Basic Communication and

helping Skills for social

workers
 Communication
Meaning : The word communication has its root
in the Latin verb communicare, which
means 'to share' or 'to make common.
Communication is usually understood as the
transmission of information.
Lasswell's model of communication
 What are communication skills?

Communication skills are the abilities you use when

giving and receiving different kinds of information.
Some examples include communicating new ideas,
feelings or even an update on your project.
 1. Active Listening
Active listening means paying close attention to
the person who is speaking to you. While it
seems simple, this is a skill that can be hard to
develop and improve.

• Pay full attention to the speaker

• Show interest with nonverbal cues
• Paraphrase and ask questions to clarify
 2. Clarity and Simplicity
• Be straightforward and concise
• Avoid jargon; use simple language
Ex: Military:-AWOL=absent without leave.
Medicine:- stat= immediately.
Company:- LOP=Loss of pay
• Organize your ideas logically
 3. communication style
Different styles of communication are appropriate in
different situations. To make the best use of your
communication skills, it's important to consider
your audience and the most effective format to
communicate with them.
Depending on the situation, you may even need to
send a formal, typed letter over other forms of
communication. Ex: phone, Hospital, later,
employer and employee, whatsapp, E-mail, Video
call, Google meet.
 4. Friendliness
In friendships, characteristics such as honesty
and kindness often foster trust and
understanding. The same characteristics are
important in workplace relationships. When
you're working with others, approach your
interactions with a positive attitude, keep an
open mind and ask questions to help you
understand where they're coming from.
 5. Confidence
In the workplace, people are more likely to
respond to ideas that are presented with
confidence.
There are many ways to appear confident such as
making eye contact when you're addressing
someone, sitting up straight with your
shoulders open and preparing ahead of time so
your thoughts are polished.
 6. Giving and receiving feedback
Strong communicators can accept critical
feedback and provide constructive input to
others. Feedback should answer questions,
provide solutions or help strengthen the
project or topic at hand.
 7. Volume and clarity
When you're speaking, it's important to be clear and
audible. Adjusting your speaking voice so you
can be heard in a variety of settings is a skill and
it's critical to communicating effectively.
Speaking too loudly may be disrespectful or
awkward in certain settings. If you're unsure, read
the room to see how others are communicating.
 8. Nonverbal Communication
Non-verbal communication is the message we
send to others without using any words. We
send signals and messages to others through
expressions, gestures and body postures.

• Maintain open body language

• Match tone of voice with your message
• Use appropriate facial expressions
Non-verbal Communication
 9. Empathy
Empathy means that you can understand and
share the emotions of others. This
communication skill is important in both team
and one-on-one settings. In both cases, you
will need to understand other people's
emotions and select an appropriate response.
 10. Respect
A key aspect of respect is knowing when to
initiate communication and respond. In a team
or group setting, allowing others to speak
without interruption is seen as a necessary
communication skill. Respectfully
communicating also means using your time
with someone else wisely-staying on topic,
asking clear questions and responding fully to
any questions you've been asked.
 11. Adaptability
• Adjust your style for different audiences
• Be assertive and own your message
• Practice speaking to build confidence
 12. Digital Communication
• Use proper grammar in digital messages
• Review and respond to messages promptly

EX: Email, Video calling, Social media,

 principles of professional communication
skills
These can be abbreviated as 7 Cs

1. clear : Be clear about what you want to say and write

2. concise : Use simple words and say only what is needed

3. concrete : Use exact words, phrases, Use facts and figures

4. Correct : Use correct spellings, language and grammar

5. Coherent: Your words should make sense and should be

related to the main topic
principles of professional communication
skills
6. Complete: Your message should have all the
needed information
7. courteous :Be respectful, friendly and honest
 Non verbal Communications
Non-Verbal Communication means Exchanging
Information without Words
In our day-to-day communication, it is
observed that most of the communication is done using
body movements (face or arms movements, etc.) and
voice control (voice, tone, pauses, etc.) and less than
10% is done using words.
Non-verbal communication makes
our message stronger.
 Non verbal Communications
• Using the right gestures and postures helps us to be
professional at work.
• Using the right gestures while speaking makes our
message more effective.
• Knowing non-verbal communication helps us
understand our audience’s reaction and adjust our
behavior or communication accordingly.
• If verbal messages are blocked by noise or distance,
etc., we can use hand movements to exchange our
message.
• Placing a finger on the lips to indicate need for silence
and nodding the head up and saying ‘yes’.
 Types of Non verbal Communications
Type What it implies How to use effectively?

