Identify communication skills in a real care service (360° interactive experience)

In this final section you’ll learn more about effective communication in the workplace. You’ll have a chance to look around a real care service in Scotland and identify some important communication activities and the skills which support them.

In the 360 tour you’ll notice that effective communication in care services is much wider than conversations. It can include:

• supporting your colleagues
• keeping online information safe and secure
• sharing important information in a handover
• health and safety
• communicating with family and carers
• working with other health and care professionals
• professional development.

Effective communication is a core area of practice for all types of care professional and a good understanding can help you in your career. In fact, everyone who completes a care qualification in the workplace (called a Scottish Vocational Qualification, or SVQ) will do a mandatory unit about effective communication. The communication unit for childcare is similar to the communication unit in social care. We’ve used them as inspiration for this activity.

We want to thank the manager and staff at Sense Scotland Short Breaks service in Blantyre for helping us to create this digital scene. You put good communication at the heart of your service and we’re grateful you agreed to share it to help others consider a similar career!

Find all ten items in the scene. These are numbered in order of when a care worker might come across them in a typical shift. When you are in the care service make sure you look all around you so you don’t miss any items.

While this example is based in a care home (which offers short holiday breaks, also known as ‘respite’) we’ve chosen communication activities which you could find in any type of care service. You should be able to transfer your learning to any role.

If you are using a mobile phone this may use additional data so we recommend you connect to wifi if possible.