Effective communication is an essential element of positive social care. 

This course will provide learners with an understanding of the need to communicate appropriately with users of health and care services, fellow professionals and others, in order to promote the wellbeing of individuals and to prevent errors from occurring. 

The course examines the different reasons why people communicate and provides learners with explanations about how communication affects relationships within the social care context. 

Learners will compare ways to establish the communication and language needs, wishes and preferences of individuals and the factors to consider when promoting effective communication within settings. 

Methods of communication are discussed, together with the barriers that some individuals may experience when seeking to communicate in social care settings. 

Learners will examine these barriers and investigate ways of reducing these in order to promote effective communication. 

Issues of confidentiality are examined and the tension between this and the need to disclose information to agreed others.