Communication and Young People Essay

1. Explain why effective communication is important in developing positive relationship with * Children * Young People * Adults Communication is the basis of any relationship, without it we could not obtain or relay information to overcome any conflicts or get anything done. To have effective communication we must treat everyone as individuals and adapt accordingly. Not just verbal communication but tone of voice, body language and eye contact are all important. When communicating with children and young people it important to come to their level as this will make them feel more comfortable and that you are not dictating down to them. It is important to listen to what the child or young person has to say, and if a question was asked respond correctly, as this allows them to feel accepted and valued. This encourages them to trust you and then they will more likely to confide in you. It is also important for kids that we model effective communication skills and we check are behaviour even at stressful times, this encourages them to behave the same way and helps them understand what is expected of them. Positive relationships with adults are important to create good learning environment, and therefore obtain the children full potential. In order to create this the staff member must communicate with each other about lessons, activities and pupil’s progress; this will ensure each pupil receives the best possible care. Communicating with parents is essential as this enables you to obtain information that may affect the child .It is also essential to keep parents up to date with upcoming events with the school, great way to do this is weekly newsletter and more recently sending text messages as reminders. Also parents that have a positive experience in the school are more likely to give support. 2. Explain the principles of relationship building with * Children * Young people * Adults When building relationships with others it is important that they feel comfortable in our company, as they are more likely to communicate effectively. We normal build relationships without even thinking about it, a great way to undertake effective relationship building is to take time to listen to other people, show that you are interested in what they are saying and respond appropriately. Remember issues which are personal to them and always be considerate and show respect ensuring that you acknowledge their views. Make sure that you be clear on key points when giving other information, but always maintain a sense of humour as laughter can be a great icebreaker and a good way to relieve stress. When building relationships with child and young people it is important we are good role models as positive interactions encourages the child to demonstrate positive behaviour also. These positive interactions also allow the child to feel settled and therefore will find it easier to learn. In order to create these positive relationships each child need to feel special  this involves Security, Praise, Encouragement, Communication, Interaction Acceptance and Love. We must encourage children and young people to recognise and express their feelings in a constructive way. Children often have conflicting situations such as wanting the same toy or choosing team members, we must try and overcome these by being assertive as this helps children and young people understand how they would be able to resolve their differences amicably. Building relationships with adults is important we must make them feel welcome and be approachable; we must be respectful of their cultural and religious differences and beliefs and use words and expression they understand and be considerate of any personal issues and always make sure that you take time to listen and respond appropriately. 3. Explain how * Social background * Professional background * Cultural background Affect relationship and the way people communicate. When we are faced with a different situation we adapt our communication accordingly, most people do this automatically, and the more we deal with different situations the better we become at alternating our behaviour to help communicate positively and effectively. When communicating with others we have many factors and difficulties to overcome. We have to adapt our skills to overcome these difficulties; as if they were not conquered they may affect relationship building. Each relationship is individual, which is the reason why they take so long to form as they have to be worked upon to gain mutual respect and trust. When outside factors within society affect communication, we need to respect the values and principles of each person, we must ensure we do not stereotype the individual regardless of their social professional and cultural background. Language is not the only form of communication, it the way we respond to others through electronic mail or phone messages, how attentive we are and also how we dress and present ourselves. When in a more formal setting for example attending a meeting we should use more formal language and behaviour. When communicating with other staff about pupils it must be given in a professional matter and in an appropriate place away from others. Difficulties may arise when communicating with parent that have hearing impairment or physical disability that could affect their hearing ability, you should ensure that you face them and talk slowly and clearly so they can lip read or have a staff member that can sign language. Another difficultly that can arise is if the parent speaks little or no English, when communicating you must talk slowly clearly and ensure that you don’t use local dialects or expression that they may not understand, if that does not work having a bilingual staff member to translate so that they can feel included. If the area is multi-cultural we must consider their beliefs and norms which includes of eye contact, body language and gestures as these could lead to misinterpretation concerning cultural difference. 4. Explain the skills needed to communicate with * Children * Young people When communicating with anyone it is important that they are being treated as an individual and that their contribution is valued otherwise they are less likely to initiate a conversation. Some children and young people are lacking confidence when speaking to adults therefore finding sufficient time to allow them to talk. We must use eye contact and actively listen, making sure they are getting attention. With young children it’s a good idea to come down to their level, use body language such as smiling and nodding and reacting positively to what they are saying. We should encourage the children to keep talking by responding or asking questions, this will also show them how to have further two way conversations and may encourage them to ask more questions as this is how they learn. When communicating with children and young people we must ensure that we use appropriate languages; words and sentences they will understand. We must make sure that we are giving a clear message and check that they understand. If your asked a question you must answer to the best of your ability and to suit the age of the child or young person .Alternatively if the answer is unknown you could suggest alternative method of finding out for example internet or book, and you could help them to find it out. 5. Explain how to adapt communication with children and young people for * Age of the child or young person * The context of the communication * Communication differences When communication within the school you will deal with children and young people of all ages, cultures and abilities, they need to feel valued and your interaction should this. In order to accomplish this we must adapt our communication and behaviour, through positive communication and behaviour with classroom assistants and other staff member it shows them they are a part of the school community. We are required to adapt our vocabulary depending on the age of the child or young person. The level of attention will vary with their age. With younger children, especially when starting school more reassurance is need, however as they mature they may need to talk through problems and identify feelings. When asked a question we must consider how simplified it must be for them to understand, the context of the answer will vary depending on this. The older they are the more technical answer is normally required. In different situation the way in which we communicate will vary, when working on learning activity it is important to get children to focus, this will enable them to learn new things efficiently, any distractions need dealt with before they become an interruption. When in the playground or more social environment it can be used to develop positive friendly relationship while still maintaining professional carer to child relationship. Children and young people may have some difficulties when communicating with others, we must ensure care and sensitively is used when dealing with these situations and the child or young person feels unpressured and they will take their time. If the child or young person has difficulties communicating we must find a way of dealing with it for example if they are hearing impaired, face them directly and talk slowly and clearly. If English is not their first language talk slowly and avoid using local dialect.