Unit 1, Task 2 Resub
P2- Explain factors that can influence the building of positive relationships in health, social care or
childcare environments
Communication- Hospital
There are many factors that influence the building of relationships. In a hospital, communication
factors often impact how relationships are built. Communication can involve either verbal or non-
verbal methods. Communication is a two-way process of sharing messages using both verbal and
non-verbal. Effective communication ensures that messages are received and understood in the way
that they are intended. Communication is vital in the building of positive relationships. Verbal
communication involves speaking and using vocabulary in a spoken manner. “Tone is the strength of
a vocal sound made by a person in a communication or situation, e.g., low or high” (Ferreiro Peteiro
et al., n.d.) Adapted methods of communication may be needed for individuals who cannot
effectively communicate verbally. Adapted methods may include braille, this involves using raised
dots to communicate as the person is deaf-blind, so this can be a method that they may use to
communicate. When communicating with someone who is deaf, the nurses need to take into
account other factors such as lighting and room layout, so that the person is able to lip read easily. It
is the nurse’s role to utilise these adapted methods to break down the barriers to communication.
There is a theory called SOLER that was developed by Professor Gerard Egan and involves the
following concepts; S stands for squarely, this provides suggestions about how to position yourself in
order to show the person that you are talking to that you have a real interest in what they are saying
to you. O stands for open posture, health and social care workers need to uncross their arms and
legs to show that they are approachable. L stands for lean, lean towards the person to show that you
are interested in what they are saying to you. E, stands for eye contact, keep eye contact to show
that you are paying attention to what they are saying. R, stands for relax, this will make the person
you are speaking to more likely to open up. Effective communication can be upheld as long as the
following adjustments are made. Use plain English, avoiding long-winded language or jargon. “Cater
for people who speak other languages, or are from other cultures.” (providers and care, n.d.) People
who have conditions that may affect their ability to communicate must be considered, this will
include people with learning disabilities or dementia.
However, there are also barriers to communication. One of these barriers is the environment. For
example, if it’s too hot or too cold the individual won’t pay attention to what’s being said. It also may
be too loud in the environment, creating a barrier to communication, especially if the client is
already struggling with hearing. If there is too much space between the two people communicating
it can be hard for the conversation to continue. Another environmental factor may be the lighting of
the room, this creates a barrier as people communicating cannot see each other’s facial features and
expressions. Conditions such as Parkinson’s disease may cause someone to lose their ability to
speak. Also being deaf may be a barrier to communication as they will either rely on lip reading or
sign language in order to communicate. Some deaf people cannot communicate verbally, they are
non-communicable, which could cause a barrier. Another barrier to communication, in particular for
deaf people, is face masks. They are a barrier as deaf people may rely on lip reading. People’s voices
are also muffled when wearing a mask so this can make it even harder for people who have difficulty
with hearing. Alcohol and drugs have a big effect on communication, it happens on a regular basis to
lots of different people. Accidents happen when people are high on drugs or really drunk. For
example, if someone goes to an accident and emergency department at a hospital to be treated.
, Doctors need to find out what drugs they have taken or how much alcohol they have consumed, but
they can’t always get through to them. They then resort to the people that they are with, but they
don’t always know either. The situation then becomes difficult because they can’t treat them unless
they know what they have consumed. If the doctor can see obvious cuts on the patient’s body, it is
important that they try and find out how it happened, to treat the patient’s wounds, they would also
need to find out if they are allergic to anything because they can’t give them anything without their
consent, but this is almost impossible when they are drunk or high on drugs. People don’t think
before they speak when they are drunk or have taken drugs, so they could tell the doctors
something completely wrong.
As there are barriers to communication, adapted methods have an important part to play when it
comes to communicating with individuals. British sign language is a method of non-verbal
communication that uses movement of the hands, body, face and head, which make up a complete
language system. It is the preferred first language of many deaf people and is used by hearing people
to communicate with those who are deaf. Other deaf people rely on lip-reading to understand what
is being said to them. For someone who is deaf and blind, an individual may sign on their hand to
communicate with the deaf-blind person. A system called PECS is an alternative form of
communication. It is used as an aid in communication for children with autism and other special
needs. The system has been used with a variety of ages including pre-school children, adolescents
and adults who have a wide array of communication problems. Makaton is a language programme
that uses signs, symbols and pictures to help people communicate. It is designed to support spoken
language and the signs and symbols are used with speech, in spoken word order. Braille is a writing
system which enables blind and partially sighted people to read and write through touch. It consists
of patterns of raised dots arranged in cells of up to six dots. In a 3x2 configuration. Each cell
represents a letter, number or punctuation mark. Some frequently used words and letter
combinations also have their own single cell patterns. Assistive technology is an aid that can be used
to support individuals who have sensory impairments. For example, the Minicom which can be used
for individuals who have a hearing disability, or voice typing for those who have a sight problem.
Barriers to communication can also be overcome by adapting the environment, for example,
improving the lighting, for someone who lip reads. Using the appropriate vocabulary and
terminology, professionals should try to avoid medical jargon, but if they do use medical jargon, they
should then also explain it in simple terms to the individual. Positive body language should also be
adopted, this can be done by uncrossing arms and legs, and making eye contact with the individual.
The people communicating should listen actively, they can do this by asking questions, to show that
they have understood what has been said to them. A translator, interpreter or information in other
languages should be available to individuals, so that they can access services. An advocate, may also
be used. “Advocates are those who represent the views, needs and interests of individual’s choices,
decisions and wishes with respect to their care and treatment in case they are unable to express
their preferences at a later stage.” (Ferreiro Peteiro et al., 2016)
Physical factors- Social care setting
Another set of factors that influence building a positive relationship are physical factors. Physical
factors may include sensory conditions, such as hearing or sight loss, physical conditions, such as
dementia. Sensory conditions can cause problems when communicating with someone too. If
someone can’t see or hear you then your conversation will quickly become really difficult. However,
