Care Providers
Tailored English language and communication skills programmes for health and social care workers.
Tailored English language and communication skills programmes for health and social care workers.
Communicating appropriately and effectively with patients, service users and colleagues in a care environment is challenging, particularly if English is not the carer’s first language.
Misunderstandings can occur, for example when working with complex care needs or with those with dementia or hearing impairments. Dealing with upset or confusion is difficult, as is managing the concerns not only of the patient or service user, but also their families.
Cultural differences may also impact as overseas carers’ communication styles may differ from what patients and service users expect or are used to.
In the UK, overseas carers need a B1 level of English for their visa. This level is an intermediate level of proficiency and indicates that the user can understand the main points of what they read or listen to, write simple texts, converse on familiar topics such as family, hobbies, work and relationships, and travel independently.
While this is fine for predictable everyday conversations, it is not sufficient to manage the more complex interactions described above and may therefore impact on standards of care provided.
SLC provides digital study materials and tutored courses that improve the language and communication skills of healthcare support workers and social carers.
Courses are adapted to the specific needs of the learners and reflect their working environment. Programmes are designed following level assessment and needs analysis, both from the individual learners and their employer.
Tuition can be delivered to small groups of up to 12 learners or individuals.
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