Clear communication provides the basis for building and sustaining helpful relationships with your co-workers. It underpins every stage of a Support Worker’s process and draws on a wide range of knowledge and skills. Without effective communication skills Support Workers will be less able to:

• Find out what service users, carers or other professionals are thinking and feeling
• Provide the kind of information others need
• Interpret complex situations accurately
• Negotiate, mediate and intervene sensitively, authoritatively and appropriately

Communication is a two-way process, and it may not work where there are problems with conveying or making sense of information, therefore effective communication requires a team of Support Workers to be capable and knowledgeable in a range ways, with the ability to engage with, and form effective and trusting relationships with other service providers and carers. It also means being comfortable with strong emotions, including your own. As a Support Worker, you may also need to consult with groups or communities to inform wider service planning.

Below is an outline of ways to assist you to link different aspects of Support Work practices, and how to better understand the vital role of communication between co-workers...

1. Planning and Arranging: Following an assessment, the decision is made about what should be done, how and by whom.

1. Review: Regular reviews are an important stage in a Support Worker’s practice, to ensure that services provided meet the needs identified, notice changes since the last review, and if continued support is justified.

1. Records and Report Writing: These are not just bureaucratic tasks. Verbal communication, writing records and reports enables Support Worker’s to provide important and systematic information between each other, making a case for a particular course of action, as well as explaining and justifying the work they have done.

1. Case Conferences and Discussions: Staff meetings enable Support Workers to contribute in various ways by presenting information in an informal setting without feeling intimidated.

1. Empowering Support Service Users: This is an increasingly important aspect of Support Work which allows capable users to access information in ways that aid decision making and action.

Finally, not every technique above will be appropriate for each co-worker. Different people prefer different strategies. It’s important to talk to and treat each person as an individual and respect their views, so in turn, they will respect yours.