Unit 4.16 Communication Skills for Health and Social Care Management

Level 4     15 Credits

Sample Assignment

 

The Context

Alpha Home Services consists of a domiciliary care agency, with 78 staff, and four residential care homes each with 35 residents, 20 full time staff and 15 part time staff.  Alpha Home Services are being restructured and this will involve all staff in all settings. The changes will impact on staff and users of services due to a revised staffing and fee structure which will need to be implemented.

Staff numbers are being reduced within each setting and each home will lose 6.5 posts and the care agency will lose 10 staff. Some of this may be through voluntary redundancies but compulsory changes to staffing are inevitable. There will be no further staff recruitment for the foreseeable future. Resources for activities and outings will be reduced by 25% of an overall budget of £125,000.

As Operations Manager for Alpha Home Services you are key to ensuring that the changes are implemented successfully. You are tasked with informing the relevant people about the proposed changes and the timescales. This will require you to communicate the information to two groups namely staff and users of the services.

The key changes will impact on staff and the people accessing domiciliary and residential care services. The reduction in staffing levels, resourcing and a review of roles and responsibilities will impact on both of these groups. The reduction in resources for social and leisure activities will further complicate the issues which will arise.

Delivering the required information is not going to be easy. The contractual position of staff will change and users of the service rely on consistent hours and access to services. Inevitably there will be a great deal of resistance and this must be taken into account. Individual meetings will need to be arranged to clarify matters arising from the initial interaction.

After you have communicated the required information you must evaluate the approach you used to ensure it was effective.

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Task 1

There will be two meetings, one with staff and one with users of the service. You need to be fully prepared. Produce detailed preparatory notes which:

• assess the different modes of communication you could use for the two groups in Alpha Home Services
• assess the impact that personal relationships will have on the effectiveness of these communications
• assess the impact of non-verbal communication on oral communications
• analyse the factors that impact on clarity of communications
• assess the impact of technology on oral and written communication
• review the use of conventions in written communications.

LO1 AC 1.2, LO2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5

 

Task 2

In completing this work you reflect on communication processes generally within health and social care organisations and decide that a review would be helpful for your preparations.

• Explain the process of communication within health and social care organisations using examples to illustrate the explanation.
• Evaluate the formal communication methods and systems used by health and social care organisations when communicating with people accessing services in different contexts.
• Assess the communications skills needed in face to face interactions in different contexts, using examples to illustrate the assessment.
• Analyse the issues of confidentiality relating to communications with service users.
• Summarise the additional skills needed by healthcare professionals to ensure effective communication with service users.

This review will inform your choice of approach when communicating with staff and users of the service.

LO1 AC 1.1, LO3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4

 

Task 3

You are now ready to start the actual preparation for the meetings. You must ensure that you have considered and documented all that is required in order to make the meetings successful.

• Prepare a plan for the meeting and any documentation you need e.g. an agenda or post presentation questionnaire

• Using technology, designan oral presentation for the staff and another for users of Alpha Home Services which you will use to communicate the information required.
• Using the data relating to the staffing and budget reductions include charts and graphs to illustrate key points.

LO4 AC 4.1,4.2, LO5 AC 5.1,5.2, 5.3

 

Task 4

• Carry out your presentations. Answer any questions from participants and ask for their feedback afterwards, using a pre-prepared questionnaire.
• Document the outcomes of the meetings by recording key action points which have emerged and any unresolved issues.
• On the basis of the information you have gathered and your personal reflection, assess the effectiveness of your own oral and written communications.

All of this information will be used in a briefing session with senior managers at Alpha Home Services

LO4 AC 4.3 4.4, 4.5, LO5 AC 5.2, 5.4

 

Guidelines for assessors

The assignments submitted by learners must achieve the learning outcomes and meet the standards specified by the assessment criteria for the unit. The suggested evidence listed below is how students can demonstrate that they have met the required standards.

 

Task number	Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria	Suggested evidence
1.	LO1 1.2 LO2 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5	The notes must be detailed and address all of the command verbs listed. The learner should use exemplar material to illustrate the points made and demonstrate the understanding required by the LOs.
2.	LO1 AC 1.1, LO3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4	The review should be comprehensive. The evaluations and assessment should lead to judgments about the communication methods, systems and skills needed and used. The learner should use examples from actual practice to illustrate the work.
3.	LO4 AC 4.1,4.2, LO5 AC 5.1,5.2, 5.3	The materials produced need to take into account the context of the meetings and the differences in the groups of participants. The materials must be clear and contain graphical elements which accurately reflect the data provided.
4.	LO4 AC 4.3 4.4, 4.5, LO5 AC 5.2, 5.4	The tutor will need to prepare two audiences to listen to the oral presentations and provide support as necessary with the questions which will be asked. Together with the materials which have been produced by the learner, the assessor will also need to provide assessment evidence to show that the learner has been able to do what is required by LO4 and LO5.