Sharing information for health and social care

Information Partnership Training
for shared decisions in health and social care
1
Sharing
information
for health and
social care

Information Partnership Training
for shared decisions in health and social care 2
Everyone who shares information can make a
difference - whether it is being responsible for
leaflets/posters in a reception area, signposting
people to services or helping people access
information on-line. In all these cases, “good”
information is important. We will talk more
about what makes ‘good’ information in the
next section.
Your values and attitudes, or how you think
and act will also make a difference to the
experience of the person you are working with
and the quality of information they receive.
You are in a role where you can actively
challenge health inequalities and really make a
difference to individuals.
1.1 How do you share information?
Many people working in a wide range of settings share
information as part of their job. For example: staff and
volunteers working in NHS community settings, housing,
libraries, advice agencies, social care, arts and leisure,
community education, community centres and projects.
Now we want you to think about how you share information, so
you can relate what follows in the pack to your situation.
ACTIVITY 1A
Take five minutes to think about how you share
information.
• What do you do?
• Who do you give information to?
• How do you think your information helps?
Discussion points
Some of the things you might have covered are:
• what information you provide in your job role
• what the role of giving information means to you
• who you give information to
• what kind of information you give
• how you think your information helps
• what challenges there are e.g. some people may miss out
on information; you may not always have time to give to
this role.
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Sharing information for health and social care

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1.2 What do you need to share information effectively?
Because job roles are very different, there is no one “checklist”.
The chances are that each person who shares information
needs a mixture of:
• Practical skills and abilities - things you need to be able
to do
• Personal qualities, attitudes and values - what you as a
person bring to the job
ACTIVITY 1B
What practical skills and abilities do you need when
you share information? List these and think why
you need them.
(Remember there is no one correct list.)
Discussion points
Some of the things you might have covered are:
• Listening attentively and not interrupting
• Identifying what people need and the best way to help
them
• Explaining things clearly
• Explaining jargon or technical terms
• Organising materials (keeping things up to date, in good
order, looking inviting)
• Searching the Internet/using NHS inform
• Checking people understand the information
Some reasons you think you might need these skills:
• You want to make sure you answer their questions, not
give them what you think they want
• It gives people confidence if they see you are organised
and interested
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Sharing information for health and social care

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ACTIVITY 1C
What personal qualities do you need? How do your
attitudes and values affect what you do?
Look at the following scenarios. Put yourself in the
shoes of the person needing information. If you were
looking for information, how would you like to be
treated?
• What personal qualities would you like the person
giving you the information to show?
• What attitudes and values might get in the way?
1
An older carer tells you that her husband has recently
been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. You can see
that she is distressed. She has been told by the GP that
there is a lot of information and support available but
she doesn’t know where to start. She tells you she has
never used a computer.
2
A migrant worker from Eastern Europe has only been
living in the area for six weeks. He wants information
for his wife as he thinks she may be pregnant. He
speaks limited English. He doesn’t want to register with
a GP. From talking to him you realise he is working in
casual employment and not paying tax.
3
A young mother at a parents and toddlers group
mentions that she saw a TV programme on how
passive smoking affects young children. She says she
has been thinking about giving up smoking for some
time.
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Sharing information for health and social care

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for shared decisions in health and social care 5
4
A young man has seen a TV programme on testicular
cancer and is worried that he has symptoms. His
girlfriend is concerned and decides to mention it at
her local health project cookery class.
5
An older black woman asks if you have any leaflets or
books on diabetes. She wants to know how to control
her diabetes through diet. She tells you that she has
had disagreements with her doctor on how to manage
her illness.
6
A middle-aged man attending a mental health support
group tells you that he has had a ‘bad week’. You
discover from talking to him that he is about to be
made homeless. You give him information about the
local advice agency. He asks if you will come with him
to help him.
Discussion points
You might have thought about the following
personal qualities:
• Someone who shows you respect as a person
• Someone who you can trust to keep things
confidential
• Someone who treats everyone as an individual
with different needs
• Someone who doesn’t judge people because of
their situation
• Someone who is responsible - who knows the
limits of their role
• Someone who tries to understand things
from your point of view but without making
assumptions or stereotyping
• Someone who is not afraid to ask questions
You may have thought about attitudes and values
which could get in the way.
• Someone you feel is judging you
• Someone who tells you what to do
• Someone who shows prejudice
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1.3 Reflections on your situation
Add here any additional points you may have thought of, or
points raised in your discussions with managers, colleagues,
and partners, not already highlighted which may be useful for
your own situation.
1.4 Key Learning Points
• You need practical skills and abilities to share information
effectively.
• How you value people, your attitudes towards them and
how you behave in your role are also important.
• We can learn skills and abilities. We can’t really “learn”
attitudes and values. We can learn to be more aware of
our own attitudes and values, and the impact these can
have.
• We can develop our self awareness of how we feel about
people who we see as ‘different’ from ourselves and
understand the impact this can have on what and how we
give information.
• It is useful to remember that communication is a two way
process. The person asking for information may also be
making assumptions about you which may be affecting
the communication.
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Activity 1E
Understanding how you share information
Can you think of any organisations/services (not your
own) where people go for information? Think of the
various people in the organisation. Describe how
they share information and think of any similarities or
differences.
An example might be a debt advice service –
roles might range from the receptionist making
appointments to debt counsellors. These are all
important, but different.
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Sharing information for health and social care

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Quick quiz: Sharing information
1 What practical skills and abilities do you need to share
information effectively? Use the phrases which follow to
complete the sentences below.
1. Listen
2. Identify
3. Organise
4. Explain
5. Check
a) the information people need
b) people understand the information
c) attentively without interrupting
d) information clearly
e) materials and keep them up to date
2 Which of the following would you consider suitable
personal qualities for someone sharing information?
Write YES or NO for each.
a) Someone who shows respect
b) Someone who tells you what to do
c) Someone you can trust
d) Someone who doesn’t judge you
e) Someone who shows bias
3 Please complete the following statements using the
words below:
• practical skills & abilities
• attitudes and values
• self awareness
• communication
a) You need to share information
effectively.
b) How you value people and your attitudes towards
them are also really important. We can learn to be
more aware of our own
and the impact these can have.
c) We can develop our of how
we feel about people who we see as ‘different’ from
ourselves.
d) It is useful to remember that
is a two way process. The person asking for
information may also be making assumptions about
you and this may be affecting the communication.
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Sharing information for health and social care
For further information and advice please contact:
Knowledge Services Group, NHS Education for Scotland, 1 Clifton Place, Glasgow G3 7 LD • Tel: 0141 352 2800
email: knowledge@nes.scot.nhs.uk • www.knowledge.scot.nhs.uk/home/portals-and-topics/information-partnership.aspx