1. Module 6 Self Care: Effective communication
Self Care Training
Module 6
Self Care: Effective communication

2. Module 6 outcomes On completion of this module learners will:
Understand how active listening and asking questions can
promote effective communication
Explore the challenges and solutions to effective communication
Demonstrate how understanding a person’s ideas, concerns and expectations (ICE) can promote self care
6.1

3. Communication defined
Communication is: “the transfer of meaning and understanding back and forth between people”
6.2

4. Group discussion Can you think of the verbal and non
verbal ways we communicate with
each other?
6.3

5. The starting point
The starting point for all effective communication should be:
Demonstrate empathy – Appreciating people’s differences and putting yourself in their place means learning to understand how individuals’ long term conditions affect them
Use the right pace – A person may be at any one stage of accepting their long term condition, so pace the level of communication appropriately
Use the right approach – Think about the tone, pitch and loudness of your voice – it might be a barrier to communication
Use the right level – Avoid using jargon and slang words
6.4

6. Active listening I can tell you are listening if:
You are using appropriate eye contact – Are you looking at the person you are talking to? Are you staring?
You have positive body posture – Are your arms folded? Leaning back? Leaning forward?
You are facing the person you are talking with
You are making gestures – Nodding your head? Encouraging the person to continue with their thoughts and feelings?
You are smiling appropriately – Smiling can be empowering, it can encourage the individual to smile back, and feel confident to open up.
6.5

7. Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is re-stating the information the person may have given you – to ensure you have understood what they have said
To check you have the right message!
This can make individuals feel confident that they have been listened to
‘So, if I have this right, you would like me to get you some more information on grab rails for the side of your bed, but from the catalogue that’s coming next week, is that right?’
‘So my understanding from what you are saying, George, is that you are having trouble remembering to take your medications, is that right?’
6.6

8. Why ask questions?
To show that we are actively involved and listening to what the person is saying
To give the each person we support the opportunity to ask us questions
To help us get to know more about the people we support
To learn more about the long term conditions people have
To learn more about the symptoms individuals suffer from
To limit our assumptions
To clarify details
6.7

9. “Would you like more information on your Parkinson’s?”
Closed questions
We often use ‘closed questions’ when starting a conversation.
This is useful to determine the immediate choices that the person may want to make
Closed questions get straight to the point!
7.1
“Would you like more information on your Parkinson’s?”
“Yes please”
6.8

10. Open ended questions
‘Open-ended’ questions are used to gather information and keep the conversation going!
They include the What? Where? How? Why? When?
7.1
‘Why do you think you are not getting much sleep at the moment?’
‘When does your arthritis cause you the most pain?’
‘How are you coping?’
6.9

11. Probing questions
‘Probing questions’ build on the response from an open
ended question so we can gather even more information
The open-ended question? The response The probing question
‘Why do you think you are not getting much sleep at the moment?’
‘I have been worried about the pain I am having in my legs’
‘How long has this pain been affecting your sleep?’
6.10

12. Looking for cues
It can be difficult to gather information from individuals who don't always want to talk about their concerns
Listening for ‘cues’ in conversation can give you a way in!
‘My daughter is coming to visit me from London, she is a good girl, lovely job…ooh…this blasted leg of mine…yes so I am looking forward to her coming’
6.11

13. Challenges of effective communication
Possible Solutions
Language
Translator, sign language, gestures, pictures and devices, family or advocates
Physical and mental disabilities
Active listening, eye contact, family or advocates, Individual Support Plan
Use of jargon/slang
Adapt your language to the individual person
Dialect
Learn the basics of the individual’s dialect
Cultural differences
Individual Support Plan, family or advocates, and background reading
Emotions
Giving appropriate support, accessing information and advice
Failure to gather information from the person can be the biggest barrier to their self care support
6.12

14. The ICE tool Supporting a person to self care means moving beyond the
“I’m fine” approach
We can do this by using the ICE TOOL to find out individuals:
Ideas of how their long term conditions affect them
Concerns they may have about managing their long term conditions
Expectations about what they would like to do – to better self care
Source: Silverman JD, Kurtz SM, Draper J (1998) Skills for Communicating with Patients. Radcliffe Medical Press (Oxford)
6.13

15. How to use ICE I
7.1
IDEAS
It is important to understand the person’s ideas of their long term condition
This will mean using effective communication so the individual gives you their experience, in their own words
‘What do you think it is?’
‘Why do you think it is happening?’
‘How long has it been a problem for you?’
6.14

16. C How to use ICE CONCERNS
7.1
CONCERNS
It is important to understand the person’s concerns about their long term conditions
Use your listening skills and ask questions to find out the impact their long term conditions are having on their lives
‘How is your diabetes affecting you?’
‘How does it make you feel?’
‘What are your concerns about this?’
6.15

17. E How to use ICE EXPECTATIONS
7.1
EXPECTATIONS
Once you have gathered the person’s ideas and their concerns about their long term conditions:
Use probing questions to find out if the person would like to better manage their long term condition
‘What would you like to do about your diabetes?
‘Would you like more information?’
‘Should we start to work towards some goals in this area?’
6.16

18. Using the ICE tool = self care goals
Using the ICE Tool on a regular basis will:
Encourage people to open up and discuss the experiences and challenges of their long term conditions
Lead us to learn more about how they cope with their long term conditions
Create opportunities to set GOALS to improve their self care skills
“I’m smoking more now since my diagnosis”
“I feel down about all this pain I have”
“I’d like to know more about Parkinson’s”
6.17

19. Self Care Training Manual: Implementing the Common Core principles for Self Care
© Skills for Care, 2009.
Albion Court, 5 Albion Place, Leeds LS1 6JL.
All rights reserved.
This material may be reproduced for non-commercial distribution in aid of social care workforce development, provided the copyright notices and acknowledgements are included in each reproduction.
Requests for commercial publishing rights should be directed to Skills for Care.
Referencing:
Short reference: Skills for Care, 2009
Long reference: Skills for Care, Self Care Training Manual: Implementing the Common Core Principles for Self Care (Skills for Care, Leeds, 2009)
Acknowledgements:
This material was commissioned from jdee Training and Lancashire County Council by Skills for Care’s New Types of Worker programme in the north west. It was researched and compiled by Shaun Douglas Galley and Sarah Johnson.