Aims
Competences covered in this unit:
Ability to draw on knowledge that communication skills will help peer support workers gain an accurate sense of the concerns, needs and strengths of the person they support.
Ability for the peer support worker to show that they are paying attention to the person being supported.
Ability to listen attentively to the person.
Ability to help the person expand on or explore relevant issues.
Ability to ask both ‘closed’ and ‘open’ questions.
Ability to judge when questioning is being experienced as helpful and when less so.
Ability to listen to the person with empathy.
Ability to maintain an awareness of one’s own perspective or frame of reference in order not to inadvertently impose it.
Ability to convey a basic and empathic understanding of what has been said or conveyed.
Ability to check the person’s understanding by asking them to summarise the discussion and any decisions that may have been agreed.
Ability to ask the person whether all the issues that they wished to raise have been discussed.
Ability to remain composed and continue to communicate sensitively with people experiencing distress.
Ability to attend to indications that the person is finding topics distressing, or hard to discuss.
Ability to draw on knowledge that where verbal communication is challenging for a person, other forms of communication may be an effective and appropriate alternative.
Ability to identify practical barriers to communication and to identify ways to minimise their impact.
Ability to address any difficulties a person has communicating or expressing themselves by making appropriate adjustments.
To gain an accurate sense of the person’s account, an ability for the peer support worker to be aware of (and avoid) any ‘filters’ they may find themselves imposing.
Underpinning understanding and knowledge for peer support workers
Communication and engagement skills
Working in partnership. Supporting people as a peer support worker
Self-care and support
Optional skills – using psychological approaches to support personal recovery