Communication impairment is a hidden disability

which is isolating and distressing. People,

particularly children, often cannot explain the

pain and frustration they feel. The loss of

confidence and self-esteem can affect their

personal and social relationships. Their disability

can reduce their opportunities in education and

employment.

Children with language problems may have difficulty understanding language (this is known as 'receptive' language) and/or with

producing words and putting them together to make coherent

sentences ('expressive' language).



Page 31

Communication problems involve a difficulty with responding to and

using language appropriately in different contexts. Children with communication disorders often have difficulties with social

interaction generally and some of them may be described as having

an autistic spectrum disorder.

DID YOU KNOW?

Beatrix Potter created the first of her

legendary "Peter Rabbit" children's stories

in 1902.

ACTIVITY THREE

Circle the words or phrases you would associate with communication difficulties

Disorder America Interaction Australia Confidence Self-esteem

Context Relationships Europe

How can children with speech, language or communication impairments be helped?

Many specific speech and language impairments can be overcome

completely if children are give appropriate help. Depending on the nature and severity of the difficulty, this is likely to mean

appropriate levels of speech and language therapy and perhaps

specialist teaching or other support at school. Children with severe

speech and language impairments often spend some years in

language units. There are special classes attached to mainstream

schools which provide intensive speech and language therapy, and a

curriculum which is modified to meet the needs of children with speech and language

impairments. There are also a small number of

special schools that cater for children with

speech and language difficulties.

If you work with a child who has

communication needs you should find out how the person needs to

be supported.



Page 32

You can get useful information from the parents of the child, health

professionals, SENCO or from internet or other research as appropriate.

The person receiving the information

One of the factors you must consider when choosing the best

method of passing on information is the person who is going to

receive it. Make sure the method is appropriate for the person who

will receive it. Do not, for example, send a letter to a person who is

visually impaired unless you know they have a method of having it

read. Do not attempt to pass on information by telephone to

someone with hearing loss unless they have an adapted telephone

and always use language which is at the right level for the person

receiving the information.

Always keep a record of messages you have passed on. Include the

date and time and who you passed the message on to. If there are

any disagreements later on, this can be useful in resolving them.

Reporting any difficulties

Everything you say and do communicates a message so this must be carefully considered before delivery. Choose your words

carefully and take care to manage information according to your

setting’s policies and procedures.

The difficulties you may encounter when passing on messages

range from a fax which will not send to not being able to contact a

member of staff with an urgent message.

E-mails can be returned undelivered, so what action do you take

now? It is vital that messages are delivered

somehow so alternative methods and further

advice must be sought. Report any concerns or

problems to your line manager who can advise

you on alternative action to take.

As previously discussed, it is very important to

know the exact recipient of your information. A fax may be being delivered to a large office for

example. How do you know it has been received? Telephone the

recipient to check that is has been received.



Page 33

There are laws to protect individuals from the misuse of information

relating to them and their personal situations. As a child care worker, you should have a good understanding of the legalities

surrounding the storage and passing on of confidential information.

You may have encountered a situation in your setting where you have been asked to maintain confidentiality over an issue. This

could have been from a parent or a colleague. When people give

you confidential information it means they trust you so what you do

with this information is a vital part of your role and that of your

setting. You must always tell the person that you will have to share

the information with your manager. Assure them that the

information will not be passed on to anyone outside of the setting.

The person can then decide if they still want to tell you. Always

check with your manager before you pass information on to parents

as you may unknowingly breach confidentiality.

Confidential information is personal details from our lives which we

may not want to share with others.

It can include our address, phone number, birth date, employment

history or other personal information. It may also include

information about our past or present health and development. Individuals have the right to keep information of this type private.

Child care workers routinely handle confidential information about

enrolled children, families and staff. When managing sensitive

information, it is important for administrators and staff to be aware

of their ethical and legal responsibility to protect the privacy of

individuals and families.

Maintaining confidentiality is a fundamental part of working in a

professional way for all child carers. Upholding confidentiality means

not passing on personal information about the families that carers

work with. It doesn’t mean that an individual can never say

anything about a child of family to someone else.

Confidentiality is about understanding:

� What sort of information is sensitive and must be kept confidential

� What sort of information is suitable to share

with other people

� When to seek parents’ permission to pass on

information about their child

� When to pass on information without seeking permission first

if it is in the child’s interests to do so



Page 34

But a carer should:

� Never discuss one set of parents with another

� take care when they are having casual conversations with

friends, family and at meetings with other carers

� Be cautious, even in training course sessions, and in preparing course work assignments. Make references to

children and families in a general way and don’t refer to them

by name

� Be prepared for others to be curious and ask questions about

the child in their care or its family

� Keep any written information they have about children and

families in their care in a secure lockable file, cabinet, or box,

which is accessible only to the relevant members of the child

care setting

When it is appropriate to share confidential information

There are only two situations when it is acceptable for a carer to share or pass on confidential information. These are:

1. If parents have first given permission for them to do so. For

example they may take a child to see a health visitor, but first they must discuss with the parents what they are going to say and be

sure the parents are happy about them talking about the child.

