Effective Communication and Dialogue Skills Development: Approach and Model Working Together for Health Equalities Event Wednesday 25 th March 2015

Co-production: our approach Co-production is both a spectrum of different activities and an ongoing change process. Some key principals: Reciprocity (everybody benefits) through being able to give and take. Shared responsibility – “Professionals need their clients as much as the clients need professionals” to achieve better health. Asset based approach (look at what people can do, not what they can’t)

Co-production: our approach Why Improving Communication & Dialogue is important? There can be a power imbalance between professionals and community members e.g. Drs and patients, that prevents effective communication, resulting in poor service experience and outcomes for all involved. Members of the many communities have found that they are asked to become part of processes which are new to them, but not to the professionals and their organisations involved, due to poor communication. Dialogue - is vital to challenging poor communication by finding ways to understand where people are coming from, and being willing to work together in ways that can produce healthier outcomes for patients, professionals including their organisations and wider communities.

Our Communication-Practice Model - 1 A live case study /scenario is used to facilitate dialogue. The scenario is generated by identifying issues and turning into a story. A person taking the role of patient has a conversation with a person taking role of health professional, with a group observing. This creates safety but is also based in real life experiences. The scenarios are co-produced with member of the community and the person playing the role of patient also brings their real ‘patient voice’ to the interaction. Not just another meeting!

Our Communication-Practice Model -2 The group observing are asked to think about : What was helpful for this person? What could have been done differently and How? Does this relate to any of your experiences? Next Steps and Actions for all?

Contact Details Hament Patel – Director of OCP Ltd Mobile: Working on behalf of Professional Support Unit (PSU) in London part of Health Education England