In the not so distant past, a not so unheard of telecoms provider were telling us ‘It’s good to talk’ with Bob Hoskins sharing with us the joys of talking to our friends and family on the ‘dog and bone’. The truth of the matter is that we start communicating with each other in the very early stages of our life, from that knowing smile of a filled nappy to the screams of an empty stomach.
From that very first cry at birth we learn to communicate using what we discover later in life is body language, jumping up and down as Christmas approaches or sitting with your eyes to the floor with your arms crossed because you’ve ‘broken my favourite mug’. As we get a little older whilst constantly developing our language skills through schooling we also learn to communicate in a wide range of different situations and as we get older still these situations only become more challenging as we have to attend job interviews, meetings with the bank manager or sitting down with the future father in-law as you prepare to do the honourable thing and ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage (not sure if that even happens anymore).
Working in mental services means that you have to communicate with people on all levels in a whole range of different situations, whether that be the people we are supporting or the professionals in charge of their care. Whatever your speciality, our service has a strong focus on communication, there are times when this communication can be difficult and as professionals we have to try new and innovative ways to engage each person so that we can ensure they receive the care they require.
This reminds me of an almost hour long conversation I had with someone who had a fixed belief that they were unable to swallow at the time. The conversation started with the usual prompting for meals and was closely followed by the customary anxieties about choking or not being able to swallow. As a team we had tried numerous different approaches to address concerns about weight loss and malnutrition, Fortisips, SALT referral, dietician and so forth but to no avail. On this occasion I decided, for what reason I don’t know, to talk with them about times when they didn’t struggle in this way and the foods that were nice to eat. We went through what felt like a whole restaurant menu during this discussion, looking at the things she felt she might be able to manage on a good day, as the conversation went on I was constantly listening for things that might be squirrelled away in the ward kitchen but drew a blank, by this time I was getting determined and I was starting to feel like we were getting somewhere so I wasn’t going to give in. She then mentioned liking soups and that was the light bulb moment, knowing that we had a selection of instant soups available I immediately offered one up to have it turned down immediately as we had no minestrone and ‘you always get those powdery lumps in them’. Still not giving in, I decided to head down to the local supermarket and purchase a tin or two of minestrone soup, a small price to pay if it meant that she’d sit and eat the first hot meal since admission. On returning to the ward and hunting down a tin opener we finally managed to get a hot meal inside her, she finished the lot and many meals after that. Last year I crossed paths with this lady, she remembered my name, bearing in mind it’s probably five or six years since the conversation in question took place and most importantly she looked happy and well.
The most important thing I’ve found when communicating in any roll that I’ve had over the years, whether that be in a call centre, DIY retailer or building site is listening. They say that active listening is the key, the ability to show understanding and compassion with the use of a single word or gesture. The beauty of active listening if used correctly is that it can help you formulate resolutions to difficulties as you are having that first conversation, you’d be suprised the information you can pick up if you’re listening carefully. Yes, it can be a struggle trying to talk with people in this high pressured environment that we work but a good morning, good afternoon or more importantly “hello my name is” can create such an impact on that illusive positive care experience that we are all striving towards.
As my Care Maker journey progresses I’m starting to see the real benefits of communicating with people on a grander scale, after all I couldn’t have seen myself sat with NHS Executives or Directors of Nursing talking about the future of the trust where I work or the wider NHS but that is exactly what is happening. I currently feel in a very priveleged position as work I am undertaking is going to create what I’m hoping will be a massive impact on health outcomes for people living with mental health. All this has been possible by means of communicating, last year I established a small network of contacts that this year is starting to grow and through communicating (and being a little bit cheeky, if you don’t ask you don’t get) I am forming quality working partnerships that will be able to improve the level of service provided in our area .
We shouldn’t be afraid to talk to the people we support, there’s no such thing as idle chatter in our line of work, every contact counts. Even if some of those periods of contact can be spent talking complete nonesense or leave you feeling like you you’ve been slapped around the face with a wet haddock, believe me that contact will count. The majority of the people we support walk through life feeling like they are not listened to, rejected by society due to the stigma that is still attached to mental health and the people who use services and more importantly feeling like nobody cares, we can change all of that with a few simple words. The one thing that’s cropped at every meeting that I’ve sat in, every conference or summit I’ve attended this year is that the best way for us to provide compassionate care is to communicate with the people we support at every stage of their journey with us.
The Public’s guide to communicating with people with mental health difficulties.
Caremaker Progress 
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