STR - Support Time Recovery - Activity 3.1 - Effective communication

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STR / Support Time Recovery Training course

VRQ Level 2 Certificate in Mental Health

Additional note: Before answering the questions I would first like to comment on them! I am a service user myself and have worked with other service users for about 5 or 6 years now and I found the questions written in an slightly offensive way. Take question B "How did the service user communicate with you", my first thought was to write "The same bloody way everybody else does!" Service users are just people that are using the services, why would communication with them be any different from a "normal" person? The only times things are any different if when that person (service user or not) is either going through serious mental distress or if they are under the influence of drugs (prescribed or not) or drink. I do know a number of service users that have learning difficulties and some have specific problems such as autism spectrum disorders that mean things need explained differently. I am a service user, but I also have an IQ of 145, making me eligible to join Mensa!

Answer to Question 1

Situation:

Doing the rounds as a member of the Woodlands Patients Council. Going round talking to people, mostly service users, but also some staff and visitors on both the acute and sub-acute wards of the Woodlands mental health unit on the Ridge in Hastings, East Sussex.

Subject of communication:

Their quality of life while staying in Woodlands. We ask about how well they are being treated, problems with their rooms, standard of food and any other problems they may be having. We do not discuss medication, their mental health situation etc.

Answer to Question 2

We sat and verbally discussed everything and I made written notes of any issues that needed to be brought to the attention of the other members of the Patients Council.

Answer to Question 3

Due to the fact that the service user in this situation was highly medicated I made sure I avoided the use of jargon (as I always try to do anyway), to quote something I wrote as an example for my website:

"The local PCT advise the CPA when passing ADHD clients on SSRI's with PTSD to CPN's from the CMHT before starting CBT."

That should just about make sense to somebody that knows all the jargon, but to somebody that does not, especially when highly medicated, it would probably not make any sense at all.

Do not talk down to people, but stick to plain English as much as possible.

I did have to remind the person a few times of what we are not allowed to discuss with them, but I explained it in a nice way, to not annoy the person.

By staying as nice as possible they are more likely to tell you more things and that may include some important information that is relevant to the Patients Council.

Next: STR Activity 3.2 - Communication differences

Please note: The contents of the Level 2 Certificate in Mental Health Students workbook are copyrighted, so I have not included any of the questions, purely my answers which are only copyrighted to me! If you have access to the workbook it will make a lot more sense to you. Please do NOT copy my answers and use them as your own, I have just put them here to give you ideas for any parts you may be stuck on.