Support Individuals with Specific Communication Needs

City & Guilds 3084 Stroke Certificate in Stroke Care

Unit 303

Group Agreement

• Time keeping

• Mobile phones

• Adult learning environment

• Confidentiality

• Respect

• WC?

• Fire alarms?2

Learning Outcomes

1. The learner will:

Understand Specific Communication needs and factors affecting them.

2. Contribute to establishing the nature of specific communication needs and ways to address them

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3. Interact with individuals using their preferred communication

4. Promote communication between individuals and others

5. Know how to support the use of communication technology and aids.

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6. Review an Individual’s communication needs and the support provided to address them.

Some of these learning outcomes will be done in today’s session- some with be done as a

project / case study independently.

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Outline of Training Day

• Information Giving – Activities, Clips, discussion and feedback.

• Activities in your work place.

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Activity 1.1 & 1.6

• Get into a group of 3 (with people you don’t work with.)

• In your groups , assign roles of,

• Communicator

• Receiver

• Observer

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Activity Cont. 1.1 & 1.6

• The trainer will give the communicator a message to convey to the receiver.

• The observer needs to watch both the communicator and receiver and note what they see.

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Activity Cont 1.1 & 1.6

• Feedback:

• How did it feel trying to get your message across?

• How did it feel to receive the message?

• What did the observer note?

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What is the importance of meeting an individual’s communication need? 1.1

Communication underpins our access to:

•Education

•Leisure

•Finances•Choice (NB Mental Capacity Act 2005)

•Lifestyle

•Social networks and Inclusion 10

Who are key people around an individual?2.1

• Family

• Advocates

• Specialist Communication Professionals

• Others who may important to the individual’s well being eg Friends.

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What is the importance of meeting an individual’s communication need? 1.1

• Improves quality of life for the individual• Individual will feel less isolated (socially & within

community).• Makes living with their communication need easier• Improves confidence in communicating with others

outside familiar contexts• Can communicate choice and plan for own health

related/social needs.

(Ref: Byng Pond and Parr,2000. Beyond Aphasia)

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What might the effects be if their communication need is NOT met? 1.6

• Frustration, anger.• Unable to communicate choice• Social exclusion/isolation• Role changes within the home/society• Unable to adapt to new identity• Family unable to communicate to their loved

one.

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Break!

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Think about this statement, what do you understand by this? 1.2

The ability to communicate is provisional: It depends on our abilities, skills, and

those we communicate with.

(SCIE website).

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Activity 1.2, 3.4

• Watch the clip –

• How did the Nurse’s role and communication impact on:

Lucy?

Her Mother?

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Feedback 1.2,3.4

• Did not appear to minimise power imbalance• Appeared very impatient• Did not speak to Lucy • Body Language / Manner – Eye contact with Lucy?• Did not check Lucy’s means of communication with

Lucy/Mother.• Appeared judgmental at Lucy pulling hand away – Labelled

her?• Did not value Mother’s role• Did the Nurse adapt her own role to improve communication

with Lucy? How could she have done this?

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Think about your role and practice… 1.2

• Take a few minutes to think about your own role and practice, how does this impact on the people you support?

• Feedback?

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Think about….cont 3.4

• How could you adapt your own role and practice to improve communication with the individual?

• Feedback?

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Effective Communication 3.3

• See Alex Kelly Model handout–

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Monitoring Individuals Reactions 3.3

Monitoring reactions is important to help you to check out whether communication has been effective.

• Happy / Sad• In pain / Comfortable• Agitated / Stressed• Accepting• Worried • Understanding• Confused

• Distressed• Hungry• Unwell• Hot / cold• Angry• Frustrated• Uncertain

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The Environment 1.3

In 2 groups, think about features of an

environment that may help or hinder

communication.

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Feedback 1.3

Help•Calm /comfortable environment•No TV, Radio.•Pens, paper, magazines, newspapers – plenty of conversation ‘ramps’ to help repair any problems in conversations.•An understanding Communication Partner

Hinder•A distracting environment-window open, TV or radio on too loud.

•Too hot / cold

•Décor may be a distraction

•No communication support aids present or not working.

•Communication partner unwilling to adjust to needs of the individual

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Why may an individual use communication that is not based on a

formal language system? 1.4

Split into groups – discuss and record on flipchart paper.

Think about – • How an impairment can impact on

communication.

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Communication methods and aids 1.5,

4.1, 4.4

• Life story books• Communication Passports• Objects of reference• Photo dictionaries• Makaton• Gesture• Drawing• Writing• Email• Text messaging• Ipad apps• High Tech AAC Devices

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Supporting communication technology and aids 5.1

Specialist services available:

•Speech and Language Therapy Services.•The Sequal Trust (Based in Ellesmere) www.sequal.org.uk

•Use the internet to find out more.

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Lunchtime….

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2.2

• How might you contribute to identifying communication

needs that best suit the individual?

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What support might an individual need in order to use technology and aids? 5.2

• Discussion on their own and their families needs and preferences

• Assessment on need• Training for the individual and those around

them, eg family, friends, support workers.• Maintenance of aid.

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5.3

• What might happen if the communication equipment is not set up

correctly / working properly?

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Feedback? 5.3

• The individual may not be able to communicate.

• The individual may not be able to explain there is a problem.

• If the aid is not working properly, the individual may lose confidence in using it.

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Self Study 2.3

How and When would you access information and support about identifying and addressing communication needs?

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Case Study – Maureen

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Activity

• Please read the case study about Maureen.

• Answer the questions in your groups and make notes on your answers.

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Please Note-

These ARE NOT the required answers in your workbook. By answering similar

questions on a fictitious case study, this provides you with the transferable skills to

apply these approaches at work.

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Discussion

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Evaluation

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Finish!

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