Effective Communication with Children and Families

Overview

This 'Effective Communication - Communicating with Children and Families' course will help enable you to communicate effectively with children, young people and their parents or carers.

Audience

This course is intended for everyone who works with or has contact with children, young people and their families.

Although this course forms part of an induction programme for new starters, it is also intended for all practitioners who want to improve their knowledge and continue their professional development.

About this course

This course contains the following three modules:

  • Appropriate Relationships
  • How to Communicate Well
  • Communicating with Parents and Young Carers
  • Upon successful completion of the three modules you will be automatically awarded a certificate containing the course name, completion date, CPD hours and learning objectives.

    The course contains additional resource materials, useful links and a refresher guide.

    Objectives

    This course will enable you to: 

  • Communicate effectively with children, young people and their parents or carers
  • Understand the importance of remaining professional without being impersonal
  • Learn how to operate within professional boundaries
  • Learn how to manage professional boundaries
  • Learn about the barriers to effective communication
  • Learn about what is meant my effective communication
  • Learn the importance of listening first
  • Learn the importance of listening carefully
  • Understand the importance of being prepared
  • Learn about active listening
  • Learn about the importance of watching yourself
  • Learn about reflective listening
  • Learn about the types of questions that can be asked

    Content

    Here are a few of the topics covered in this course:

    Professional relationships | Friends or friendly? | Behavioural mirroring | Managing professional boundaries | Benefits of professional boundaries | Setting appropriate limits | Setting your own boundaries | Barriers to communicating effectively | The importance of paying attention | Which communication method to use | Reading a person's body language  | Not listening | Physical distractions | Listen first  | Listening skills | The importance of being prepared | Active listening | Watching yourself | Understanding the whole picture | Getting it right | Reflective listening and feelings | Question types | Family values | Working with parents | Working in partnership | Treating people with respect | Listening to a person’s point of view | Cultural misunderstandings | Parents with low expectations | Communicating with young carers