Health and Social Care as- Communications Ao3

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Communications in Care Settings -AO3 Active Listening and Soler The process of listening is a fundamental part of oral communication. As Davis said in 1972, “Nature gave man two ears but only one tongue, which is a gentle hint, that he should listen more than he talks!”(http://www.bookmarklee.co.uk/2008/03/19/how-to-develop-good-listening-skills/ [Accessed: 6/11/14]]To listen effectively, one must ensure that they are practicing “active listening”. Active listening is a way of making communication more effective. It involves both listening attentively and making sure that the person is aware that the practitioner is listening to them. Active listening brings about trust and it helps the person to relax. The individuals can move their focus towards relevant issues, because the practitioner has demonstrated empathy, respect and acceptance of the person. The practitioner also gains a better understanding of what has been said, which means that they can respond appropriately. This means that both parties will receive accurate messages from each other. The factors that aid active listening are: Focusing on the individual, appropriate body language, maintaining eye contact, appropriate facial expressions, allowing sufficient time, making encouraging sounds, allowing pauses and allowing silence. (Some of these factors have been covered in Soler, the theory composed by Gerard Egan). The first factor is to allow sufficient time. In order to keep to this, practitioners must resist rushing a conversation. This is done to let the person know that the focus of interaction is on them. For instance, if the practitioner is talking to the person while performing another task or moving away e.g. walking and talking, the service user may feel insecure as the direction of focus is not obviously on them and the practitioner may not be listening effectively. Practitioners also need to

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