Facial Expression Our expressions show our Smile when you meet someone
feelings: Happiness, Keep your face relaxed
sadness, anger, surprise, Match your expressions with what you are
fear, etc. saying

Posture Postures are positions of Keep upper body relaxed and, shoulders
the body. They show our straight
confidence and feelings. Sit straight, rest hands and feet in relaxed
position
Keep hands by your sides while standing
Space is the physical Maintain proper space depending on the
distance maintained relationship, which could be formal or
Space between two people. It is informal as the closeness with the person
important to maintain a with whom you are talking.
proper distance when
speaking with someone
 Types of Non verbal Communications
Type What it implies How to use
effectively?
Gestures describe movements of parts Avoid pointing at people with
Gestures or of the body, especially hands or head, your finger
Body Language to express an idea or meaning. This Bend your head a little while
includes waving, pointing and using talking or listening to show that
our hands when speaking. you are paying attention
For example, raising a hand may
mean asking a question. Biting nails
show nervousness.

deal through our touch, such as Shake hands firmly

Touch shaking hands and patting on the Avoid other touch gestures
back. For example, a firm handshake during formal communication
shows confidence. Sports coaches
give a pat on the back of players to
encourage them.
 Types of Non verbal Communications
Type What it implies How to use
effectively?
The way we look at someone can Look at the person who is
Eye Contact communicate things, such as interest or speaking
anger. Eye contact is when two people are Keep a relaxed, pleasant look.
looking directly into one another’s eyes. It Break the look every few
shows that we are paying attention to the seconds
person. Looking away can make the other
person feel ignored.

Paralanguage Paralanguage means how we speak. The

tone of our voice, speed and volume can Use a proper tone and volume
make a difference in the meaning we want while speaking
to show. Speaking too fast may show Maintain a moderate
happiness, excitement or nervousness. rate(speed) of talking
Speaking too slow may show seriousness
or sadness.
 Visual Communication

Another important method of

communication is visual communication, which
involves sending and understanding messages
only through images or pictures.

• EX: Traffic symbol, Sign showing railway

crossing, Sign for ladies and gents toilet, no
smoking zone, Sign used to pause a video or
audio file in Smartphone or computer.
 The I-statement ‘, understanding emotions and feelings

When you meet someone for the first time, they may want
to know more about you.
• You usually start by telling your name. Then you can
talk about other things, such as what you do, your age,
where do you live, or even about the things or activities
that you like or dislike.
• Emotions: Being aware of how you're feeling at any
given moment, whether it's happiness, anger,
frustration, excitement, or sadness. Identifying
situations, words, or behaviors that evoke strong
emotional reactions and manage your reactions,
preventing misunderstandings or conflicts.
 Emotions
This means that our brains are profoundly social
and communicative from the start, and depend
upon relationship to develop. Development is not
so much about the size of the brain, but concerns
the functions which develop inside the basic
structure.
The emotional aspects of development take place
in the right brain, and this happens sooner than
the development of the left brain which, among
other things, is dominant for language.
 Emotions
• So we know emotion long before we have the
words to name it, underlining the importance of
the quality of early relationships.
• The right brain is activated when emotion is felt
in the body.
• It also perceives and analyses emotional
expression in others, as it is the site for
recognition of faces, facial expressions and
gesture
 Emotions
• though words themselves emanate (rise) from and are
interpreted by the left brain
• The right brain develop sooner in baby girls than boys.
• It is through the emotional interchange between mothers
(and other adults) and babies, that infants’ emotional
capacities form. Just as babies cannot regulate their own
physiological systems, they cannot regulate their
emotional systems alone.
 Emotions
• An upset baby needs the comfort of communication
with someone older, and for this to happen successfully,
that someone needs to be sensitive to the baby’s signals.
• This mostly happens spontaneously when the
relationship is good enough, and the baby acquires the
capacity to regulate its own emotional states
• this developmental process that we learn to recognise
and respond to emotion in other people.
 Emotions
• If we are with someone who is sad, the same
neurological pattern of sadness ‘lights up’ in the right
side of our brain as theirs; we will feel some of the
sadness in our bodies; and we will unconsciously show
a sad expression on our face – all of which serves to
communicate to the sad person that we understand how
they are feeling.
 Emotions
Example activity: When you are talking with other people,
give some thought to which eye you tend to look into. Is
it the right or the left? Do you notice this changes
according to circumstances? You may move from one
eye to the other, but pay attention to which eye you
favour.
Emotional regulation and social work
• Neglect, abuse and trauma in early life are known to
disturb emotional development.
• Emotional self-regulation and the ability to respond to
others may not form fully.
 Emotions
• Although some of this can be made good later on,
• it depends on many factors and some people will
continue to have problems with emotional regulation all
their lives.
 The I-statement ‘, understanding emotions and feelings

Managing emotions helps maintain calm and composure,

making conversations more productive and respectful.
Feelings: Feelings are emotional experiences that arise as
responses to internal or external stimuli. Ex: Happiness,
Sadness, Anger, Fear, Guilt and Love and Affection.
Self-awareness: Helps you express your needs and
boundaries.
 References
• Communication and Motivation in Education
Scenario- Poornima Rajput
• Media and Communication Management –C S
Rayudu
THANK YOU