2. If it is necessary to do so in the interest of the child. A child’s

welfare must always take top priority especially if there is any

suspicion of abuse. A carer may have to pass on information

without any previous discussion with the parents, in the interest of

protecting their child from harm

DID YOU KNOW?

The plastic things on the end of shoelaces

are called aglets



Page 35

ACTIVITY FOUR

Circle the words or phrases you would associate with

confidentiality

Swimming Privacy Storage

Priority Football Information

Protecting Accessible Rugby

Restrictions on the recording of messages The Data Protection Act 1998 relates to information held about an

individual. This includes medical records or social services files,

anything which is personal data (facts and opinions about an

individual).

All information, however it is stored is subject to the rules laid down in the Act. Anyone processing personal data must comply with the

eight principles of good practice.

These say that the data must be;

� Fairly and lawfully processed

� Processed for limited purposes

� Adequate, relevant and not excessive � Accurate

� Not kept longer than necessary

� Processed in accordance with the data subject’s rights

� Kept secure � Not transferred to countries without adequate protection

Individuals are entitled to see information about themselves but

they cannot see any part of their record which relates to someone

else. People are entitled to be told if any personal information is

held about them and if it is;

� To be given a description of the data or

information

� To be told why the record is held

� To be told who the information contained in the record may

have been given to



Page 36

� To be given a copy of the record with any technical terms

explained � To be given any information available to the holder of the

record about the source of the information

� To be given an explanation as to how any decisions taken

about them has been made.

Early years organisations have policies and procedures for

recording, storing and passing on information held about their

service users. Although these policies and procedures exist, it is

the child care workers who have the responsibility to implement

them.

If you hold any information on computer, whether it is about staff or

people who are cared for in your workplace, it is governed by the

previously mentioned Data Protection Act. The way information can

be used is restricted and people also have the right to know what

information is held on them. The Data Protection Act also relates

to all written information held on individuals therefore this information must be stored appropriately and only used for the

purpose intended.

When passing messages on by telephone, it is vital to ensure you are speaking to the correct person. If in any doubt at all don’t pass

the message or information on. If you are unsure, take a

telephone number and say you will call the back to check their

identity and location.

Fax machines present a different type of dilemma and it is

important to check who and where the fax will be received as the

machine may be in the middle of a very busy office therefore the

potential for the message to be read by others is there.

There is information which can be passed on that is generally

available to the public, such as opening times, directions to your

place of work and so on.

In most places this sort of work is readily available and given to

anyone who asks. However if you worked in a women’s refuge, for

example, then certainly the address and telephone number would be confidential and not given out freely. So there are always

considerations to take into account before passing on information,

and you should always check if you are unsure.



Page 37

The general principles of information sharing are outlined below:

� Information should be used only for the purposes for which it

was given.

� Information about an individual should normally be shared

only with the consent of that person. � An individual may refuse to give permission

to share personal information. In

exceptional cases this information can be

shared, if there are significant risks posed

to the individual or others in not sharing

this information.

� Information should normally only be shared on a need-to-

know basis. This means only sharing the minimum

information necessary to serve the best interests of the

individual.

� Individuals should be advised why and with whom information

concerning them will be shared, to enable informed consent to

be obtained. � All confidential information should be safeguarded against

unauthorised disclosure (e.g. having passwords on computers

that are changed regularly and procedures to check the

identity of telephone callers). � Information about individuals is confidential to the setting as

a whole, and not to individual workers. However, information

should only be discussed with other workers in the same

agency for genuine purposes (e.g. to cover work while on

leave and for advice on a particular issue). General discussion

about an individual, which does not serve the best interest of

the individual, is a breach of confidentiality.

Refusing to give information

It can be hard to refuse to give information to someone, especially

if they are insistent. It is also hard if the person is known to you.

If you are placed in this position, try to remember that;

� The law is on your side

� You must act in your child’s interest

� Be polite but firm � If someone becomes rude or aggressive do not argue



Page 38

UNIT SHC 31: SIGN-OFF

Assessor’s Name: _________________________________

Assessor’s

Signature:_________________________Date:___________

Learner’s Name: __________________________________

Learner’s Signature:_________________Date:___________

Mentor’s Name: ________________________________

Mentor’s Signature: _________________Date:___________



Page 39

UNIT SHC 31: ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENT ONE

Identify the different reasons people communicate

ASSESSMENT TWO

Explain how communication affects relationships in the work setting



Page 40

ASSESSMENT THREE

Describe the factors to consider when promoting effective

communication

ASSESSMENT FOUR

Explain how people from different backgrounds may use and/or interpret communication methods in different ways



Page 41

ASSESSMENT FIVE

Identify barriers to effective communication

ASSESSMENT SIX

Explain how to access extra support or services to enable

individuals to communicate effectively



Page 42

ASSESSMENT SEVEN

Explain the meaning of the term confidentiality

ASSESSMENT EIGHT

Describe the potential tension between maintaining an individual’s confidentiality and disclosing concerns



Page 43

UNIT SHC 31: ASSESSMENT SIGN-OFF

Assessor’s Name: _________________________________

Assessor’s Signature:________________Date:___________

Learner’s Name: __________________________________

Learner’s Signature:_________________________Date:___________

Mentor’s Name: ___________________________________

Mentor’s Signature:__________________Date___________



Page 44

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